Agenda item

[Report of the Assistant Director for Planning. To be introduced by the cabinet Member for Climate Change and Sustainability.]

This report seeks approval for the adoption of four Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plans covering conservation areas in Tottenham, and for the boundaries of Bruce Castle and Tottenham Cemetery Conservation Areas to be amended in line with recommendations in the appraisal documents. The appraisal documents have been revised having regard to comments received during a six week public consultation.

The Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Sustainability introduced this report which sought Cabinet’s approval for the adoption of four draft conservation area appraisal and management plan documents covering Bruce Castle, Tottenham Cemetery, Tower Gardens and Peabody Cottages Conservation Areas (attached at Appendices 4-7).

The Cabinet Member noted that the draft conservation area appraisal and management plans had been revised following a consultation. The purpose of the four draft plans was to ensure any future action taken at those locations would preserve the historic buildings and natural areas. The plans gave details of what could or could not be done in those areas to inform any future decisions.

Further to noting Regulatory Committee’s comments,

RESOLVED

1. To note the comments received to the consultation, and how these have been taken in to account in finalising the draft documents (described in paragraphs ­6.9-6.19 and set out in detail in Appendices 1 and 2).

2. To note the comments of the Regulatory Committee in relation to this report included at Appendix 10.

3. To approve the adoption and publication of the finalised Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plans as attached at Appendices 4-7.

4. To authorise changes to Conservation Area boundaries detailed in Appendix 3.

Reasons for decision

The Council has a statutory duty to ensure that Conservation Areas are preserved or enhanced, and publish policies for the implementation of the same (Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, Part II). The Council’s adopted Local Plan policies support the conservation of the significance of the Borough’s heritage assets (SP12, DM9), and require decision makers to have regard to appraisals and management plans when considering the impact of proposals on the historic environment (DM9 C).

Tottenham Cemetery, Tower Gardens and Peabody Cottages Conservation Areas do not have adopted appraisals. The current appraisal for Bruce Castle Conservation Area has not been updated since 2009, and is considered out of date, while the new document provides an updated survey, management plan and design guidelines. It is important that the Council adopts these appraisals and management plans in order to support the implementation of the Council’s Local Plan policies and ensure that the significance of the Conservation Areas is preserved and enhanced. A summary of the special interest of each Conservation Area is provided at paragraph 6.7 below. A summary of the content and structure of the new appraisal documents is provided at 6.6 below.

Up-to-date Appraisals will provide a sound basis for development management decisions and will serve as a useful guide for property owners and those bringing forward heritage projects and development proposals as to how best to preserve and enhance each area’s character. In some cases, the character of these Conservation Areas has been harmed or is vulnerable to harm through inappropriate (often small-scale) development. These documents will be a valuable tool in addressing this.

The appraisals include a comprehensive review of each Conservation Area’s boundary, with small changes to the boundaries of Bruce Castle CA and Tottenham Cemetery CA. It is important that the Council revise the boundaries to ensure that the Conservation Area designations are warranted, meaningful, and in line with statutory requirements and national policy. There is a statutory duty to review conservation area designations from time to time (Planning, (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, 69) and the Council must ensure that designated Conservation Areas are of sufficient special architectural or historic interest, in line with the National Planning Policy Framework (paragraph 186) and Historic England guidelines. The proposed boundary changes are described in 6.8 below.

Alternative options considered

The Council has a statutory requirement to “…formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of any parts of their area which are conservation areas” under Section 71 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. The existing Conservation Area appraisal for Bruce Castle was updated in 2009, and is considered out of date. The area has undergone some changes since then, and best practice guidance for Conservation Area appraisals has evolved. Tottenham Cemetery, Peabody Cottages and Tower Gardens do not have adopted appraisals. Continuing to manage these areas without up-to-date documents in place is not considered advisable.

The document includes recommendations for alterations to the boundaries of two of the Conservation Areas. The option of leaving the boundaries as they currently are has been considered and is not recommended. The National Planning Policy Framework (Paragraph 186) states that “When considering the designation of Conservation Areas, local planning authorities should ensure that the area justifies such status because of its special architectural or historic interest, and that the concept of conservation is not devalued through the designation of areas that lack special interest”. In cases where there is no discernible special character, the designation is unhelpful.