City of Westminster
Item No.
CMfCD/200209
Decision-maker
Date
Title of Report
CABINET MEMBER
FOR CITY
DEVELOPMENT
CLASSIFICATION:
4 November
2002
Charlotte Street West Conservation
Area Boundary Review
Report of
FOR GENERAL RELEASE
Director of Planning and
Transportation
Wards Involved
West End
Policy Context
The Civic Review Initiative has a target to adopt 12
Conservation Area Audits as supplementary
planning guidance by 2002/03 in order to implement
the programme to prepare audits for the City’s 53
conservation areas. The review of conservation area
boundaries forms part of this process
Financial Summary
There are no financial implications arising from
this report at this stage.
1
Summary
1.1
National guidance and advice places the responsibility on the City
Council to produce detailed appraisals of each of its 53 conservation
areas and to consider the designation of further ones. This report takes
on board comments received during the consultation process the
Charlotte Street West Conservation Area.
2
Recommendations
2.1
That the Cabinet Member for City Development resolves to undertake
the formal consultation process on the designation of the conservation
area extension to the Charlotte Street West Conservation Area identified
in this report.
3
Background Information
3.1
On 22 October 1998, Sub-Committee agreed a priority list of
conservation areas to be audited as part of the City Council’s
comprehensive review of its then 51 conservation areas (there are now
53). This review is a statutory duty.
3.2
Given the complexity and scale of the City’s conservation areas this
process has been broken into three stages involving the production of
mini-guides (General Information Leaflets), directories and audits. The
audits represent the third and final stage of the preparation of appraisals
of all of the Borough’s 53 conservation areas. Boundary reviews have
been undertaken by consultants in conjunction with the preparation of
Conservation Area Audits.
Original written consultation
3.3
13 letters of consultation were issued on 6 March 2002 to local amenity
groups, national bodies and ward Councillors inviting them to a public
meeting on 25th March 2002.
Public meeting
3.4
The meeting was chaired by Councillor Duncan Sandys and attended by
a representative of the Charlotte Street West Amenity Society. The audit
was presented to the meeting and possible extensions to the
Conservation Area boundary discussed.
3.5
Formal analysis has been undertaken of the preliminary proposals to
extend the conservation area as well as those suggested during the
consultation process.
4
Extensions to Charlotte Street West Conservation Area
33-34 Rathbone Place
This five storey brick built commercial building continues the ground floor
frontage to the street with a traditionally proportioned shopfront and surround.
The simple facade is articulated vertically by the fenestration pattern breaking
up the mass to reflect the plot widths to the north; a horizontal emphasis
provided by the moulded brick-course above the window arches, and cornice to
the parapet. Although the facade has been painted it retains the original sashes
and there has been little other alterations.
50-57 Newman Street
This recently extended and renovated property retains a frontage sympathetic
to the character and appearance of the properties on the opposite side of the
street. However overall it is considered that the scale of the building is out of
keeping with the predominant plot pattern in the main body of the conservation
area and that the boundary should not be extended for its inclusion.
1-15 Newman Street
This undeveloped site is a negative feature in the setting of the conservation
area at present and does not merit inclusion. The Council is satisfied that the
design policies in the UDP, and initiatives such as the recently published SPG
Design Matters in Westminster, will ensure any proposals for this site are of a
quality design appropriate to their context. The inclusion of this site in the
conservation area is unwarranted as it is not of sufficient merit and does not
have a close enough relationship with the main body of the designated area.
5
Financial Implications
5.1
There are no financial implications arising from this report at this stage.
Expenditure costs will be met from existing revenue budgets.
6
Legal Implications
6.1
Under Section 69 (1)(a) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and
Conservation Areas Act) 1990 every local authority “shall from time to
time determine which parts of their area are areas of special
architectural or historic interest the character and appearance of which it
is desirable to preserve or enhance”. Planning Policy Guidance Note 15
‘Planning and the Historic Environment’ interprets this responsibility by
advising local authorities to periodically review existing conservation
areas and their boundaries.
7
Consultation
7.1
A comprehensive programme of consultation was undertaken, see para.
3.4 above, and this report is in accordance with the original
representations. The formal consultation will involve English Heritage,
national amenity societies, local resident groups, ward Councillors and
anyone who has expressed an interest as part of the Audit consultation.
8
Human Rights Act 1998
8.1
The Human Rights Act came into force in England on 2 October 2000. It
gives teeth to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR),
which was ratified by the UK in 1951 and has been in force since 1953.
The Act confers the direct protection of English law in relation to
Convention rights. For the purposes of the role of a local planning
authority the relevant provisions are: Article 2 - right to life, Article 6 –
right to a fair hearing, Article 8 - right to respect for private and family life,
Article 14 – prohibition of discrimination and Article 1 of the First Protocol
- protection of property.
9
Conclusion
9.1
A detailed analysis has been undertaken of the original areas put
forward for designation following public consultation and it is proposed to
undertake the formal consultation procedure for one of the proposed
areas.
9.2
One of the areas put forward for designation in this report is considered
to meet the necessary criteria and would benefit directly from
conservation area status. The alternative is not to designate the
proposed extension. This property would then not benefit from the
application of conservation area policies and legislation leaving it
vulnerable to unsympathetic proposals.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUERIES ABOUT THIS REPORT OR WISH TO
INSPECT ANY OF THE BACKGROUND PAPERS, PLEASE CONTACT
GARETH JONES.ON 020 7641 8019; EMAIL ADDRESS
gjones@westminster.gov.uk ; FAX NUMBER 020 7641 2338
BACKGROUND PAPERS
1
Report to Planning and Development Committee, 13 July 2000.
2
Charlotte Street West Conservation Area – Adoption of Conservation
Area Audit & proposed extensions. Cabinet Member Report June 2002
3
Charlotte Street West Conservation Area mini-guide
4
Charlotte Street West Conservation Area Audit adopted 31 July 2002
APPENDIX 1
Proposed Extension to Charlotte Street West Conservation Area
…………………………………………………………………………………
For completion by Cabinet Member

Declaration of Interest
I have no interest to declare in respect of this report
………………………………. Signed ……………………………. Date
I have to declare an interest
State nature of interest ……..…………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………….. Signed ……………………………. Date
(N.B: If you have an interest you should seek advice as to whether it is
appropriate to make a decision in relation to this matter.)
For the reasons set out above, I agree the recommendation(s) in the report and
reject any alternative options which are referred to but not recommended.
Signed ………………………………………………
Cabinet Member for ……………………………….
Date …………………………………………………
NOTE: If you do not wish to approve the recommendations, or wish to make an
alternative decision, it is important that you consult the report author, the
Director of Legal and Administrative Services , the Chief Financial Officer and,
if there are staffing implications, the Head of Personnel (or their
representatives) so that (1) you can be made aware of any further relevant
considerations that you should take into account before making the decision
and (2) your reasons for the decision can be properly identified and recorded,
as required by law.
Note to Cabinet Member: The decision will now be published and copied
to the Members of the relevant Overview & Scrutiny Committee.