Purpose

This report has been prepared
to update the Webb Estate and Upper Woodcote Village Conservation
Area Appraisal and Management Plan (CAAMP) and expand
Croydon’s Local List of Buildings of Architectural or
Historic Significance.
 
The Webb Estate and Upper
Woodcote Village CAAMP was adopted as a Supplementary Planning
Document on 25th June 2007 and provides a detailed appraisal of the
landscape and historic character of the Webb Estate and Upper
Woodcote Village, with proposed management guidelines on how this
character should be preserved and enhanced. However, it has not
been updated for over 18 years and therefore requires reviewing and
updating.
 
The Planning (Listed Buildings
and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (“The Act”) directs
that local planning authorities must review their conservation
areas from time to time and designate any parts or further parts
which are of special architectural or historic interest (section
69). The review and update of the existing CAAMP serves
to:
·        
Document changes within the area, either confirming
or redefining the special interest,
·        
Identify additional elements that contribute to the
area's significance,
·        
Establish recommendations based on current
conditions and emerging challenges,
·        
Revise and update the management plan to guide
future conservation and development effectively.
 
LOCAL
LISTING
 
National Planning Policy, the
London Plan, Planning Practice Guidance, Local Planning Policy and
Historic England guidance encourages Local Authorities to identify
heritage assets of special local interest. Historic England’s
Advice Note 7 “Local Listing; Identifying and Conserving
Local Heritage” (2021) suggests a best practice approach
whereby Local Authorities review their Local List periodically to
ensure it is kept up to date. This helps to maintain the Local
List’s value and relevance. To meet this need, the Council
holds a Local List of Buildings of Architectural or Historic
Significance.
 
Croydon’s current Local
List of Buildings of Architectural or Historic Significance,
published in 2006, now requires an update. The current Local List
SPD was adopted in 2006 and Part A
contains selection criteria for local listing, guidance on works to
locally listed buildings and implications of local listing in terms
of planning policy and guidelines. Part B contains the List of
Buildings (‘the Local List’). It sets out the criteria
for inclusion on this list, requiring a building or structure to
meet at least two of the following criteria: authenticity;
architectural significance; historical significance; technical
significance; and townscape value.
 
As part of the review and
update of the Webb Estate and Upper Woodcote Village CAAMP, 31
buildings have been identified as having architectural and/or
historic interest that meets the criteria and are therefore
proposed for inclusion on the Local List.

Content

For the reasons set out in the
report and its appendices, theDIRECTOR OF PLANNING &
SUSTAINABLE REGENERATION AGREED:
 
2.1to approve
for public consultation:
 
2.1.1   
 the Draft Webb Estate
and Upper Woodcote CAAMP; and
2.1.2   
proposed buildings within the Webb Estate and Upper
Woodcote Village Conservation Areas for local listing in accordance
with the Council’s adopted Statement of Community Involvement
(2024) and the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England)
Regulations 2012.
 
2.2To subject to
the public consultation results, to agree that the buildings and
addresses in the new Local List of Buildings (Part B) within the
Webb Estate and Upper Woodcote Village Conservation Areas should
become Locally Listed and agree to publish the local list of the
buildings in the Webb Estate and Upper Woodcote
Village Conservation Areas in the new “Local List of
Buildings – Part B” that will sit alongside the
Croydon’s existing Local List of Buildings of
Architectural or Historic Significance SPD.
 
2.3 to delegate to the Director of Planning and
Sustainable Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member
for Planning & Regeneration, the making of minor factual,
editorial and image changes to Draft Webb Estate and Upper Woodcote
Village CAAMP and Local Listings prior to consultation.
 

Reasons for the decision

To comply with statutory
obligations and to facilitate the preservation and enhancement of
Webb Estate and Upper Woodcote Village Conservation Areas and of
the proposed locally listed buildings.
 
The key anticipated benefits of
the use of the Webb Estate and Upper Woodcote Village CAAMP –
supported by the Conservation Area General Guidance (CAGG) - by
applicants, planning officers and the public will be as
follows:
 
·        
As a material planning consideration when
determining planning applications, the CAAMP is likely to lead to
an increase in the quality of the design of development within
conservation areas that preserve and enhance their special
character. The CAAMP will inform applicants of the various aspects
of the built environment that make up Webb Estate and Upper
Woodcote Village’s special character and will provide clear
guidance about what types of development may be considered
acceptable within the conservation areas;
·        
An increase in the efficiency of the planning
application process for sites within the conservation areas through
reference to clear and concise information;
·        
An increased sense of pride amongst residents of the
conservation areas that will be gained as a result of raising
knowledge and awareness of the value of their local area through
the consultation process;
·        
An increased sense of pride is more likely to
incentivise property owners in the conservation area to engage in
the protection and enhancement of the areas through commissioning
works to their properties that are sympathetic to the special
character of the conservation area.
·        
Celebrates and increases awareness of the heritage
of the area
 
Once the Local List is updated,
any new buildings on the List will have additional planning policy
coverage and their inclusion in the list will comprise a material
planning consideration in the determination of any planning
applications relating to these buildings. Where planning permission
is required, any development affecting these newly identified
non-designated heritage assets should be assessed accordingly
against the Council’s relevant planning policies and should
seek to preserve and enhance the significance of the buildings and
their setting.
 
Without a specific designation,
a buildings significance is decided on a case-by-case basis and
this can be a lot more onerous.  As per
the Mayors Business Plan 2022 - 26, it is critical that the
Borough’s special and/or historic built form is protected for
future generations.
 
 

Alternative options considered

The Alternative option would be
to not update the existing CAAMP. This would mean that the Council
would not be meeting its statutory obligations, as outlined above.
Applications would need to be determined on the basis of existing
planning policy and guidance which is not considered to be
sufficiently detailed. It would likely lead to additional resource
requirements for pre-planning application enquiries, applications
and an increase in appeals or public inquiries. The special
character of the conservation areas would continue to be eroded
through poorly considered development and incremental
changes.
 
An alternative option would be
to update the entire Croydon’s Local List of
Buildings of Architectural or Historic Significance SPD to take
into account the proposed additions. This would require
significantly more resource and would also extend the time frame
for the project. There is a risk of irreversible damage or
alteration to the proposed Locally Listed Buildings in the meantime
which could potentially affect their special character or
architectural or historic significance.
 
Another alternative option
would be to not update the Local List at all, however this is
contrary to Historic England’s Best Practice guidance and the
Mayor’s Business Plan 2022-2026 and may also result in
harmful development coming forward in the future that adversely
compromises valued heritage assets of the borough and the special
character of the conservation areas.
 
On this basis the alternative
options have been rejected.