Heritage Impact Statement Norwood Hall, Marlborough College, Marlborough, SN8 1PA Prepared for: Marlborough College 29th March 2018 Prepared by: Katie Dickson BA(Hons) MSc Project Ref: 286/056 PgCert Checked by: Jayne Norris BA(Hons) DipTP MSc Issue: 1 MRTPI Authorised by: Marlborough College LPA: Wiltshire The Old Bank 01865 731700 39 Market Square [email protected] Witney OX 28 6AD edgarslimited.co.uk HERITAGE IMPACT STATEMENT Contents 1.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 2.0 Site and Surrounding Areas ............................................................................................................................. 4 3.0 Planning History ............................................................................................................................................... 4 4.0 Planning Policy ................................................................................................................................................. 5 5.0 Assessment of Significance .............................................................................................................................. 7 6.0 Proposed Development .................................................................................................................................. 12 7.0 Evaluation and Conclusions ........................................................................................................................... 13 Appendices Appendix 1. Historic Maps Appendix 2. Scheduled Ancient Monument Description Appendix 3. Registered Historic Park and Garden Description Appendix 4. List Descriptions: C House and A Block Appendix 5. Marlborough Conservation Area Boundary Map. Norwood Hall, Marlborough College, Marlborough, SN8 1PA 2 HERITAGE IMPACT STATEMENT 1.0 Introduction 1.1 This report has been prepared by Edgars Limited in conjunction with Kendall Kingscott Limited on behalf of Marlborough College. The report is to accompany an application for planning permission for the provision of a below ground, high voltage electricity power cable from Pewsey Road, which would run across College grounds to the rear of Norwood Hall. 1.2 The cable will terminate at the proposed new electrical substation which would replace an existing oil tank. These works are considered necessary to modernise and upgrade the existing kitchen for the College, which is currently powered by steam; the steam generator being powered by oil. 1.3 The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the historic origin and evolution of the site, including its historic development in relation to Marlborough College, and then to identify the significance of the various heritage designations, including the Registered Park and Garden, Scheduled Ancient Monument, the setting of Listed Buildings and its position within the wider Marlborough Town Conservation Area. 1.4 The report then describes the proposed changes and provides the proposals with a cogent and sustainable justification in terms of their impact on the special character and appearance of the Registered Park and the setting of the Scheduled Ancient Monument, as well as any impact the proposals may have on the setting of the adjacent listed buildings, and the character and appearance of the Marlborough Conservation Area. 1.5 The report has been produced in accordance with the requirements of the National Planning Policy Guidance, the NPPF and the Historic England publications “Managing Significance in Decision- Taking in the Historic Environment” and “The setting of Heritage Assets” published in July 2015. These require applicants to make an assessment of the significance of Heritage Assets and their settings in relation to proposed development and make an assessment of the impact of their proposals upon them. 1.6 The statement demonstrates to the Council that the significance of the historic environment has been fully assessed and understood and that the conservation impacts of the proposed scheme have been properly considered as an integral part of the proposals and have informed the accompanying design process. 1.7 Following this assessment of impact, it is our professional view that the proposed scheme of below ground cabling and substation accord with the policies contained in NPPF and NPPG, the relevant sections of the Historic Environment Planning Practice Guide and Local Plan Policies of the Wiltshire Core Strategy 1.8 A clear and justified case can therefore be made for the proposed alterations which will preserve the significance of the various designations within the site. There should, therefore, be no reason, in heritage terms, why planning permission should not be granted for the proposals. Norwood Hall, Marlborough College, Marlborough, SN8 1PA 3 HERITAGE IMPACT STATEMENT 2.0 Site and Surrounding Areas 2.1 Norwood Hall was constructed in 1959, and with the adjacent Common Room, are the only twentieth century buildings with a modern architectural style that abound the main courtyard which is considered the centre, and the focus of the College campus. 2.2 Norwood Hall is adjacent to a number of designated heritage assets; to the north-west is ‘A Block’ which is Grade II listed and forms part of the western side of the courtyard. To the east is ‘C House’ which is Grade I listed and the primary building of the campus. To the rear, or west, of Norwood Hall is The Mount, a Scheduled Ancient Monument. 2.3 The site is also covered by the designation of a Grade II Registered Park and Garden, recognising the importance of the remnants of the designed landscaped garden laid out in 1702, in association of the construction of C House as country house. 2.4 The entire College campus is also included within the Marlborough Town Conservation Area which was designated in 1971. Figure 1: Wiltshire Council Historic Environment Map of Marlborough College showing the various designations affecting the site. Norwood Hall is indicated with a red star. 3.0 Planning History 3.1 There is no planning history available relating to Norwood Hall. Norwood Hall, Marlborough College, Marlborough, SN8 1PA 4 HERITAGE IMPACT STATEMENT 4.0 Planning Policy National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 4.1 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the Historic England Good Practice Advice documents (advice notes 2 and 3) are relevant to the content of this report and the consideration of the applications. The government objective is that heritage assets (which includes listed buildings and their settings) should be conserved in a manner appropriate to their significance, so they can be enjoyed for their contribution to the quality of life of this and future generations. 4.2 Paragraphs 126-141 specifically address conserving the built historic environment. Paragraph 128 highlights that the significance of a heritage asset should be explained by an applicant at a level of detail proportionate to the assets importance and no more than is sufficient to understand the potential impact of the proposal on the significance. 4.3 Paragraph 132 confirms that great weight should be attached to the assets’ conservation, clarifying that the more important the asset, the greater weight should be to conservation. Significance can be lost through alteration or destruction of the heritage asset or development within its setting, and any such loss should have clear and convincing justification. 4.4 Paragraph 134 highlights that where a proposal will lead to less than substantial harm to the significance of a designated heritage asset, this harm should be weighed against the public benefits of the proposal, including securing its optimum viable use. 4.5 Paragraph 128 of the NPPF, paragraph 58 of the Practice Guide and the Historic England Good Practice Notes 2 and 3 advocate the methods of investigating the significance of a heritage asset. In particular, it advocates that three steps should be carried out when preparing an assessment including: 1. Check the development plan, main local and national records including the relevant Historic Environment Record, statutory and local lists, the Heritage Gateway, the NMR, and other relevant statutory sources of information that would provide an understanding of the history of the place and the value the asset holds for society. 2. Examine the asset and its setting. 3. Consider whether the nature of the affected significance requires an expert assessment to gain the necessary level of understanding. 4.6 A number of other steps are suggested as appropriate subject to the nature of the asset and the proposed works. 4.7 In the case of this application the records which have been investigated include: 1. The Heritage Gateway. 2. The planning records and planning policy documents held at Wiltshire County Council. 3. Historic England website. 4. Marlborough College records. 4.8 A thorough site investigation by Edgars and Kendall Kingscott has also been carried out. This provided a careful assessment of the various heritage assets, its notable features and its setting. 4.9 The Practice Guide continues to highlight at paragraph 79 that there are a number of potential heritage benefits that could weigh in favour of a proposed scheme. In this case, it is relevant to consider the benefits detailed below, which will result from the building being minorly altered: 1. The proposed works will sustain the significance of a heritage asset. Norwood Hall, Marlborough