WEDMORE VILLAGE DESIGN STATEMENT Prepared by the Wedmore Village Design Team in consultation with local residents and support of Wedmore Parish Council and assistance from Sedgemoor District Council August 2005 WEDMORE VILLAGE DESIGN STATEMENT Contents Page 1 - Introduction 1 2 - The Landscape Setting 2 - 3 3 - Wedmore’s History & Form of the Settlement 4 - 5 4 - Characteristics and Details of Buildings 6 - 7 5 - Streetscape, Traffic and Parking 8 Photographs 9 - 20 6 - Recommendations 21 Acknowledgements 22 Wedmore Village Design Statement 1. Introduction n 1993, The Countryside Commission (now the Countryside Agency) proposed that local communities take a I greater part in influencing the character of development in rural areas, this character being under threat from standardised and sometimes poor design. The proposed method was to be via preparation of a “Village Design Statement” (VDS). This document covering Wedmore village has been prepared in accordance with principles set out in guidance notes for VDS reference CCP 501, published in 1996. The prime purpose of a VDS is to influence any proposed development in such a way that it is sympathetic to existing village character. It must reflect residents’ views and be supported by the Parish Council. The visual character should be described in terms of: G The landscape setting G The form of the settlement G The characteristics and details of the buildings and spaces within the village. The VDS is about managing change and providing local design guidance and is therefore supplementary to, but not an alternative to, the Sedgemoor District Local Plan. The Wedmore VDS is based on the opinions of village residents expressed at a public meeting and exhibition of photographs and in response to an invitation to comment sent out to local societies. The project has been carried through to completion by a small “Design Team”, of five local residents, which carried out the necessary photographic surveys, collected residents’ inputs and wrote several drafts culminating in this final document in liaison with the Parish Council and Sedgemoor District Council Planning Officers. Wedmore serves a community which includes the other villages and hamlets of the parish: Blackford, Theale, Cocklake, Crickham, Clewer, Sand, Heath House, Westham, Mudgley, Bagley, Panborough, Latcham and the three Stoughtons. Since all have their own individual characteristics, this VDS is devoted exclusively to the village of Wedmore itself. During the course of compiling this statement, the “Design Team” became more and more aware of the enriching effect of variety on the overall Wedmore scene. The VDS was officially adopted as “Supplementary Planning Guidance” by Sedgemoor District Council on 1st February 2006 for reference in connection with future design within the village of Wedmore. The Parish and District Council will use the VDS when planning applications are being assessed, but its most important function is to provide an appreciation of local context and thereby influence the building design process from the outset. 1 Wedmore Village Design Statement 2. The Landscape Setting he centre of the village nestles at the east end of a shallow east to west valley, essentially the course of the local T stream, and is therefore overlooked by higher ground to the north and south, this gives rise to pleasing views of the village from this higher ground and equally pleasant views of this higher ground from many points within the village itself. Lascot Hill, to the north of the village is of particular importance, both as regards views of the village from the right of way crossing the field and views of the hill from within the village itself. Trees in a variety of formations are a significant, enriching backdrop to these views from the village. Church Street is roughly parallel to the course of the stream and therefore descends to the east. The overall view of Church Street, and the Mendips beyond from the vicinity of the church produces a particularly harmonious effect. The transition between the built area and countryside is rather abrupt at some points on the village boundary. The skyline has been breached by some development to the south of the village. Views of and from Wedmore are shown in photographs 1, 2 and 3. Photo 1 Wedmore from the North 2 Wedmore Village Design Statement Photo 2 Looking North from within the Village Photo 3 Looking North from within the Village 3 Wedmore Village Design Statement 3. Wedmore’s History and Form of the Settlement edmore is a settlement with several distinct areas and very early origins. Recent archaeological investigations W(Close Orchard) prove that people have been living in the village since prehistoric times. Roman and Iron Age remains have been found widely scattered in different parts of the village, the ancient centre of which was probably around St Mary’s Church and the Manor House in Saxon and Medieval times. The Borough area was added as a planned development of the late 1100s – early 1200s. The road patterns were laid down the best part of a thousand years ago with the centre forming a square of orchards and gardens and the village stream, the Lerburne running through. The West End has equally ancient origins – its road layout reflects the underlying medieval open field system. The ancient roads leading to Blackford (Pilcorn Street) and Wells (Combe Batch) are lined with cottages and farmsteads. The road to Cheddar was not developed in this way because it was not a through road until the turnpike c1840. Wedmore has been a market centre from the 1200s with shops and businesses developing from the 1600s to the present day. Shops have been a feature of Wedmore since about 1500. There are now about 30 shops in a variety of styles. The shops, a bank branch, and three public houses all serve as an informal focal point for residents and an attraction for visitors. Wedmore includes an extensive Conservation Area that is roughly half the total area within the current village boundary. There are many listed buildings. Wedmore’s prosperity through various times has led to a great diversity of house types, from affluent gentry to comfortable cottages. Sixteenth to eighteenth century vernacular buildings are cheek by jowl with gracious Georgian and Victorian houses. The remaining area within the village boundary consists primarily of some housing estates built since the 1960s. The village centre and surrounding development consists of a square street pattern, Church Street, the Borough, Grants Lane, and Glanville Road, all within the Conservation Area which was extended in 1991 to include old properties along Pilcorn Street, Combe Batch and West End. The central square formation of streets encloses an open space, which consists mainly of the rear gardens of properties facing outwards in the square. While this space is in private hands, it is nevertheless a valuable attribute that has remained more or less intact for several hundred years. At the West End of Wedmore, there is an open space privately owned but upon which is a covenant signed by adjacent residents prohibiting development upon it. This open space is not available to the public, but nevertheless significantly adds to the attraction of this part of the village and is designated as ‘Open Land to be Protected from Development’, Policy BE7, Sedgemoor District Local Plan 1991-2011 adopted 29 September 2004. This space is shown in photo 4. A further open space adjacent to the Close Farm, nearer to the village centre, is currently also in private hands, but is crossed by a public right of way. It is also currently designated as ‘Open Land to be Protected from Development’. This space is shown in photo 5. There is currently no manufacturing activity in Wedmore. The entirety of the village is shown in the aerial photograph, on the next page. 4 To Cheddar WEDMORE Lascot Hill Glebe Field Key Village Development Boundary (Local Plan Policy STR3) Designated Conservation Area St. Mary’s boundary Church (Local Plan Policies HE1, HE3 and HE4) 3 2 Open land to be 1 protected from development 7 5 BE7 (Local Plan Policy BE7) 6 4 Private Open Space To Wells 1 (surrounding streets form ‘The Square”) BE7 2 The Borough 3 Church Street BE7 4 Combe Batch To Blackford 5 Glanville Road 6 Grants Lane 7 Pilcorn Street Scale 1:5000 approx Wedmore Village Design Statement Photo 4 Private open space, West End Photo 5 Private open space adjacent to The Close Farm, with public right of way 5 Wedmore Village Design Statement 4. Characteristics and Details of Buildings he variety of buildings in the central square and surrounding areas dating from various periods blend together T in a satisfactory manner primarily because of a sympathetic relationship in terms of style, scale, differing alignments and road curvature (Church Street). This variety is a major contribution to the satisfying visual impact and is shown in the series of photographs 6 to 41. An extreme form of variety is shown in photograph 12. The extraordinary Italianate design of the building to the left housing the chemist’s shop could hardly be called Wedmore specific or indeed specific to any English village anywhere. Furthermore its juxtaposition to a more traditional dwelling could be thought quite incongruous, however the overall visual impact is widely regarded as one of the most interesting features of the village street scene. Similarly, the building shown in photograph 16, which could be said to be of Mediterranean type, is another example of the contribution made to village character by diversity. Wedmore contains a wide variety of building types in what can be regarded as ‘traditional’ style and various twentieth century developments of a more suburban character. The traditional buildings display considerable diversity and often form interesting groups.