Farnham Royal Conservation Area - Results of the public consultation

Consultation on the proposal to designate a new conservation area in the Church Road area of Farnham Royal was carried out between 27th July 2009 and 2nd October 2009. This proposal was supported by a draft Character Appraisal on which we also invited comments.

CONSULTATION METHOD

168 letters were sent to local residents, landowners, national and local amenity bodies, neighbouring councils, utilities and other interested parties. These letters were accompanied by questionnaires asking whether the proposal was acceptable in principle, whether certain areas should be included or more areas added and inviting comments generally. The questionnaire was also available on the Council’s website.

Our Conservation and Design Officer gave a presentation at a public meeting of Farnham Royal Parish Council on 27th July.

A public exhibition was held at St. Mary’s Parish Church (with the kind permission of the Rector) on Saturday 12th September with our Conservation and Design Officer on hand to answer questions. We are grateful to the residents who provided additional displays on the history of the village and the parish church. At least 42 visitors attended the exhibition (four of those being District Councillors).

A press release was sent to local newspapers and the Bucks Advertiser and Slough Express included short reports on 6th and 7th August respectively.
The August issue of the Farnhams magazine carried a notice of the exhibition. Notices were put up on the Farnham Common notice boards and around the Church Road area.

The questionnaire and draft Character Appraisal were also available on the Council’s website. Printed versions of the Appraisal were sent to residents and landowners within the proposed conservation area and were available to read at our offices, the parish council’s office and Farnham Common library.

ANALYSIS METHOD

We received responses from 70 individuals, some of whom acted in a representative capacity. These were contained in 52 printed questionnaires, two online questionnaires, five emails and eight letters. Some individuals sent letters and/or emails as well as questionnaires.

Responses were collated on a spreadsheet depending on the answers “Yes”, “No” or “Don’t Know” and comments were also noted. Some queries were raised which required further investigation (with some site visits) and individual answers.

RESULTS

Question: Do you support the proposal to designate a Farnham Royal Conservation Area in principle?

Yes – 54   No – 10   Don’t know – 1

Question: Do you support the proposal to include the following areas?:

	Yes	No	Don’t know
St. Mary’s parish church and the whole of the churchyard	58	2	1
St. Mary’s Farnham Royal CE Primary School (including its grounds and playing field)	54	4	3
Farnham Royal cricket ground	52	6	3
Farnham Court and its grounds**	56	2	1
Old Place	55	2	3
Old Cottage	54	3	3
West Barn	55	2	3
East Barn	55	2	2
The War Memorial	57	3	1
The Gate, Farnham Road	47	9	3
Wyvenhoe, Farnham Road	46	9	5
The site of demolished Dell Cottage	47	9	5
The Dell (the old gravel pit)	49	9	2
Old orchard south of West and East Barns	47	9	4
Fields east of Farnham Road	48	8	4

**One respondent said only part of Farnham Court and another said only the house and garden should be included.

The disparity between the overall “Yes” figure and that for some of the individual areas is accounted for by some of the respondents who said they did not support the proposals in principle but might support a differently constituted conservation area.

The overall results were broken down as to whether the respondents lived or owned land in the proposed conservation area, worked in the area, lived close-by, represented the area or were otherwise interested.

The proposed conservation area has only a few buildings: six dwelling houses, “institutional” uses ( the church, school, war memorial and cricket ground) and land, much of which is owned by non-residents and is currently not used. Not all residents and owners responded; in particular two of the six households did not respond.

The proposals were supported by English Heritage (whose regional adviser walked around the area) and by local amenity societies. The Parish Council’s request for a further six-week consultation period and another exhibition was declined because the ten week consultation period had already been longer than usual; also an extension would have delayed the conservation area reviews due in other parishes and we felt it would be unfair to other consultees who had responded within the time-limit.

In summary the results show that there was overall substantial support for the proposals, a lack of support from non-resident landowners and a mixed response from householders and institutions within the proposed conservation area. Some owners who objected said they were, or might be, in favour of a differently constituted conservation area.

Question: Do you think any other properties or areas should be included in the proposed conservation area?

Yes - 24   No - 19   Don’t know – 15

Suggestions for other properties or areas to be included in the proposed conservation area (with the numbers of respondents who made these suggestions in brackets).

Stoke Park Avenue (1)
Tara and Farnham Lodge, Church Road (1)
Penns Folly, Church Road (1)
The whole of the remainder of Church Road (4)
Lawkland (1)
Nos. 1-9 and 10-18 Park Lawn (7)

Parts of the village centre as follows:
The Pump Shelter (4)
The village green (5)
The Duke’s Head public house (7)
The Crown public house (7)
Farnham Pump public house (5)
Verdon Court (1)
North Cottages (4)
Bishop’s Orchard (1)
1-4 Bishop’s Orchard (1)
Boundary Copse (6)

Properties/land within the borough of Slough
St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church (2)
St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic School (1)
Field to the north of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church (2)
Shepherd’s Hey (1)

English Heritage also said that it would support designation of a small conservation area by Slough Borough Council adjoining the district boundary.

Question: Do you have any comments on the proposals relating to the Farnham Royal Conservation Area which you would like to have taken into consideration?

Several of those who were in favour of the proposals made supportive comments. Some of them also raised management issues, such as parking problems in Church Road, fly-tipping, vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

These issues were particularly highlighted by those who opposed some or all of the proposals. Some maintained that the area lacked the requisite “special” interest, that the Council’s draft Character Appraisal painted a misleadingly “rosy” picture and that some development on vacant land would help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the area. Some said that designation would be inappropriate or premature without a management plan in place.

Question: If designated, do you support the proposal to call the new conservation area the “Farnham Royal Conservation Area?

Yes - 53   No – 4   Don’t know – 2

There were no suggestions for alternative names.

Question: The draft Character Appraisal describes the proposed conservation area and its special architectural and historic interest. If Farnham Royal Conservation Area is designated the Character Appraisal would be adopted as a “material consideration” for planning purposes. Do you have any comments on the draft Character Appraisal which you would like to have taken into consideration?

One resident asked the meaning of “material consideration”. It means a matter that should be taken into account in deciding a planning application or on an appeal against a planning decision.
English Heritage approved the document saying that it “fully explores the heritage values of the area and justifies the proposed designation.”
There were several comments in support of the document.

Critical comments focussed on the lack of management proposals with some respondents complaining that the document did not take account of the problems in the area (mainly crime and anti-social behaviour associated with misuse of vacant land at the Dell and the former orchard.)

An alternative conservation area appraisal was prepared by heritage consultants on behalf of some landowners claiming that the Council’s document did not follow English Heritage guidance because it did not sufficiently address the condition or problems of the area and so did not follow best practice.

OUTCOME OF THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION

We would like to thank property owners who allowed access onto their land during the walking tour by Council Members and Officers.

Following consideration by the Sustainable Development Policy Advisory Group and Cabinet the full Council designated the Farnham Royal Conservation Area with effect from 19th January 2010. The boundary of the conservation area is as originally proposed.

The Cabinet Member for Sustainable Development has acknowledged concerns expressed by residents about crime and anti-social behaviour in the area and has asked that the Council’s Community and Safety Officer investigate these matters. Whilst such problems are relevant to management of the area the Council does not accept that they affect the special architectural or historic interest requisite for conservation area designation.

Whilst there are some important historic buildings in the centre of Farnham Royal village (the Crown, Duke’s Head and the Pump Shelter are all listed buildings), the Council does not think that they form part of an area of “special architectural or historic interest.” Boundary Copse lacks any association with the manorial or church history celebrated by the conservation area.

We are in touch with Slough Borough Council about the suggestion that part of the adjoining area should be designated as a conservation area.

The Council does not accept that its Character Appraisal does not comply with best practice. The format of our conservation area appraisals has been developed over the last three years in close association with English Heritage. Also English Heritage would hardly have approved a document which did not comply with its own guidance. However some amendments have been made to the document in response to some of the concerns raised during the consultation and the Character Appraisal has been adopted by the Council as a planning “material consideration.” It will be downloadable from our website and printed copies will be available for purchase from the Reception at our Capswood offices. We will also deposit copies at local libraries and with the Parish Council.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Residents and property owners who are affected by the designation will be receiving letters from our Conservation and Design Officer.

For advice on the effect of conservation area designation please see our leaflet Conservation Areas: Guidance for Residents on our website:

You can read about conservation areas generally on the English Heritage website:

Contact:
Marian Miller, Conservation and Design Officer
Direct line 01895 837374 or email conservation@southbucks.gov.uk