Stourport Conservation Area No. 1 Appraisal and Management Recommendations

The special interest of the area, which it is desirable to preserve or enhance, can be summarised as follows.

6.1          Characteristics of the conservation area

These include:

• The historic development of the area can still be appreciated and contributes to our understanding of the town’s origins
• The high survival rate of the Georgian basins and the early buildings and features associated with them
• The high survival rate of Georgian houses and their features, including windows and doors
• The 19th century industrial development on the north bank of the River Severn
• The low height and domestic scale of the Georgian development
• The open landscape of the basins and the adjacent spaces
• The historic skyline of shallow pitched roofs and chimney stacks
• The lack of tall buildings in the surrounding areas which ensures the area appears to retain its historic setting
• The green open spaces of the River Severn flood plain give the south part of the conservation area a green, semi-rural setting
• The ecological and biodiversity value of the area, especially along the riverside and the basins
• Important and attractive views across the conservation area from various vantage points

6.2          Positive contributors

Features which are positive contributors to the character and appearance of the conservation area include:

• The basins which form the core of the conservation area
• The locks and associated canal furniture, such as bollards, railings and the Mart Lane hoist, are key elements
• The early buildings adjacent to the basins, including the Tontine Hotel and Clock Warehouse, are of high significance
• The Stourport bridge (and the causeways) is a major historic building and key landmark
• The Georgian terraced houses on Bridge Street, York Street, Mart Lane, Severn Side and Lichfield Street
• The recreated Lichfield Basin and the modern house development around it
• The Vinegar Factory on Cheapside
• The network of pedestrian routes which runs across the southern part of the conservation area from Bridge Street to Cheapside
• The green spaces and trees along the riverside
• The historic brick and stone boundary walls
• Traditional street lighting columns and brick paving

6.3          Features which detract from the character and appearance of the area.

Generally the conservation area is in very good condition. However, there are a number of aspects which have a detrimental impact:

• Facades which have been painted or rendered. These obscure the original brick facades and can cause deterioration to historic fabric
• Use of modern windows of inappropriate design and materials
• Modern shopfronts and signs of inappropriate design
• Some modern installations on facades such as wiring, alarm boxes, lighting
• Tarmacadam surfaces and patched brick pavements
• Traffic in Bridge Street and York Street
• Modern street lighting columns
• Waste bins stored in front of buildings, for example, in New Street and Mart Lane
• The surface car park on the east side of Bridge Street, including its temporary fencing
• The car park at the east end of Lichfield Street
• The car park/service area on the north and east sides of Cheapside (adjacent to nos. 1 and 2)
• Vacant buildings at the rear of 9 Bridge Street, on the south side of Engine Lane
• There are only a few buildings which do not contribution positively to the character and appearance of the conservation area. These are discussed below in section 7.4.
• Some modern development has not enhanced the conservation area as well as it might. For example, the block in the southeast corner of New Street (29 Bridge Street) and Waterfront Views in York Street
• The fairground has a major impact on the setting of the basins and views into and out of the conservation area. It reduces one’s ability to appreciate the original design of the lower basins.

7.         Issues, Risks and Opportunities

7.1          Strategic overview

The following section summarises the key issues which have been identified. This list is not exhaustive and additional issues may present themselves in the future. It is therefore important that this document remains flexible, being reviewed and monitored on a regular basis to ensure the following continues to reflect the changing issues which may affect the area.

Strategic issues have been identified within adopted local policy documents (see Appendix III). The issues described relate primarily to the historic built and natural environment, both in the conservation of existing historic fabric and the impact of new development on the character and appearance of the area.

7.2          Alterations and extensions

There are a large number of historic buildings, listed and unlisted, in the conservation area. These make a positive contribution to its character and appearance. There is a strong presumption that these historic buildings are retained and where proposals come forward for changes to them, that what makes them special is not lost or harmed through alterations.

In some cases, windows and entrance doors have been replaced, and brick walls have been rendered or painted. Some of this work has diminished the contributions made by the buildings to the character and appearance of the conservation area. The use of UPVC windows has had a damaging effect on the appearance of some buildings, for example, in Bridge Street, and this harms the conservation area. There are also a number of modern shopfronts and signs, mainly in Bridge Street, which are not of high quality and are inappropriate to the building in which they have been installed. [Plate 7.1].

7.3          Demolition and redevelopment

There are two main development opportunities within the conservation area. These two areas are Cheapside and Bridge Street and these are covered by two planning briefs.

Cheapside

A design brief produced for First City Property Consultants was agreed with the Council in December 2016. The site includes the Vinegar Factory and the former gas works. The site has been marketed by First City Property Consultants and is sold subject to contract for a residential-led conversion/redevelopment scheme. The brief specifies the retention and reuse of existing heritage  assets, redevelopment of other buildings, provision of new green space, new pedestrian routes and an enhanced river frontage. It explores two options which are illustrated in the brief, creating  around 200 residential units. The key historic buildings in the area, including the Vinegar Factory and nos. 1 and 2 Cheapside should be retained.

Bridge Street

The brief analyses the existing townscape and proposes possible development which would ‘enhance the character of Bridge Street as a gateway to the town centre, aiming to provide a focus to  attract people and town centre businesses back into the area’. A key aspect of the brief is to link the basins to the town centre, providing greater public access from the west side of the New Basin.

The brief illustrates two possible development options. Option A would involve the demolition of the existing buildings on Bridge Street north of no.8. These would be replaced with new three storey buildings fronting directly onto Bridge Street and on to the New Basin on the east side. Two new routes would connect Bridge Street to the basin. These would have retail and restaurant uses at  ground floor level and residential above. A new pedestrian route would run along the west side of the basin, linking to Engine Lane to the south and Waterfront Views to the north. Option B is similar but with only one access route to the basin, at the north end. At the south end is a larger retail (food) unit.

7.4          Neutral or Negative buildings

There are a small number of buildings which do not make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the conservation area, including:

• 11 Raven Street
• East side of Bridge Street – nos. 2 to 7 inclusive and the surface car park. (These are covered by the Bridge Street Planning Brief)
• 21-22 Bridge Street
• 29 Bridge Street
• York Street - The north facade of Waterfront Views
• York Medical Centre, 22 York Street
• 4 New Street
• The modern warehouse buildings on Cheapside and the north bank of the River Severn. (These are covered by the Cheapside Planning Brief by First City.)

If there is an opportunity to replace these buildings then any new buildings should be designed to be sympathetic to their conservation area context, in accordance with the policies of the local plan, thereby enhancing the significance of the conservation area.

7.5          Buildings at risk

There appear to be few buildings at serious risk of decay in the conservation area. However, two have been identified.

1 and 2 Cheapside

These Grade II listed buildings are also in poor condition and in urgent need of careful repair restoration. [Plate 7.2].

Raven Street

The buildings on the south side of Raven Street at the rear of 15 Bridge Street are in poor condition but are of some significance. These buildings should be retained, restored sensitively and brought back into beneficial use.

[Plate 7.3].

If necessary the Council can serve notices under the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 to require the owners to protect and improve these buildings. These include a S.215 Notice, an Urgent Works Notice and a Repairs Notice.

7.6          Vacant or Underused Sites

There are few vacant or underused sites in the conservation area other than the two main sites. One example is the car park at the northeast corner of Lichfield Street (east of no.10). This detracts from the eastern side of the conservation area. There are also underused sites on the north side of Upper Old Basin, at the east end of York Street. There may be scope for small buildings here, adjacent to the existing warehouses, without harming the conservation area.

There are also small areas adjacent to the Upper Old Basin which have previously had buildings on them. For example, north of the Tontine Hotel and on the west side of Mart Lane. In conservation area terms new buildings on these sites might be acceptable in theory, because of historic precedent, but other planning considerations, such as the impacts on existing residential buildings, might prevent such development from coming forward.

7.7          Uses

The existing mix of uses, including leisure, residential, light industrial or warehousing, retail and car parking, should be maintained. In recent years the number of residential units has increased significantly especially in the east side of the conservation area. Retail units in Bridge Street are likely to have been struggling economically, especially since the pandemic.

7.8          Climate Emergency

Retrofitting buildings to improve their thermal performance is an important matter but it can have significant implications for the external appearance of traditional buildings in the conservation areas. For example, the use of external wall cladding could change the appearance of buildings significantly, diminish their architectural and historic interest and reduce their contribution to the character and appearance of the conservation areas.

In the longer term climate change and rising sea levels could have a significant impact on the area if river levels rise. This would affect the river banks, buildings close to the river, for example, the fairground and the buildings on Severn Side, and the lower basins.

7.9          The Setting of the Conservation Area

Legislation does not refer to the protection of the setting of conservation areas, however the NPPF requires the local planning authority to consider the impact of proposals on both the conservation area and its setting. Development within the conservation areas and within their setting has the potential to harm their significance.

Much of the setting of the conservation area is already developed, in the form of low rise housing. This is in keeping with the overall scale of the conservation area. The existing open spaces around the River Severn are within the floor plain and are unlikely to be developed.

7.10        Views and Landmarks

There are many important views towards the conservation area and from within the conservation area. These need to be protected from inappropriate and intrusive development whether this is inside or outside the conservation area. These views and the important landmark buildings are identified in section 4 above. [Plate 7.4].

7.11        Public Realm, Street Signage and Street Furniture

The quality of the public realm in the conservation area is generally good. There are traditional street lighting columns in several locations and some pavements are paved with bricks. However, tarmacadam dominates the conservation area. Its replacement with more traditional brick or stone paving could enhance the area. There are areas where lighting could be improved, using more traditional lights, especially in Bridge Street and York Street. There is also the problem of waste bin storage on pavements which has a harmful impact on the appearance of some streets, such as New Street and Mart Lane. [Plate 7.5].  

7.12        Open space

The natural open spaces within the conservation area, primarily along the River Severn contribute not only to the character and appearance of the areas but also to their ecological value. These spaces need to be respected and protected from inappropriate development.

7.13        Archaeology

Development in the conservation area may potentially affect archaeological remains and the implications of proposals will need to be carefully assessed. In some cases, detailed research or below ground archaeology investigation may be required to enable a full understanding of the impact of the proposals.