Planning & Design recently worked on behalf of a client who had bought a house in Milford, which sits the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Buffer Zone. The house they bought has a beautiful garden facing out toward open countryside. They wanted to erect a garden building that would allow them to make the most of the superb green space at the back of their property.
Unbeknown to the client the garden had previously been part of an agricultural field which the farmer sold to the residents of the row of houses that abutted his land. The financial agreement reached between the residents and the farmer did not however deal with the planning status of the land. When the client undertook the earth works required to lay the foundations for the garden building, they were approached by a planning officer who informed them they would need to have the change of use of the land confirmed by the planning authority. We were brought into the project at a stage where the client was facing enforcement action, and as such there was an impetuous to get an application for the change of use of the land compiled quickly and effectively.
The other factor influencing the equation was the fact that the property lies within the Buffer Zone, which meant producing a detailed Heritage Impact Assessment to submit alongside the planning statement. Such an assessment requires consideration of the way in which the proposed development would influence the contribution of heritage assets. In this instance we were able to demonstrate that the domestic paraphernalia associated with garden land and the proposed garden buildings would tie into the existing landscape without appearing out of place.
We received approval for the erection of the buildings and the land is now formally recognised by the planning authority as being a domestic garden. No enforcement action was taken by the authority and we have helped set a further precedent for the rest of the residents on the row of buildings to secure the change of use of their gardens.
Planning & Design Practice recently gained planning permission for the conversion of a range of farm buildings to 4 dwellings at Lawn Farm located on the western slopes of the Derwent Valley a short distance from Belper and Ambergate.
Lawn Farm was historically a part of the wider Hurt family estate and lies within the Buffer Zone to the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, meaning any conversion must be particularly sympathetic to the rural character of the landscape. The main cluster of farm buildings consists of traditional stone barns in a U-shape, some of which have been demolished and replaced with other structures. What was once an internal courtyard to the traditional buildings has been entirely infilled with modern agricultural barns.
We were approached by the client to prepare designs to convert the buildings into a number of dwellings, one of which they would like to live in themselves. After a brainstorm of ideas and a variety of sketches, it was agreed that the buildings forming the U shape, would be best converted to 4 dwellings varying in size from 2 to 5 bedrooms. The only significant rebuilding will be in the North-East corner of the range of buildings. It was evident from a 1971 photograph that there was formerly a traditional stone farm building in this corner which had been replaced by a steel framed hay barn. Photographic evidence was also used as the justification for 2 new single storey garages at the opening to the U shape and 2 more garages on the outer edges to replace redundant modern agricultural buildings.
Throughout the application a number of issues were raised, particularly relating to Highway safety and heritage, but we negotiated extensively with the local planning and highway authorities to achieve an acceptable solution for all. The designs respect the agricultural character of the buildings with the number of new openings kept to a minimum. The removal of the modern buildings that are currently inside the U-shape will create an inner courtyard, reinstating the farm’s former character.
We look forward to continuing our involvement during the construction phase and seeing this farmstead restored to its former glory.
South Wingfield lies about 2 miles west of Alfreton in Amber Valley. It is a village of over 1500 inhabitants with a good primary school, a doctor’s surgery, shops, and community facilities. The southern end of the village is a conservation area and this part of the village is dominated by South Wingfield Manor an important heritage asset.
Amber Valley is under great pressure to find housing land to meet it’s own housing needs and some of Derby’s housing, as part of an agreement with the City of Derby and South Derbyshire Councils. All parts of the Borough have to take some housing and South Wingfield as a sustainable settlement with a school short of pupils, was identified by Amber Valley as having the capacity to take a small number of additional homes.
The site, at the north end of the village was identified. The land was included in the Draft Local Plan as a housing allocation over 2 years ago. The site was subject to two rounds of public consultation and was discussed at the Local Plan Examination hearings last June. At the hearing there were no objections from the Parish Council and no objections from local residents. The site was not controversial.
When the outline planning application was submitted for 35 homes there was an immediate outcry, 122 letters of objection were submitted to the Borough Council and the Parish Council sought to strongly resist the proposals. There were no objections from highways or other statutory consultees and the planning authority duly recommended approval.
The meeting was highly charged. The atmosphere was hostile as sixty residents with members of the Parish Council sought to browbeat the committee and planning officers. There were 9 speakers against the application that’s 27 minutes of contentious objection. We had 3 minutes to speak in favour.
South Wingfield Parish Council verbally attacked Councillors, in their objections speech, not something that we would ever recommend. There was an objection speech from the Local Councillor (a conservative) but she was not on Planning Committee.
Amber Valley Council are politically finely balanced and hold elections every year. It is common that the lead party supports officer recommendation but the opposition tend to vote with objectors to carry favour before the next election.
At Planning Committee there is a conservative majority of one plus the chairman and his casting vote if the vote is level.
After a rowdy debate, members voted 5/5 and the chairman used his casting vote. A win 6/5.
Solicitors are now drawing up the Section 106 Agreement. Once signed, a detailed application will follow.
This was an uncomfortable meeting, with objectors behaving poorly.
The management and organisation of the meeting could have been better and objectors could have been told more clearly how they should behave. Without effective policing decisions can be made to please the crowd. We were pleased that this did not happen.
Chartered Town Planning Consultant Jon Millhouse of Derby-based Planning & Design Practice Ltd, discusses three recent projects at Holbrook, Breadsall and Ambergate, aimed at revitalising historic Derbyshire places in Constructive Conservation written for Derbyshire Life.
Hidden amongst our towns and villages are historic buildings of all kinds. They are important to our sense of history; part of the fabric of our communities. Sometimes, these buildings are no longer required for their original use. They become vacant and run down, and the money needed to restore them cannot be found. Finding a viable use is often key to securing the restoration and long term maintenance of our historic buildings. This is not always easy, however. There are practical and bureaucratic challenges to overcome. Where new uses can be found and new investment stimulated, the outcome can be most rewarding.
Jon Millhouse and his colleagues at Planning and Design Practice have sought to combine planning know-how with creativity and sensitivity to older buildings, in order to devise proposals that would bring about the restoration of a number of historic buildings in the county.
One such proposal is the redevelopment of Highfield Farm at Holbrook. Planning & Design Practice obtained planning and Listed Building consent on behalf of the Trustees of the Strutt Estate, for the restoration and re-use of a 17th century farmhouse and barns, and the construction of a sympathetically designed new house in the grounds.
At Brookside Farm, Breadsall, a delightful old farmstead formerly owned by the Harpur Crewe Estate in the heart of the Breadsall Conservation Area, permission was granted for a re-use scheme involving the restoration of the farmhouse, renovation and conversion of two barns and construction of two new homes alongside.
At the former Ambergate Social Club, which was originally an 18th century farm owned by the Hurt Estate, consent was obtained for the restoration and re-use of an old farmhouse and barn, and the construction of new homes on the site of the derelict social club and car park.
Jon explains the process: ‘The starting point, and my favourite part of the job, is to look at a site, identify all the constraints and opportunities, and come up with an idea – a concept for unlocking the site’s potential.
At Holbrook for example, I was keen to include a new build home in the proposals if possible, to help raise the value of the site and potentially cross-fund the renovation of the older buildings.
I also wanted to include within the proposals the restoration of an outlying barn which on its own was too small for alternative uses, but with a small extension, would make a good holiday let. The next step is to discuss with the local Council how the proposal might fit with relevant planning policies. At Holbrook, we were able to secure the Council’s in-principle support for the extension of the outlying barn (despite the barn itself being situated just inside the Green Belt) by siting the new build element inside the farmhouse garden, and their support for the new house by siting it in a discreet location in place of an ugly modern farm building.
At Ambergate, we discussed with the Council the principle of changing the use of the site from a disused social club to residential accommodation, and the concept of building a short terrace of houses, which we felt was appropriate for the Derwent Valley. The terrace would address the A6 when entering or exiting the village whilst still maintaining views of the old farmstead beyond.
At Breadsall, despite the site being in the heart of the village where new build accommodation is potentially acceptable in principle, we wanted to take a sensitive approach, working with and re-using the existing buildings and carefully inserting some new development alongside, rather than wholesale redevelopment. The old farm had so much character that it deserved a sensitive approach.
I remember a Councillor describing the farm, when the application eventually came before the Planning Committee, as “a little piece of paradise”.
After initial feedback has been received from the Council, we would typically consult other interested groups – Parish Councils, the highway authority as well as carrying out various technical surveys
Once all of this information has been collected, the detailed designs can be begun in earnest’.
Working with historic sites can often reveal interesting nuggets of local history.
Jon explains: ‘At Ambergate, after checking old maps it quickly became apparent that we were dealing with an old farm of considerable age, despite most people who know the site probably only thinking of it as a social club. We then spotted some initials on a date stone, suggesting a connection with the Hurt family – industrialists and major landowners 150 years ago.
‘At Holbrook, we commissioned an archaeological report which uncovered an old floorplan drawing of the barns prepared for the Strutts before they upgraded the farm. It showed how the family were trying to create a type of “model farm”. Some, but not all of their vision was carried out.
‘You then start to appreciate how the history of these individual places links with the history of the wider area. The Strutts were presumably trying to apply their industrial knowhow to farming, in order to feed their mill workers at Belper. Jedediah Strutt was also from a farming family, even inheriting a farm at Blackwell from one of his uncles before he set up his mills.
‘Historic properties such as these can provide a little window into our past. We hope that by facilitating the re-use of such sites, their heritage interest can be better revealed and maintained over the longer term.
‘Constructing new buildings in Conservation Areas, or next to Listed Buildings, is not always universally popular. There are some who would prefer to see such places left untouched. I agree that a balance must be struck, and there are places where new development wouldn’t be appropriate. However, historic buildings can quickly deteriorate if left derelict. Finding a viable use is key to securing long term upkeep. There are many instances where the right type of development can make a positive contribution to the conservation of our heritage.’
Constructive Conservation was originally published in Derbyshire Life March 2019
Planning & Design Practice have secured planning permission for the replacement of an existing barn with a new dwelling in the Kirk Langley conservation area.
Kirk Langley is a village a few miles northwest of Derby. Back in 2017 a scheme was approved to replace a steel framed barn with a high-quality, contemporary new dwelling on the exact same footprint. The client then sought to make some changes to the approved scheme, the most significant of which was the addition of a basement level to the building.
The impact of the development on heritage assets was a key consideration as the site is located in a conservation area and in close proximity to a listed building. The council agreed that the high quality design of the building meant that it would not materially harm the significance of these heritage assets.
We look forward to seeing the building take shape in due course.
50 years after the Civic Amenities Act first introduced Conservation Areas, Jon Millhouse highlights some less celebrated but nonetheless notable county treasures, in Derbyshire’s hidden architectural heritage.
Working with buildings across Derbyshire for the previous 13 years, I have come to greatly appreciate our varied architectural heritage. The county’s grand stately homes and picturesque Peak District villages are well known and rightly celebrated, however, it is the more humble and lesser known historic buildings which have often surprised and interested me.
In villages around Ashbourne, for example, I have encountered unassuming brick and tile cottages which on closer inspection reveal medieval origins – ‘cruck’ frames buried in gable walls, box timber frames hidden behind brick facades and evidence of old thatched roofs. I have sipped tea in the kitchens of farmhouses that appear unchanged for centuries – particularly those still at the heart of working farms which have therefore retained their rustic atmosphere.
In Osmaston, Snelston and Doveridge, parkland landscapes and delightful estate buildings survive as a reminder of the grand mansion houses which once graced the landscape.
In Matlock, the elegant Georgian and Victorian terraced houses at Knowleston Place are reminiscent of Bath or Kensington, yet they are tucked away and little known. Climb the cobbled hill opposite Knowleston Place and one reaches ‘Old Matlock’, with its medieval Church of St Giles and grand 17th century Wheatsheaf Farmhouse that evokes an earlier era.
In Amber Valley, the industrial heritage of the former Butterley Company (the iron and brick manufacturers who were responsible for London’s St Pancras Station), is undervalued in comparison to that of the Derwent Valley.
Early examples of company–built worker’s housing and model farms still survive on the firm’s old estate, as well as a 3,063 yard canal tunnel and subterranean wharf beneath its old ironworks at Ripley. There are other unexpected finds in the area, too – the thatch-roofed Moulders Arms public house at Riddings, for example.
I was fortunate enough to work for the Sitwell Estate of Renishaw Hall near Chesterfield for a time, and encountered old mills, cottages and farm buildings discreetly hidden in North East Derbyshire villages.
Built during the estate’s heyday in the 17th century, these buildings appeared to have barely changed in the time since, as the settlements around them grew larger as a consequence of the area’s coal reserves.
The city of Derby is also home to some lesser known heritage assets. Occasional visitors to the city may be familiar with the historic Cathedral Quarter and Georgian Friar Gate, but less aware that several of the suburbs retain historic village cores (Allestree and Darley Abbey for example), or that Derby contains several fine examples of 19th century terraced housing (such as Railway Terrace and North Parade).
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of England’s first Conservation Area. Defined as ‘an area of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’, Conservation Area designation has proved to be a useful means of protecting the character of historic enclaves within Derbyshire, as elsewhere, and there are now nearly 300 Conservation Areas within the county. The Trusley Conservation Area was designated by Derbyshire County Council on 25th July, 1968 – making it one of the first in England and the first in the South Derbyshire district.
There are also hundreds of individually Listed buildings, as well as the Derwent Valley Mill’s status as a World Heritage Site. Designated status has helped to protect these heritage assets and encourage appreciation of them, which is to be applauded. It is also worth remembering, however, that there are countless other ‘non-designated’ historic buildings of worth, which often get overlooked.
As I have found during the course of my work, there is much within the county to discover and admire when it comes to our hidden architectural heritage.
Jon Millhouse is a Chartered Town Planning Consultant and Director at the Planning and Design Practice, based in Derby and Matlock. He can be contacted on 01332 347371.
Derbyshire’s ‘Hidden’ Architectural Heritage was originally published in Derbyshire Life November 2017
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
