Stanford Rivers House London Road Stanford Rivers, Essex PLANNING AND HERITAGE STATEMENT For REPLACEMENT PORCH January 2015 Ian Alderton MCIAT Accredited Conservationist ACIOB FFB 64 Chapel Hill, Halstead, Essex, CO9 1JP Mobile: 07508 705450 [email protected] www.architecturalmanagement.co.uk Stanford Rivers House Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction and Purpose 1 2.0 The Application Site 2 3.0 General Description of the Heritage Asset 2 4.0 Description of the Proposal 3 5.0 Impact Assessment 4 6.0 Conclusion 4 Stanford Rivers House 1.0 Introduction and Purpose This Planning and Heritage Impact Statement is to accompany a Listed Building Application by Mr P Richards for the replacement of the main porch to the front of the house. The site address is Stanford Rivers House, 135 London Road, Stanford Rivers, Essex CM5 9PP. This report is to be read in conjunction with the architectural proposals produced by Architectural Management. The general format of this report will be; To briefly describe the setting and the Heritage Asset To describe the proposed work To describe the impact of the proposal upon the Listed building Conclusion The extent of works proposed under this application is minor and the extent and content of this report are commensurate with this. Stanford Rivers House Stanford Rivers House January 2015 Page 1 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4 January 2014 2.0 The Application site The application site is on the south side of the A113 London Road, some 2 miles south west of the town of Chipping Ongar, in an area known as Hare Street. The site is in the Green Belt. The house sits in a large plot of some 1.5 acres, which falls away from the road to the south. The front (road) boundary is delineated with a timber boarded fence and a line of tall conifers. The house sits at a slight angle to the road and is a minimum of some 22m inside the front boundary. 3.0 The Heritage Asset The house is a timber framed building, originating around the C17th. It is generally externally plastered and with a clay plain tiled roof. The principal elevation is to the north. The house has been extended with wings to the east and south. Many windows survive in their original form as do many parts of the interiors. Extract from Listing Description for the house. Location: STANFORD RIVERS ROMFORD ROAD 4/218 Hare Street Stanford Rivers House List Entry number: 1337509 Grade: II Date first listed: 11 April 1984 County District District Type Parish Essex Epping Forest District Authority Stanford Rivers House. C17/C18/C19 with probable earlier core. Timber framed and rough rendered. Red plain tile roof hipped to right with three C18 hipped, leaded dormer windows. 2 storeys and attics. 4 window range of small paned vertical sliding sashes with thick glazing bars, first floor, 3 range to ground floor. Off centre 6 panel original door with ironmongery and good round head fanlight over. Red tiled porch with two supports and heavy scroll brackets. Studs with 2 arched downbraces between windows, and above side girts. Single storey extension to left with 4 panelled door with lights and C19 transomed casement. Attached square red brick chimney stack off centre and red brick chimney stack to left. Internally are stop chamfered beams. C18 panelled rooms and hall with panelled arch. Corner cupboard. Jacobean fire surround. 1825-1865 - The home of Issac Taylor artist, author and inventor. Listing NGR: TL5364800027 Stanford Rivers House January 2015 Page 2 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4 January 2014 4.0 Description of the Proposal Details of the proposals can be read from the architectural drawings produced by Architectural Management. During 2013 the owner approached Epping Forest District Council planning department for advice on repairs and replacement of the hard cement render with lime render and the replacement of two front porches which were rotten and becoming unsafe. Advice was given and work commenced on site, but unfortunately due to a misunderstanding on the owners behalf, without the benefit of formal Listed Building Consent. Subsequently meetings have taken place with Clare Munday (Planning Officer) and Paul Clarke (Conservation Officer) from Essex County Council. The repair works were the subject of a Listed Building application which was refused consent, due to the detail of the main porch, which was rebuilt using a natural oak framework under a plain tile roof. The details of the replacement of the small porch and re-rendering works were then agreed and are the subject of a further separate retrospective Listed Building application in order to regularise that work. The application to which this document relates is for a revised detail to the main porch. Observations received from Paul Clarke (and previously from Anna Foreshew) indicated that the new porch was of a design which appeared too heavy. The natural oak construction, whilst a nicely executed piece of work, was too chunky and at odds with the appearance of the house. It also tended to be too close to the doorcase. The revised proposal would reconfigure the construction and have thinner frame members with chamfered edges and would omit the rear posts, which were against the house and observed to be crowding and masking the doorcase. The construction of the porch, where against the house, now proposes to have console brackets fixed to the wall to support the roof, thus removing the rear posts from their position against the doorcase. Overall the height is reduced by some 275mm and the width increased by some 100mm, which changes the overall proportions to improve the aesthetics. The dwarf brick plinth walls would also be rebuilt in a half brick construction to again move them away from the doorcase. The dwarf walls perform the function of supporting the front posts and preventing surface rainwater from gathering at the doorway. At present, despite being a gravel finish, the water flows towards the house and doorway. The internal house floor along this elevation is at or below the general ground levels. Due to the lie of the land and the prevailing slope on the site, it is not practical to reprofile the levels as it would involve regrading much of the front driveway across the considerable width of the house. Finally the whole of the oak frame and the brickwork would be limewashed to match the house, to unify the different finishes and harmonise the appearance. Stanford Rivers House January 2015 Page 3 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4 January 2014 5.0 Impact Assessment The proposal is for a remodelling of the main porch. The shape and form of the main façade is such that it demands some form of porch around the door, both aesthetically and for physical protection of the main entrance doorway. It would appear that some form of porch has existed here for many years and this proposal seeks to improve upon the one which presently exists. The earlier porch was of a very flimsy construction (shown in photograph left), with an odd tiled roof at a very low pitch. The present porch has been identified as not being appropriate to the setting of the house and this application and design seeks to redress that situation. The impact of the physical presence of the porch is very low, as there has been one in this position for many years and the effect of the design improvements in this proposal are positive over the previous two designs. 6.0 Conclusion The proposed alterations to the porch create a form which is more appropriate in proportion, more harmonious in appearance and respects the existing doorcase and fanlight by giving space around it, retaining it to view. Stanford Rivers House January 2015 Page 4 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 4 January 2014 .