OFFICERS REPORTS TO
JOINT MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE (EAST & WEST)
6 JULY 2006
Each report for decision on this Agenda shows the Officer responsible, the recommendation
of the Head of Planning and Building Control and in the case of private business the
paragraph(s) of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 under which it is
considered exempt. None of the reports have financial, legal or policy implications save
where indicated.
PUBLIC BUSINESS - ITEM FOR DECISION
1.
Morston Village Design Statement
This report proposes that the Council adopts in part the Morston Village Design
Statement as an approved policy for planning purposes. The views of this
Committee are sought in order for the matter to be considered at a Cabinet meeting
on 10 July 2006.
INTRODUCTION
Village Design Statements (VDS) were originally an initiative of the Countryside
Commission in 1996. Their purpose was to engage local communities in the design
and conservation of the built and natural environment and to ‘describe the distinctive
character of a village and its surrounding countryside’. Whilst the Village Design
Statements were to be prepared by local communities one of their key attributes was
to be adoption as Supplementary Planning Guidance by Local Planning Authorities in
support of approved Local Plans. In North Norfolk two Village Design Statements
have been formally adopted (Blakeney and Wiveton). As such, they have been
referred to as background policy statements for planning, design and conservation
purposes since their approval by the Council in 2000. A further VDS for Langham
has been approved as Council policy for planning purpose. This means that whilst
the latter can be considered as a relevant document when considering applications
for development it does not constitute formal Supplementary Planning Guidance.
For such documents to qualify for supplementary planning guidance status now they
must conform with ‘Planning Policy Statement 12 - Local Development Frameworks’
which has introduced the concept of ‘Supplementary Planning Documents’. The
process is irretrievably linked to the new Local Development Framework (LDF)
arrangements and involves cumbersome consultation procedures.
This report seeks to gain the Joint Development Control Committee’s approval to
those elements of the Morston VDS that are consistent with current and emerging
planning policy. The VDS itself has been prepared by a group made up of a number
of volunteers with a keen interest in design and the future of Morston. It has been
operating for several years under the general auspices of Morston Parish Council.
The Draft Morston VDS has already been listed as a Background Document to the
Local Development Framework (LDF). It is important to note that the VDS cannot be
considered for formal adoption as a Supplementary Planning Document in
accordance with the guidance in Planning Policy Statement 12 without extensive
consultation processes that comply with the regulations for LDF preparation.
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WHAT IS A VILLAGE DESIGN STATEMENT?
A Village Design Statement should describe the salient architectural and landscape
setting characteristics of a village.
According to the original guidance given by the Countryside Commission (now
Agency), an effective Village Design Statement should have the following
characteristics:- be developed, researched, written and edited by local people;
- be representative of the views of the village as a whole;
- to have involved a wide section of the village community in its production
- to have described the visual character of the village;
- to have demonstrated how local character and distinctiveness can be protected
and enhanced in new development;
- to be compatible with the statutory planning system and local planning context;
- be suitable for approval as supplementary planning guidance (NB this is no
longer possible);
- be applicable to all forms and scale of development;
- be addressed to the management of change in a village, rather than preventing it.
PROPOSED DESIGN GUIDANCE
A copy of the complete Morston Village Design Statement is available for Members
to inspect in the Members’ Room. The purpose of the VDS is stated as follows in
Section 1 of the document:•
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•
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To describe the distinctive character of Morston village and its surrounding
countryside of marsh, creek, quay and fields, all of which are an integral part of
the whole.
To show how its character can be identified at three levels: the landscape setting
of the village, the form of the settlement, and the nature and design of the
buildings and the spaces between buildings within the village.
To draw up building design principles based on local character.
To provide a basis for working in partnership with the North Norfolk District
Council and other local bodies such as the National Trust, to conserve the special
character of Morston and within the context of local planning policy, making
recommendations that will assist planning decisions in the future (and for the
Statement to be adopted by the NNDC as a Supplementary Planning Document).
Section 2 of the Morston VDS describes the overall character of the village and its
setting. It provides a useful source of information for the Council’s Conservation,
Design and Landscape Section in its task of producing a new Conservation Area
Appraisal and Management Plan.
The specific sections of the Morston VDS which relate to design advice are as
follows:In Section 3.1(The Future of Morston) the VDS Group recommends that:
The coherence of Morston as a settlement must be retained. Limited infill may be
acceptable. However, new building, including walls and other ancillary elements,
should be constructed from traditional materials. Old flint or brick buildings and walls
should not be demolished.
Any alterations or new development should:
• achieve a high standard of design, sympathetic with the character of the area;
• be compatible with the scale, mass form of adjacent buildings and settings;
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•
•
•
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use appropriate materials;
be accompanied by a complete landscape design when appropriate. This should
show how the building or extension integrates into the existing scene;
not result in the loss of important spaces or features of architectural interest;
not impinge upon views into, out of, or within the Conservation Area.
The above criteria are generally considered as acceptable for adoption as Council
policy, but it needs to be made clear that the reference to infill cannot be applied to
new dwellings since Morston is not a Selected Small Village, but is subject to
Countryside policy.
Within this section the VDS Group suggest that NNDC considers the introduction of a
policy in its LDF that ‘permits only one non-substantial change to a building in each
generation (25 years), so that creeping development cannot occur’. This issue
cannot be addressed through the adoption of the VDS as Council policy and
should be considered through the LDF process. Consequently this element of
the VDS should not be approved.
At 3.2 the VDS Group recommends that:
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street and other signing should not increase without the consent of the Parish
Council;
any Norfolk County Council highway signs should be minimum size, on wooden
posts, with no large reflective route signs. (It may be of value to make a
distinction between instructional and information signs.) There should be no
hoardings for advertisements and no externally lit signs.
existing hedges and trees allow new development to be more readily assimilated.
They (and especially field-diving hedges) should not be cut down without formal
permission from the NNDC. Particular attention should be given to fast-growing
species such as leylandii.
the three main roads entering the village are long and straight and invite high
speeds. The existing speed limit on the A149 is adequate within the village. In
addition, Traffic Calming, to give some demarcation though the use of varied
surface colour and texture, should be considered. Countdown signs to the speed
limit would also be a possibility on Morston Chase.
Whilst the concerns of the VDS Group are understood and in regard to signs
and landscape design supported in principle it is not considered appropriate
for the above points to form additional Council policy. Existing policies within
the North Norfolk Local Plan and Planning Policy Statements address the need for
the proper landscape design in connection with new development.
Section 4 (Review of Planning Policy) provides a commentary on the existing North
Norfolk Local Plan and its policies. This section should be considered in the
context of the emerging Core Strategies in the LDF and any site specific
proposals.
Section 5 (Conclusions) contains some more specific design and conservation
statements which are more consistent with the objectives of a VDS. At 5.1(i) it is
recommended that:•
•
The views of the village from the Blakeney, Langham and Stiffkey roads, and
from the harbour, quay, marshes and sea wall be rigorously protected;
The informality of the ‘roadscape’ within the village be retained and that
signage be limited;
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•
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The relationship of village to church, of village to quay, creek and marsh and
of church to churchyard in context terms be maintained. (To this end the VDS
Group recommend that the NNDC be asked to review the boundaries of the
Conservation Area with a view to extending that area as far as, and to
include, the actual quay and also the large field to the east of the village
between the sea wall and the A149);
New building only be allowed within the settlement pattern of the village south
of the A149, with alterations and improvements only permitted to existing
buildings north of the A149;
That new building, including of walls and other ancillary elements, use
traditional materials and be of appropriate scale and style;
No housing be built in areas liable to flooding;
Quality design in accordance with the North Norfolk Design Guide be a key
objective.
Of the above only the first and last three points (as indicated in non-italics) can
be considered as appropriate for approval by the North Norfolk District Council
as Council policy. The consideration of boundaries for Conservation Areas should
be made through the Council’s programme for Conservation Area Appraisal and
Management. The points raised by the Morston VDS Group should be given full
consideration through this process and at the right time.
At 5.1 (ii) the conclusions reached amount to proposals and a list of issues, wherein
the local community is seeking to influence and lobby several levels of public
authority and the statutory undertakers. It is not considered appropriate to adopt
these statements as District Council policy.
At 5.2 there is a further series of proposals that lie outside the direct control of the
Local Planning Authority. Many of the proposals, which refer to issues such as
‘Commercial activity’, ‘Pedestrian safety’, ‘Marine traffic’ and ‘Marsh access’, are
laudable and understandable, but will not sit comfortably within the confines of a
Planning and Design Policy. These matters require further consideration but not
approval as supplementary design guidance.
Paragraph 5.2 (v) includes statements on the need for ‘Affordable housing’ in
Morston. This needs to be addressed in the LDF process.
The following three points, which relate to conversions of buildings for residential use,
presumably where there are no overriding policy constraints, should be given further
thought:
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•
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That where buildings are capable of conversion to residential use without major
rebuilding and/or substantial extension, including new outbuildings or large areas
for parking, turning, access or storage of materials, they be given overall
support.
That where proposals represent a significant improvement in the appearance of
buildings, they be supported;
That development sympathetic to the character of the building concerned and the
landscape of the area be supported.
The above points correspond generally with existing design guidance.
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Paragraph 5.2 (vi) (Severance Reconciliation; South Close) seeks the creation of a
new footpath between Holt Lane and Langham Road. This is considered a
proposal rather than policy and therefore unsuitable for inclusion.
Section 6 provides further recommendations, some of which relate to form and
character of the village and design considerations. They seek:
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to maintain the views of the village from the Blakeney, Langham and Stiffkey
roads, and from the harbour, quay, marshes and sea wall;
to maintain the informality of the roadscape within the village, including the
limitation of signage;
to maintain the relationship of the village to the church, of church to churchyard,
and of the village to the quay, creek and marsh;
not to build housing in areas remotely liable to flooding;
to establish a working party to liaise with the Norfolk County Council in
developing a policy for improving pedestrian safety within the village and between
South Close and the village property.
to permit new building only within the settlement pattern of the village, south of
the A149, with the exception of alterations and improvements to existing buildings
north of the A149;
to provide affordable housing within the limits set out at paragraph 5.2 (v);
to accept the limitations of Morston Creek, and to permit development of
associated facilities only to the extent that the Creek can safely sustain them;
to monitor and manage the quantity of vehicles using BOAT 7 (Scaldbeck to
Stiffkey) across the marshes
to maintain the marsh and creek environment
to encourage quality design in accordance with the North Norfolk Design Guide
Of the above the first four points and the final point can be included in that part
of the VDS agreed for adoption as Council policy by NNDC. Several of the
recommendations relate to general management issues and land-use matters that
are better addressed elsewhere.
COMMENT
The Morston Village Design Statement has proved to be a useful mechanism for local
people and the Parish Council to voice their concerns regarding the future of
Morston. However, reference to ‘design’ issues that the Local Planning Authority can
have any influence upon is to be found only intermittently throughout the document.
Where the policies or proposals contained within the VDS comply with the existing
North Norfolk Local Plan and do not contradict or compromise the development of
policies within the emerging LDF, then the District Council should consider adopting
them. The areas which do not conform with NNDC design and conservation policies
and aspirations are shown in the report in italic. Their inconsistency is also
highlighted. It is suggested that these elements of the VDS be not adopted as
supplementary statements in support of the development control process in Morston.
Elsewhere there are a series of lobbying and ‘wish-lists’ which do not accord with the
ethos of design guidance in themselves. These matters are best addressed
throughout the democratic process and through the development of community and
public authority partnerships and the Council’s own programme of Conservation Area
Appraisal. Whilst some of the proposals are to be supported in principle, they do not
have a place in a ‘Design Statement’ to be used in support of existing or emerging
Council Planning Policy.
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RECOMMENDATION
That those elements of the Morston Village Design Statement that are identified
in this report as compliant with the Council’s planning policies for the control
of development be approved as Council Policy and be used to support the
District Council in its capacity as Local Planning Authority when considering
applications for development.
It is also recommended that Cabinet be
informed of the views of the Joint Development Control Committee
accordingly.
Source: (Philip Godwin, Extn 6131 - File Reference: Morston Design Statement)
PUBLIC BUSINESS - ITEM FOR DECISION
2.
Appraisal of the Village of Plumstead for Consideration as a Conservation Area
This report is in response to an approach by Plumstead Parish Council requesting
that the village of Plumstead be considered for designation as a Conservation Area.
The views of this Committee are sought in order for the matter to be considered at a
Cabinet meeting on 10 July 2006.
INTRODUCTION
Under Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act, 1990:
“Every Local Planning Authority a) shall from time to time determine which parts of their area are areas of special
architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable
to preserve or enhance, and
b) shall designate those areas as conservation areas”.
To date there are 82 such areas within North Norfolk.
A conservation area is defined in Section 69 of the 1990 Town & Country Planning
Act as ’an area of special architectural and historic interest the character of which it
is desirable to preserve or enhance’.
The assessment process involves evaluation against many criteria devised by
English Heritage. These include general character and context, architectural quality
and coherence, the prevailing materials, topographic framework, hierarchy and
quality of space, landscape setting, historic development and archaeology.
It is the collective character of all of these elements that is important to consider
when assessing whether a place merits Conservation Area status.
ASSESSMENT
Plumstead is a small, attractive, elongated village with a disseminated settlement
pattern lying between Little Barningham and Baconsthorpe on the road leading north
to Holt. It is set in a gently undulating landscape surrounded by open farmland with
long range uninterrupted views and pockets of woodland. It consists of a mixture of
19th century brick and flint cottages, two listed farm houses, a listed late 16th century
detached house, a group of Council houses and more recent houses and bungalows.
Set at the western end of Church Street, the Grade II* listed parish church of St
Michael dominates the ancient core of the village.
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Views between buildings to the surrounding countryside are a key feature of the
character of the village and link it strongly with its rural landscape setting. The long
open stretches of farmland between the different elements of the settlement define
the essentially loose relationship between the three distinct areas of the village.
The historic development of the village relates very much to its rural function. Early
settlement was disparate and occurred along routes running through the village. The
1881 OS map shows a core settlement developing around the church consisting of
buildings relating to Church Farm. A satellite settlement is evident around Plumstead
Green, much as it is today and the former Cherry Tree pub stands isolated in the
landscape apart from the village. Since this date settlement has continued along the
south side of Church Street and more recently council housing along Cherry Tree
Road.
There are some elements of archaeological significance within the village, although
none have statutory protection or importance.
The village is made up of three pockets of settlement stretching out from an indistinct
junction of three roads which is set in open landscape: Church Street to the east,
Cherry Tree Road to the north and Plumstead Green, lying to the west:
Church Street
Church Street makes up the core of the settlement with a cluster of listed buildings
around the church interspaced with characterful 19th century cottages. This area of
Plumstead affords the most interest in terms of settlement pattern, building form and
architectural value.
Church Street is the oldest part of the village. The church of St Michael is a dominant
and key feature of the street and the whole village. Indeed, set at the highest point in
the village, it also forms a landmark within the landscape setting as viewed from
outside the village. Upgraded to a Grade II* listing in 1989, it dates in part to the 12th
century and is of historical and archaeological significance. The chancel dates from
about 1300 and the tower from the latter part of the 15th century and there is some
15th century stained glass in the E. window.
Immediately to the east of the church are two listed seventeenth century brick
cottages, formerly one house.
Grade II listed Walnut Farm house on the northern side of Church Street dates to the
late 18th century although it has since been much altered. It is a two storey dwelling
faced in flint pebble with brick dressings and a black glazed pantile roof.
Further along Church Street is Church Farm House, again Grade II listed and dating
to the late 17th/early 18th century, though altered with a 19th century addition.
Materials are flint and brick mosaic with brick dressings under corrugated tiles.
A variety of properties line both sides of the street; small 18th century cottages and a
former Post Office. As with the rest of the built environment in Plumstead, the
predominant material is brick and flint.
A significant feature in Church Street is the telephone box situated close to the
church, particularly when approached from the east.
Plumstead House at the southern end of Church Street on the Little Barningham
Road dates back to the late 16th /early 17th century and is Grade II listed. Set within a
garden behind a brick and flint wall, it is constructed in brick under black glazed
pantiles with later black framed leaded casement windows.
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In design terms, the buildings along Church Street demonstrate the highest
architectural quality and are the most coherent in terms of group value and impact.
Building materials are consistent and help to knit together the built form along the
street from the church.
Cherry Tree Road
Cherry Tree Road extends north from the village crossroads which are surrounded
by fields. Cherry Tree House, possibly 17th century and formerly the Cherry Tree pub
(now unfortunately rendered and unsympathetically altered), marks the edge of the
settlement 500m to the north. Set 1 km out of the village is Hall Farm which has a
listed thatched barn. To the south of Cherry Tree House can be found more recent
‘council houses’, built on the former village bowling green. The variable architectural
quality and lack of any strong historic or architectural link is apparent.
Plumstead Green
Plumstead Green lies 500m to the west of Church Street at the confluence of 2
roads. It is a small ‘stand alone’ hamlet and consists of a cluster of attractive brick
and flint cottages around a small green, a pond, a farm and scattered detached
cottages. Separated from the rest of the village by open fields, it does not seem to
have a strong historical connection to Church Street.
CONCLUSION
Plumstead is an attractive old rural settlement set in a picturesque landscape. In
planning policy terms, Plumstead currently lies within an Area of High Landscape
Value. Local Plan Policy 21 states ‘the appearance and character of Areas of High
Landscape Value will be conserved and enhanced. Development proposals that
would be significantly detrimental to its appearance or character will not be
permitted’.
The village and surrounding area is also located in an area designated as
‘Countryside’ (Local Plan Policy No. 5). In such areas high priority is given to the
protection and enhancement of the appearance and character of the area and
development proposals are strictly limited. As such only very limited non-residential
‘infill’ development could be contemplated.
Key historic buildings within the village are protected through Listed Building
legislation. In addition, any proposals affecting standing remains or underground
archaeology are protected by existing policies.
In assessing settlement pattern and the interrelationship of the built form with the
spaces between there appears to be no overall coherence. Furthermore, the field
systems and irregular pattern of development in the village do not suggest a
character in landscape and heritage terms that is pronounced.
The English Heritage set of criteria for the assessment of Conservation Areas is now
far more rigorous than in the 1970’s when many of North Norfolk’s 82 Conservation
Areas were designated. There are now also requirements for the strategic long term
management of Conservation Areas which has resource implications.
This assessment has been undertaken within the context of the current guidance
from English Heritage (February 2006). Their advice is as follows:
“the decision to designate a conservation area is comparable to a major land use
policy decision. It is therefore vital that only areas which are demonstrably of special
architectural or historic interest in the local and regional context should be
designated, because of the responsibilities and obligations which designation
conveys”.
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These additional duties fall both on local residents (in terms of the extra planning
controls) and on the Local Planning Authority (in terms of the extra management
responsibilities). Therefore, in any decision to designate Members must consider the
associated practical and resource implications as well as the merits of the area under
consideration.
To summarise, Plumstead is an attractive village with some notable buildings. Whilst
the connection and linkage in heritage and character terms between buildings are
strong in places such as Church Street, they are less so in Plumstead Green and
Cherry Tree Road and for that matter between these different settlements that make
up Plumstead. The only part of Plumstead of any real significance in conservation
and historical terms is Church Street. However, here the key buildings and their
setting are already protected through individual listing and other policies in the Local
Plan.
Looking at each area of the village, the inconsistency in the quality of the buildings
and the weak relationship between them suggests that in heritage and conservation
terms there is insufficient justification to designate Plumstead as a Conservation
Area. Furthermore, current planning policies and those being developed through the
Local Development Framework process are sufficient to protect the character of
Plumstead and its landscape setting.
RECOMMENDATION
That the village of Plumstead is not designated as a Conservation Area and that the
Cabinet be informed of the Joint Development Control Committee’s views
accordingly.
Source: (Cathy Batchelar, Extn 6155 - File Reference: Plumstead Conservation Area)
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