Southampton City Council - Planning and Sustainability
Development Management
Historic Environment Team
Conservation Areas Appraisals Project
Specification for Ethelburt Avenue (Bassett Green Estate) Conservation Area Appraisal
Client Details:
The Client is the Historic Environment Team, contact person Kevin White.
Contact details:
Kevin WhiteEmail:
kevin.white@southampton.gov.ukContext
The City Council is a Unitary Authority and covers the administrative area of the urban fabric of the city environment. There are currently twenty Conservation Areas designated within the city boundary, the majority prepared and adopted prior to 2000.
Following the latest guidance on Conservation Area Appraisals and Conservation Area Management produced by English Heritage, we are looking to review the outstanding appraisals to enable them to be fit for purpose and in a ‘short, sharp’ format.
Scope of Work
The appraisal will review the existing Conservation Area and other relevant planning documents in light of current national guidance.
It will undertake a review of the visual physical status of buildings, structures, open spaces, natural vegetation, and so on both in the designated area and in its immediate surroundings.
It will consider the need to amend the Conservation Area; either to expand it or to remove any part from the designation, based upon its relation to the overall area designation.
It will describe the character of the area and justify its special designation. This is more than a simple factual description of the physical fabric and the surrounds.
It will include a photographic record, both as a ‘point-in-time’ base line for the character of the area and to record any specific features or key elements that make and add to the interest.
The Council will also be supplied with the following background material:
Digital copies of all useable photographs taken, whether included in the appraisal document or not.
A survey and photographic evidence wherever a suggestion is made for an Article 4(2) Direction.
A list of source materials consulted and photocopies or web links as appropriate.
Some background information is available from the Historic Environment Team, and other departments of Southampton City Council such as ‘out of date’ appraisals, historic maps, the Southampton HER, digital maps, historic photographs etc.
There may be issues to consider with regard to copyright of maps and historic photographs.
The work will first take the form of a draft appraisal, which will be used for public-consultation purposes. The carrying out of the community-involvement exercise will form part of the project and be the responsibility of the successful tenderer. Specific records of how it was carried out and the findings from the exercise will be provided.
Any significant revisions that may result from the public-consultation process will then be undertaken prior to the document being signed off by the Council.
Structure of Appraisal
The appraisal will be produced in draft in plain English in a clear digital format capable of being amended or altered if necessary and regardless of text length. The draft appraisal will be suitable for printing/emailing so that it can be used for public-consultation purposes.
Each appraisal document will include the following items:
A planning policy section explaining what a Conservation Area is and the implications of designation; what Article 4 Directions are and their scope of control, etcetera. This section should be in the region of one or two pages in length.1
2
A definition of what it is that makes the Conservation Area special.3
A brief history of the area and its relationship with the modern-day city illustrated by one or more historic or phased development maps as appropriate.4
A single- or double-page map (depending on the size of the Conservation Area) that includes a north point and a bar scale, and which shows details ofthe boundary of the Conservation Area
any listed buildings within and immediately beyond the boundary
buildings considered to be of local importance, architecturally or historically (these may or may not be already included on the Council’s Local List)
an indication of important views in and/or out of the area
important archaeological sites/areas
significant trees and green spaces
any other information that may be appropriate to the conservation area.
5 If the text includes a recommendation to alter the boundary of the Conservation Area, a single- or double-page map that includes a north point and a bar scale, indicating the suggested alteration(s).
6 Photographs of important/typical buildings and building materials; also photographs of details (for instance windows, doors, railings and other boundary forms) that may be particular to the Conservation Area.
7 A section covering threats, pressures etcetera and the potential for enhancement, as well as brief management proposals.
8 Other paragraphs as appropriate from English Heritage’s suggested format (‘Guidance on conservation area appraisals’ – August 2005, Appendix 1).
9 A consideration of the possibility of serving an Article 4(2) Direction on the Conservation Area, in terms of usefulness and possible benefits.
10 Consideration where appropriate of possible boundary changes which may improve the homogeneity of the area. This may range from being relatively minor to significant.
11 A summary of the key issues in respect of the particular Conservation Area.
12 A section to include any other useful information such as sources for further research and contact information.
Appendix
List of relevant SCC documents (all can be found at http://www.southampton.gov.uk/building-planning/planning/ldf/supplementary-plan-docs/default.asp#0)
Residential Design Guide, Final Approved Document , September 2006
Streetscape Manual
Core Strategy
Local Plan
Local Transport Plan 2006—2011