design and access statement “restoration, conservation and wildlife cohabitation”

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Summary of application documents

design and access statement “restoration, conservation and wildlife cohabitation”

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THIS IS THE CONTENTS PAGE OF THE SEPARATE DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT 03 Project team information 05 Executive summary 10 The applicant 13 The site 17 Site constraints 36 Site history 46 The baseline condition of the site 107 Ecology phase 1 habitat surveys 112 Design proposals (very special circumstances) 114 - Very special circumstance 1 High quality ground-breaking design 127 - Very special circumstance 2 The restoration of the historic setting of Undercliff and

enhancement of the Conservation Area 140 - Very special circumstance 3 The contribution to biodiversity enhancement 142 a. Habitat creation for plants, mammals, birds and insects 168 b. Creation of an educational resource 170 The design 230 The benefits to the neighbours, the local community and the wider area 233 Planning policy 236 Planning policy supporting statement 241 Supporting documentation

design and access statement “restoration, conservation and wildlife cohabitation”

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Project team information

design and access statement “restoration, conservation and wildlife cohabitation”

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION Single dwelling house SITE ADDRESS Paddock land to the south of Undercliff, Cleadon Lane,

Cleadon Village, Tyne & Wear, SR6 7UX CLIENT Mr and Mrs C Fitzakerly ARCHITECT Fitz Architects PLANNING CONSULTANTS GVA LANDSCAPE SPECIALIST Haggarty Design ECOLOGISTS John Durkin & Veronica Howard HISTORIAN / ARCHAEOLOGIST Archeo Environment ARBORICULTURALIST All About Trees STRUCTURAL ENGINEER JC Consulting SUSTAINABLITY SPECIALIST Frank Dixon Associates AND SAP ASSESSOR SITE INVESTIGATION Geo Environmental Engineering

design and access statement “restoration, conservation and wildlife cohabitation”

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Executive summary

design and access statement “restoration, conservation and wildlife cohabitation”

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This document, the drawings, model and computer visualisations, together with the heritage statement, arboricultural report and ecology surveys convey the proposal to apply for planning permission for a single dwelling on land (under separate title) to the south of Undercliff ("the site") and grade II listed building located on Cleadon Lane, Cleadon Village, Tyne and Wear, SR6 7UX. All of the reports that have been prepared give recommendations on how the site and the setting of the listed building can be enhanced. If planning permission is granted, these recommendations will be implemented by the applicant. The creative design of this unique house is focussed on high quality ground-breaking design, the restoration of the historic setting, and the enhancement of wildlife and natural habitats. The proposed dwelling will be a single-storey, innovative, sustainable, site-specific, family home whose design is informed by historical analysis of the site and the enhancement of biodiversity (habitats for plants and wildlife). The family home is designed by local award winning architectural practice Fitz Architects for Craig and Caroline Fitzakerly. Craig, whose architectural practice is based in Sunderland, has lived in the village for nearly 40 years and knows the site and locality intimately. The innovative and sustainable house will be positioned on the axis of Undercliff and will be partially built underground underneath the line of sight of Undercliff from the pavement on Cleadon Lane and vice versa. The house will follow the contours of the land and will not be seen from the surrounding area due to the two metre high limestone boundary walls and the protected dense, mature tree cover within the curtilage to the west, south and east. The house will be designed with a living roof formed with magnesian limestone to attract rare insect species similar to the Cleadon Hills Site of Special Scientific Interest. The historic setting of Undercliff will be recreated by reintroducing the woodland walks, protecting the historic stone faced retaining wall and recreating the pond to its original design. Sewerage treatment plants, high timber fences, stable blocks and horses will be removed from the site which have been detrimental and damaging to the setting Undercliff since the house was divided up in 1979.

From the north

From the west

From the south

From the east

design and access statement “restoration, conservation and wildlife cohabitation”

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THE SITE The site is the land to the south of Undercliff, a grade II listed building on Cleadon Lane in Cleadon Village built around 1853-5 for the Allison family. Cleadon Lane leads from Cleadon Village to Whitburn some two miles to the east. The site is privately owned and was formed by high timber fencing and is not owned by any of the existing residents of Undercliff. To provide a source of financial viability from the site the previous owner leased the site for the grazing and stabling of horses. A sewage treatment plant has joined the existing septic tanks and stable block. The site must now be read in the context of the subdivided properties and plots and their current uses. The Cleadon Conservation Area Appraisal states: “The ornamental garden has been subdivided into individual plots, timber stabling has been introduced in the former lawned area together with paddock fencing and the lake has disappeared. Although this has radically altered the ornamental setting of the mansion, the changes are reversible and all or part of the original garden design can be retrieved.” The Appraisal also presumes the ‘lake’ (i.e. the pond) has disappeared when in fact it is still there but in a very poor state. In summary, the heritage statement concludes: “The south part of the gardens of Undercliff have fallen into hard times and are now in very poor condition while being used a paddocks for horses. The sub division of the hall may have led to the sub division of the gardens, although the erection of tennis courts ‘in the view’ appears to have started the loss of the original layout in the 1920s or 30s. The views from the house have since been lost or significantly compromised by the addition of stables and subdivision which creates a shanty town appearance. The location of a large sewage treatment plant was insensitive to the historic interest of the site and it now appears to be polluting the pond. There are also septic tanks in the south west corner of the garden which may also be responsible for the undesirable effluent and smells. The prolific use of timber fencing has also created a suburban appearance and has further sub divided the gardens. However much of this is reversible and significance is not totally lost”. The baseline condition of the site is very poor (illustrated on page 46). The site has been grossly neglected and erosion of the setting of the heritage asset has taken place since Undercliff was split up into separate titles in 1979. The major negative features that have contributed to the erosion of the historic setting are:

• The sub-division of the site with high timber fences and the loss of open space

• The introduction of foreign structures such as areas of hard standing, a stable building and above ground sewage treatment plant with an above ground exposed waste pipe.

• The absence of a policy for the site management of the historic features, the pond, the woodland, the listed limestone walls and wildlife in general.

The site is subdivided into small paddocks and used for the grazing and stabling of horses. The grasslands and the woodlands on site are currently in very bad condition due to the current land use. Horses have been given free reign over much of the site leaving the ground heavily churned, muddy and trampled and ground vegetation was destroyed. Much of the soil around the site is compacted due to the repetitive movement of the horses and consequently a significant number of protected trees have died with most suffering root compaction damage and showing signs of decline in physiological condition. As well as the churning and ground compaction, a significant number of the trees have also suffered browsing (chewing) damage from the horses which strips the bark and is very detrimental to the health of the trees. Self-seeded trees are damaging the ‘stone faced retaining’ garden wall which is one of the few existing features of the garden.

The pond survives in its late 19th century extended form, although it suffers badly from neglect and trees have also fallen into it so there is a considerable amount of wood debris on the surface. The pond has little vegetation cover and is over shaded by trees in parts. It is however one of the most important garden features to survive. At present the man made pond is in very poor condition due to pollution from the fracturing of the above ground sewerage pipe presumably by the horses leading to effluent leaking into a shallow ditch and then into the pond. Furthermore, there is a lack of marginal and submerged vegetation due to severe poaching of the banks of the pond by horses. Of the original woodland walks around the garden circuit, the trees survive on the east and south sides, but the west side is now divorced from the garden by high timber fencing. The original woodland paths can still be discerned along the south end of the garden, but less so on the east side (which is the route of the above ground sewer). There is however enough left in both cases for the woodland walks to be reinstated. At present, there is no incentive for the current land owner to restore the site and it will continue to degrade and decay unless if investment is made. It is possible that if any invasive species were to occur on site then this would go unnoticed due to the absence of a management policy. However much of the above is reversible and the significance of these items is not totally lost but investment will only be made if the incentive for the development of a family home is realised.

design and access statement “restoration, conservation and wildlife cohabitation”

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THE DESIGN This design proposal is fully informed and supported by a heritage statement, a heritage impact statement, an arboricultural report and an ecology survey which should all be read in conjunction with the design. All of the reports give recommendations on how the site can be enhanced. If planning permission is granted, these recommendations will be implemented by the site owner. The development of this site provides an opportunity to enhance the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and enhance the setting of the heritage asset. The density of development in this part of Cleadon is low and it is important to maintain this character, in that single dwellings occupy large garden areas. The proposal for a single dwelling set within the existing garden responds sympathetically to this character. The proposed building footprint of 650 sq.m means that only 5.7% of the 11393 sq.m site will be developed. As the site is within the Green Belt, the house will need to demonstrate that there are ‘very special circumstances’ in planning and design terms and prove that there is no demonstrable 'harm' to the openness of the Green Belt as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Paragraph 11 of PPS 7 has been replaced with paragraph 55 of NPPF which states: "Local planning authorities should avoid isolated homes in the countryside unless there are special circumstances such as inter alia:

The exceptional quality or innovative nature of the design of the dwelling. Such design should: o Be truly outstanding or innovative, helping to raise the standards of design more

generally in rural areas o Reflect the highest standards in architecture o Significantly enhance its immediate setting o Be sensitive to the defining characteristics of the local area

This document sets out the very special circumstances that justify the proposed development against paragraphs 87 and 88 of NPPF. The innovative, sustainable and creative significance of the proposed dwelling in its context will be of national importance. There is no threat to the openness of the Green Belt, no risk of urban sprawl or encroachment into the open countryside and no impact on the streetscape or townscape due to the site not being visible from the surrounding area and being surrounded by 2m high listed limestone walls and protected trees. The proposed dwelling is screened by the listed building from the north and the existing listed, high limestone boundary walls and woodland tree cover to the east, south and west. Views to Undercliff from the south on Cleadon Lane are restricted to glimpses from the entrance gates in the south west corner of the overall site as all other views from the pavement are obstructed by the high limestone wall running along the south boundary. The line of the roof of the proposed building matches the height of the limestone boundary walls and it is also important to note that the roof height of the proposed building is lower than both the ridge and the eaves of the existing stable building. A sketch is included to illustrate this further in this section.

VERY SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE 1 - HIGH QUALITY GROUND-BREAKING DESIGN The design concept for the dwelling is “restoration, wildlife cohabitation and conservation”. The dwelling will need to be both of exceptional quality and ground breaking design to obtain planning approval. The design must seek to integrate the building with the landscape and vice-versa and enhance the ecological value of the site. The building will incorporate innovative, sustainable construction techniques and the landscaping will deliver substantial visual and biodiversity enhancement to both the site and the wider area. Integration into the landscape and the historic setting is paramount. The roof of the building and glass walls will make the building merge seamlessly with site and being partially subterranean, the building will not be visible from outside the site from all orientations except at the main entrance to the drive to Undercliff which in time will be obscured by native hedging. In time, this too will be masked by hedging of native species. The building will be underpinned by sustainability, ecology and biodiversity. Wildlife habitats will be created and enhanced by both the building and the landscape. The building will create a new 21st century vernacular for the limestone landscapes area. As with all our projects, an environmentally sustainable solution will be achieved in three steps:

• Step 1 - site specific design using thorough site analysis

• Step 2 – performance of the building envelope

• Step 3 – renewable and energy efficient technologies

design and access statement “restoration, conservation and wildlife cohabitation”

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VERY SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE 2 - THE RESTORATION OF THE HISTORIC SETTING The second very special circumstance in the context of NPPF paragraphs 87 and 88 is the restoration of the historic setting of Undercliff (the heritage asset) and the Conservation Area, which without the proposed development would not be delivered. In summary the restoration includes:

• Removal of the horses from the site which have caused harm to the significance of the heritage asset

• Removal of the 2m high timber fencing along the north and west boundaries of the site

• Removal of the stable block which has caused harm to the significance of the heritage asset

• Removal and replacement of the above-ground sewerage system and filter bed which has caused harm to the significance of the heritage asset

• Removal of certain trees to the south edge of the pond which have caused harm to the significance of the heritage asset

• Restoration of the pond to its original design to enhance the significance of the heritage asset

• Restoration of the stone faced retaining wall to enhance the significance of the heritage asset

• Restoration of the stone circular feature north of the pond to enhance the significance of the heritage asset

• Restoration of the listed boundary walls being damaged by ivy and hawthorn growing out of them to enhance the significance of the heritage asset

• The re-instatement of the original layout of the grounds

• Protect and enhance the grassland and woodland to enhance the significance of the heritage asset

• Re-establish the woodland walks and parkland gardens to enhance the significance of the heritage asset

• Restoration of the views to and from the main house by removal of the trees from the stone faced retaining wall which will enhance the significance of the heritage asset

NPPF sets out to sustain and enhance the significance of heritage assets and put them to uses consistent with their conservation. Much that is significant of this garden is now lost, but by bringing the south end of the garden into active use, there is an opportunity to restore some of that significance. In doing so, it can help to bring the gardens back into use and providing that the design of the new build is innovative, sensitively located and sustainable by restoring some of that lost significance, then it can make a positive contribution to local character and distinctiveness.

VERY SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE 3 - THE CONTRIBUTION TO BIODIVERSITY ENHANCEMENT It is well documented that in England many species and habitats are under threat. Changes in the use and management of land, construction techniques and people’s attitudes to lifestyle have taken their effect on wildlife and have been the cause of drastic declines in certain native species and their habitats. Without some intervention the important biodiversity of the site, recognised by its status a local wildlife site, will not be returned and allowing the proposed development on the site is in our view a third very special circumstance because without it the site will continue to deteriorate. At a local level the Durham Biodiversity Partnership prepared The Durham Biodiversity Action Plan (DBAP) to help identify species and habitats that are under threat. The proposed scheme will have an enormous, positive impact on the ecological value of the site and to biodiversity enhancement by implementing the objectives of the DBAP. These objectives will be achieved by:

a. Habitat creation for plants, mammals, birds and insects o Creation of new magnesian limestone grassland and the introduction of rare species.

The most important feature of the design will be the creation of an innovative magnesian limestone grassland roof, believed to be the first in the Britain. By working with the Limestone Landscapes Partnership (LLP), The Durham Biodiversity Partnership and Natural England a locally sourced limestone habitat will be integrated onto the roof structure.

o Restoration and enhancement of the pond o Creation of native hedgerows o Management of woodland habitats o Establishing an orchard o Importance of built structures for roosting opportunities o Man-made habitats o Wild flower meadows o Retention of dead wood o Rock piles o Compost heaps o Flower and herb gardens o Nettle patches o Bog gardens

b. Creation of an educational resource

All of the above provide an opportunity for interactive learning by local school children and environmental groups which will hopefully be fully supported by the Local Authority.

CONCLUSION As a site located in the open countryside and Green Belt it is recognised that there needs to be very special circumstances in order for the Council to grant planning permission. The very special circumstances demonstrated in this design and access statement should justify the proposal in the context of Green Belt policy and lead to planning permission being granted.

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Supporting documentation

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Supporting documentation required for the submission of a planning application (in accordance with ‘The Validation of Planning Applications in Tyne and Wear 2011’) is appended as follows: Design and Access Statement (8) This report. Archaeological Assessment (12) An Archaeological Assessment has been carried out by Archeo Environment. The report is appended to this application. Ecological Survey Assessment, Mitigation Report and Protected Species Survey (14) Ecological Survey Assessment, Mitigation Report and Protected Species Surveys have been carried out by John Durkin & Veronica Howard. The report is within this design & access statement. Flood Risk Assessment (15) The site is not in a flood risk zone as indicated on the map below. The flood risk map was obtained from the Environment Agency website.

Heritage Statement (16) A Heritage Statement has been carried out by Archeo Environment. The report is appended to this application. Land Contamination Assessment (17) A Phase 1 Land Contamination Assessment has been carried out by Geo Environmental Engineering. The report is appended to this application. Landscaping Details - including a detailed management plan for the restoration, enhancement and future management of the habitats on the site (18) Landscaping design including a detailed management plan has been carried out by Haggarty Design. The report is appended to this application. Tree Survey and Statement of Arboricultural Implications (30) A Tree Survey has been carried out by All About Trees. The report is appended to this application. A Statement of Arboricultural Implications is included within the Ecological Survey Assessment and Landscaping Details. Planning Statement A Planning Statement has been carried out by GVA (Newcastle). The report is within the design & access statement. Please refer to page 233 and 236 Sustainability Statement A Sustainability Statement has been carried out by Fitz Architects and Frank Dixon Associates (SAP assessment). The report is within the design & access statement in “Very special circumstance 1: High quality ground-breaking design” on page 114.