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Tewkesbury Civic SocietyProtecting Tewkesbury's Architectural Heritage and ensuring today's developments add positively to it.
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Policies
Conservation Areas
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A conservation area is an area of "special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance". It will be an area where buildings and spaces interact to form a recognisably distinct area - where there has been substantial modern development and only isolated buildings survive designation as a conservation area will not be appropriate. This is so that the concept of conservation areas is not devalued.
For more information click on the image below.
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There are additional planning controls over certain works carried out within the conservation area. For example, demolition within conservation areas requires consent. The designation does not preclude development from taking place, but does require that developments preserve or enhance the historic character of the area, for example by ensuring that newly constructed buildings are of a high quality design. Conservation area status also removes some permitted development rights that apply in undesignated areas. The Society is banking on this remaining so under any changed Planning Law!
Within the Tewkesbury borough there are currently fourteen conservation areas, Tewkesbury Town being one (first designated in 1969).
Within the Tewkesbury borough there are currently fourteen conservation areas, Tewkesbury Town being one (first designated in 1969).
The Tewkesbury Town Conservation Area Appraisal was completed in 2012 prior to revisions being made.
This is a very comprehensive appraisal containing a great deal of information about the historic fabric of the town, good development and bad, many maps and Listed building details etc.
This is a very comprehensive appraisal containing a great deal of information about the historic fabric of the town, good development and bad, many maps and Listed building details etc.
(Click on picture to open)
Within a conservation area, planning applications are subject to more scrutiny than otherwise, even if a Listed building is not involved. Certain “planning rules” have been established that preclude internally illuminated shop signs or inappropriately designed plastic new or replacement windows for instance. TBC does publish guidance for things like “dormer windows”, “porches” and other building details. See example below.
(Click on picture to view)
Another such focus is Shopfront Design. With its wealth of listed buildings lining its three main streets, the design of shop-fronts is particularly important in Tewkesbury, so important that it is treated as a discreet policy. See POLICIES/SHOPFRONT DESIGN
Finally, the Society feels strongly that Tewkesbury’s Conservation Area should be given high priority when other policies are debated, planned and implemented. We feel that this has not always been done effectively between various Authorities and/or various departments within an Authority.
Finally, the Society feels strongly that Tewkesbury’s Conservation Area should be given high priority when other policies are debated, planned and implemented. We feel that this has not always been done effectively between various Authorities and/or various departments within an Authority.
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An example being the TBC waste management policy, an effective policy for that sole purpose perhaps, but the unintended consequence of the decision to major on wheelie bins has led to a blight of bins permanently stored on our Conservation Area pavements. This was a case of a policy being formulated by one Department at TBC, with a myopic focus on waste but heedless of the unattractive side effects and no real procedures to deal with them.
The Society has given this problem a high priority, it is recognised as an ISSUE here on the website and more can be read there about on-going discussions and joint efforts with TBC. |
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