Character of Area Study

Character of Area Study

Watford Character of Area Study Adopted December 2011 0B1.0 Introduction The Borough of Watford is a well established urban centre in West Hertfordshire that contains a diverse patchwork of areas reflecting different types of built form. These character areas provide the spatial framework for local neighbourhoods and reflect the multifunctional nature of the town as a location for employment, leisure, study and residential provision. Although these areas provide a network of urban form, rich in “place identity”, they remain at risk of degradation from the pressures of new development. There is therefore a need to identify the Borough’s existing character areas and to provide a reference for guiding contextually responsive development that reinforces local character. 2.0 Urban Conservation Strategy 2.1 The need for a comprehensive study identifying character areas within the Borough was set out in the Council’s Urban Conservation Strategy, as detailed in the Watford District Plan 2000 (adopted 2003). The Urban Conservation Strategy sets out to deliver a package of different documents covering the various heritage assets within the town, including: conservation areas, Statutory Listed Buildings, Locally Listed Buildings and archaeology. The Character of the Area Study provides an overarching resource on urban form for the whole Borough and not just areas or buildings that are designated as heritage assets and referred to in the District Plan and the Urban Conservation Strategy. 2.2 The Watford District Plan 2000 and the related Supplementary Planning Guidance Note 28 (adopted 2003) includes information on Historic Environment Character Zones in Watford. This map based resource provides general information on the historical character zones that exist within the Borough and their archaeological potential. It does not however include information on the character of different areas of the Borough from an urban design perspective and is ultimately an archaeology-focused resource. 2.3 An additional document of note, which forms part of the Urban Conservation Strategy, is the Extensive Urban Survey Project Assessment 1 Report (2000). Produced by Terry Hunns on behalf of Hertfordshire County Council, the report provides additional commentary on archaeology within the Borough and the wider historical framework behind it. 3.0 Planning Policy Background 3.1 National Policy 3.1.1 Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development makes clear that the Government is committed to protecting and enhancing the quality of the natural and historic environment, and requires a high level of protection for the most valued townscapes. It recognises that the condition of our surroundings has a direct impact on the quality of life and that the conservation and improvement of the natural and built environment brings social and economic benefits for local communities. It advises that development plan policies and planning decisions should be based on up-to- date information on the environmental characteristics of the area. 3.1.2 Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing comments that good design is fundamental to using land efficiently. It further states that local planning authorities should facilitate good design by identifying the distinctive features that define the character of a particular local area. 3.1.3 Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment advises that local planning authorities should ensure that they have evidence about the historic environment and heritage assets in their area and that this information is publicly documented. It further states that the level of detail of the evidence should be proportionate and sufficient to inform adequately the plan-making process. At a local level, plans should consider the qualities and local distinctiveness of the historic environment and how these can contribute to the development of the spatial vision in the local development framework core strategy. 3.1.4 Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Spatial Planning states that it is important for local planning authorities to have an understanding of local distinctiveness before wider planning processes can take place. Background 2 documents are required which provide a robust evidence base for future planning policy documents. It is likely that these Planning Policy Statements will eventually be replaced by a National Planning Policy Framework. 3.2 Local Policy 3.2.1 The Watford District Plan 2000 includes saved Policies U2 (Design and Layout of Development) and U3 (Integration of Character). These policies state that new development should integrate with the local character of the area and be designed with an understanding of the local characteristics of the surrounding area. Reference is made to the ‘Character of the Area Study’, which this document now forms. 3.2.2 The Pre-submission version of the Watford Core Strategy (2011) includes Policy UD1 (Delivering High Quality Design). This policy states that new development should respect and enhance the local character of the area in which it is located and that details of the character of the built environment can be found in this Character of the Area Study. 3.2.3 This Character of Area Study also provides part of the evidence base for the Pre-submission version of the Watford Core Strategy. The evidence supports the spatial strategy that has been detailed in the emerging Core Strategy and its approach to a series of Special Policy Areas (SPAs). 4.0 Supplementary Planning Document It is proposed that this document should have the status of a supplementary planning document, as it provides detail to support policy in higher level Development Plan Documents (District Plan and Core Strategy; see above). A key component of the development of the Local Development Framework, it helps provide a sound evidence base for policies on locating growth opportunity areas and protecting the integrity of existing areas of built form. The Character of Area Study acts as both a driver for identifying the location of key growth opportunity areas and the top layer in a stratified framework of 3 guidance documents on the built heritage assets within the town. As such, it also exists as a resource to be used by officers in the Development Management Section and by those bringing forward proposals for new development in Watford. 5.0 Residential Design Guides 5.1 The Council adopted a Residential Design Guide in 2008. Volume 1, concerning the building of new homes, contains a section on residential character areas within the Borough. While the document details some general character areas on a map, it does not provide comprehensive coverage of the Borough. The Watford Character of Area Study will therefore build on the work included in the Residential Design Guide and provide a more comprehensive picture of the character of the whole town. 5.2 This Study supersedes the map and related information on the character of areas within Watford that is contained within the Residential Design Guide: Volume 1. 6.0 Key Findings from the Study 6.1 Watford contains a number of distinctive urban character areas, which largely reflects the period in which most buildings were constructed, and this has created various dominant architectural typologies. The major exception to this is the High Street and its environs, where pressure for redevelopment has left the oldest part of the town with a very mixed urban character. 6.2 Although the Borough of Watford is highly urbanised, the density of development in most of the Borough is relatively low – e.g. estates of semi- detached/detached housing. The areas of open space and other green infrastructure are detailed elsewhere in the Watford Open Space Study. Higher density development is largely focused around the town centre and other key transport nodes. 4 6.3 There are 105 separate character areas identified in the Study. These are grouped into 38 generic types, with information provided in one table for all the localised areas featuring the same general characteristics. 6.4 As part of the Council’s Urban Conservation Strategy, those areas with the highest levels of historical and architectural interest have been designated as conservation areas. However, while a significant proportion of the existing development in the Borough does not meet the criteria for conservation area designation, it does nevertheless have a character which is worth protecting. To deliver this level of control over development the Council needs to have a credible evidence base – which this study provides. 6.5 The Study clearly shows that much of the Borough has a strong localised urban character. However, there are a number of areas where the urban grain is much weaker and the character more poorly defined. The Study therefore both supports the spatial strategy and Special Policy Areas (SPAs) approach of the Watford Core Strategy document and also provides the evidence by which redevelopment proposals can be tested for compliance with the Council’s wider objectives on protecting local heritage assets (see appendix 1). The SPAs identified in the town centre and at the Dome Roundabout and Health Campus are marked by poorly defined urban character where good quality redevelopment would help to integrate the areas into the wider urban fabric of the town. 7.0 Local Consultation A draft version of this document was published for public consultation between 28th September – 4th November 2011. Responses received helped to shape this final version. 8.0 Methodology of Study The Study aims to identify, analyse and describe in a systematic and objective way those elements, or combination of elements, that help to form the character of a place. The criteria chosen have been adapted from best practice provided by a number of key urban design publications including: 5 1. By Design - Urban Design in the Planning System: Towards Better Practice, Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (2001). 2. By Design - Better Places to Live: A Companion Guide to PPG3, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (2001).

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