Rother Local Plan 2020-2040 (Regulation 18)

12. Heritage

(11) Proposed Policy HER1: Heritage Management

Explanatory Text:

(1) 12.1 Rother District has a rich heritage environment and a valuable and extensive historic building stock, including as it does the historic market towns of Battle and Rye, the Victorian and Edwardian seaside town of Bexhill-on-Sea, the important planned medieval town of Winchelsea, and a host of picturesque villages and hamlets, listed buildings, including many isolated farmsteads dispersed throughout the High Weald, together with modernist buildings from the 1930s and 1960s.

12.2 The historic built environment within the Rother District has a high level of statutory protection; designated heritage assets include Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas, Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Registered Parks and Gardens, and the 'Historic Battlefield' at Battle. Many other non-designated buildings and archaeological assets contribute positively to the physical, historic and socio-cultural character of the district, and warrant retention and interpretation. Under the provisions of the Framework^[124], such structures are frequently considered by the LPA to be non-designated heritage assets, either through identification in the Local Lists of Neighbourhood Plans, or during the decision-making process.

12.3 The historic built environment underpins the distinctive character of Rother District; the pattern, form, and appearance of settlements and individual buildings, and the materials of their construction are peculiar to both the regional and local location and contribute to the unique sense of place, cultural identity and local distinctiveness of both the district as a whole, and of each settlement.

12.4 The landscape setting of individual towns and villages varies from the linear form most usually associated with ridge-top development, to the less common valley setting associated with river crossings. Particularly distinct settlements are the nucleated hill-top setting of the ancient town of Rye, and the formalised medieval grid plan of Winchelsea. Historic farmsteads with farm building typologies representing locally distinctive historic agricultural practices, are prolific within the undulating pastureland.

12.5 Particularly locally distinctive building typologies and features include long sweeping catslide roofs, oast houses, timber-framed barns and other agricultural buildings associated with local historic farming practices, and medieval Wealden Hall Houses, found either as rural farmhouses, or incorporated into the fabric of villages and towns, and often much disguised through later alterations. Archaeological survey and investigation is invaluable in such instances to understand the history and significance of these timber-framed buildings.

12.6 Historic buildings in the district generally deploy a limited palette of materials associated with the local High Weald geology, namely timber-framing, clay tiles (for roofs and wall hanging) and brickwork. In specific pockets to the east of the district, white-painted weatherboarding is prolific, and to the west of the district are distinctive groups of buildings constructed from the local Brightling sandstone. These materials, if properly looked after, are inherently sustainable as they are local, durable, resist wear and decay and can be repaired or replaced.

(1) 12.7 Meanwhile, the coastal resort town of Bexhill-on-Sea has a rich heritage of late Victorian and Edwardian villa architecture, imposing in scale and ornate in detailing, which plays an important role in defining the local character and street scene. The Historic Environment and Built Heritage Background Paper provides more detail on the heritage significance of specific areas of the district, including Bexhill, Battle, Rye, Winchelsea, villages and rural areas. It also refers to the importance of Registered Parks and Gardens, of which there are 7 in the district.

(1) 12.8 The High Weald AONB Management Plan 2019-2024 sets out defining settlement characteristics of the High Weald^[125], much of which applies to that part of the district, including:

• High concentrations of historic buildings in all settlement types, many listed, with locally distinctive typologies.
• A limited palette of local materials: clay as tiles and brick, timber as weatherboard and framing, and some localised instances of stone.
• Hamlets occurring around the junction of routeways or small commons (which became greens or forstals), or as clusters of cottages.
• High density of historic farmsteads, with high numbers of pre-1750 timber-framed farm buildings with typologies representing locally-distinctive historic agricultural practices.
• Villages and towns of Medieval origin located at historic focal points or along ridge top roads; typically open areas used for meeting places and trade.

12.9 The district's known archaeological and historic sites are mapped and described within a county-wide database called the East Sussex Historic Environment Record (HER). The HER holds information on a range of sites dating from the Palaeolithic period (c.800,000 years ago) up to 20th Century monuments and include many 'Archaeological Notification Areas'.

12.10 Rother District is fortunate to possess a number of quality historic public realm features and surface treatments, including the listed cobbled streets of Rye, brick paving in Winchelsea and Robertsbridge, and raised pavements in Battle, which all are important in defining the special character and local distinctiveness of individual settlements. The retention and sensitive repair, and, where appropriate, reinstatement of such features is important in maintaining such character. Rye Conservation Society has produced specific guidance for those carrying out repairs to the town's historic cobbled streets.

12.11 The historic public realm is also important in defining local character and sense of place in the rural areas; historic features such as milestones, historic fingerpost signs and red telephone kiosks and letterboxes contribute positively to the character of the rural public realm. This is highlighted in the adopted Rother District Public Realm Strategic Framework, which, though district-wide, contains specific references to designated Conservation Areas within the district, and much of the content refers to heritage features in the public realm.

"The greenest building is the one that already exists"^[126].

12.12 The historic buildings of Rother have an important role to play in the Local Plan's Green to the Core vision. Historic England recognise the urgent need for climate action and believe that England's existing buildings have an essential role to play in fighting climate change. Sustainability in building is not just associated with operational energy consumption, but also the embodied energy used in the construction of buildings. Research carried out by Historic England has found that sympathetically upgrading and reusing existing buildings, rather than demolishing and building new, could dramatically improve a building's energy efficiency and would make substantial energy savings because the CO₂ emissions already embodied within existing buildings would not be lost through demolition.^[127]. In accordance with the Historic England guidance, a reduction in operational carbon emissions will not in itself justify development where it would cause harm to the heritage asset.

12.13 Older buildings have survived because of their durability and adaptability. Continuing to adapt, upgrade, repair and maintain them so they remain useful and viable makes good social, economic and environmental sense. Generally speaking, improving the energy efficiency of historic buildings and those of traditional construction means reducing heat losses wherever possible without damaging their special character or compromising their performance.

12.14 Historic England has carried out a large number of research programmes focussing on understanding and improving the energy performance of historic buildings and the effects of measures to increase energy efficiency. This research has underpinned the range of guidance and advice that they have produced and which is generally considered to represent best practice in this field.

12.15 Historic England advocate, and provide detailed guidance on, a holistic 'whole building approach'^[128] which considers for the specific building:

• context;
• construction;
• condition;
• historic significance;
• an understanding of all the factors that affect energy use; and
• how to devise an energy efficiency strategy for any building.

12.16 This 'whole building' approach can help in meeting the combined objectives of increasing energy efficiency and sustaining significance in heritage assets, while avoiding unintended consequences. It supports Government guidance that underlines the usefulness of coordinating energy improvements with design and heritage matters. Adopting a 'whole building' approach can help in understanding where energy goes, and identifying less harmful options to achieve energy savings.

12.17 The 'whole building' approach recognises that the thermal efficiency of historic buildings can be greatly improved without replacing elements that contribute to their significance. It sets out that it is better to consider energy conservation measures that address the thermal efficiency of the whole of the building, including reducing energy use; avoiding wasting energy; increasing efficiency of heating, hot water and equipment; improving control systems; and using low-carbon energy supplies. In this way, the aim should be to strike an appropriate balance between energy conservation and building conservation. To support this approach, Historic England have also produced a more detailed suite of guidance on the principles, risks, materials and methods of installing insulation and draught-proofing.

(1) 12.18 Low and zero carbon (LZC) technologies, i.e. microgeneration equipment which generates energy from renewable or low carbon sources and emit low or no carbon dioxide emissions, such as Photovoltaics, Solar Water Heating, Heat Pumps, Wind and Turbines, can also be a part of the equation in reducing a building's carbon footprint. Again, Historic England has produced guidance on a range of LZC technologies and historic buildings.

12.19 In considering LZC technologies in the historic environment, consideration will need to be given to whether the particular installation would suit the particular building, whether the system can be fitted with no significant adverse impact on the building and its historic fabric, and what the visual impact on the setting of the building or heritage asset would be.

(1) 12.20 An assessment of the significance of the heritage asset will remain the starting point for consideration of any proposals affecting them.

(1) Proposed Policy HER2: Traditional Historic Farm Buildings

Explanatory Text:

12.21 Rother's countryside has a highly distinctive and important architectural character by way of settlement pattern and building typologies. The historic hamlets and farmsteads of the High Weald create a distinct and picturesque landscape, with the rolling pastureland and small ancient woodlands of the countryside interspersed with the rich clay-tiled roofs of medieval houses, barns and oasts. Building typologies reflect locally distinct historic agricultural practices, for example the distinctive brick roundels of the hop industry's oast-houses, fine timber-framed barns and modest brick cowsheds and outbuildings.

12.22 Traditional historic farm buildings are a vital element in defining the distinctive character of the district's countryside, as well as being a valuable economic resource. They have cultural and archaeological value, not just in their fabric, but also their location and setting, to help our understanding of the historical development of farming in the district. Traditional historic farm buildings are generally considered to be those dating from pre-1880, though there may be other pre-war buildings, either late Victorian or Edwardian that are of interest in a farmstead or landscape context and may be worthy of retention.

12.23 English Heritage have analysed the character of rural settlement and farming in the South East, and particularly in the High Weald, within which the majority of the district's countryside falls, in their Farmstead Character Statement^[129]. This highlights the historic typical small farm sizes, leading to small 'farmsteads' of mostly dispersed cluster plans or loose courtyards, and typically consisting of just the farmhouse, one large multi-purpose barn, and perhaps an oasthouse or a small open-fronted outbuilding^[130].

12.24 In accordance with English Heritage advice in the document 'Living Buildings in a Living Landscape: finding a future for traditional Farm Buildings', the priority uses for traditional agricultural buildings are to retain such buildings in continued farming related uses, and secondly to convert for employment uses, including tourism.

12.25 Where such conversions are not suitable for the particular nature or location of the buildings or where the applicant has demonstrated that employment or tourism uses are not viable, residential conversions will be considered. In such circumstances, the applicant should demonstrate that every attempt has been made to secure an employment or tourism re-use first.

12.26 Different uses of a traditional farm building will inevitably have different physical impacts on the building, its setting and legibility; this is also reflected in the hierarchical approach to conversion uses described above. Continued farm use, workshop or light industrial uses are likely to require only limited alterations to building fabric and to the setting of buildings. In contrast, residential use usually brings greater pressure for internal subdivision of spaces, new openings, curtilage division and domestication which can greatly impact on the significance of these farm buildings and their appearance in the landscape.

12.27 It is important that in any conversion or re-use proposal, the distinctive character of traditional agricultural buildings; their farmstead and wider landscape setting, external appearance, internal character and features, be retained. Domestication of the building or its setting by means of inappropriate alterations, new development, access arrangements or boundary treatments should be avoided.

12.28 Specific advice in this respect is given in the English Heritage publication 'The Conversion of Traditional Farm Buildings: A Guide to Good Practice'^[131] and this should be interpreted alongside the specific advice given in the Farmstead Character Statement with regard to local building typologies and features. Of particular importance at a local level is maintaining the internal spatial qualities of timber framed barns, the elevational character of their cart-bay entrances, and the uninterrupted brick walling of oasthouse roundels.

12.29 Historic farm buildings can often also be important habitats for wildlife such as bats, barn owls and other nesting birds. The English Heritage document 'The Conversion of Traditional Historic Farm Buildings: A guide to good practice' also gives advice on wildlife legislation in this respect, and advises that an ecological survey should be carried out at project feasibility stage to establish whether there are protected species present.

12.30 Traditional farm buildings that have already been converted are also vulnerable to inappropriate alteration or development, for example extensions, new openings, garages, sheds and other outbuildings, boundary treatments and hard-surfacing, that would have an adverse impact on the intrinsic character of the building itself, or on the rural character of its countryside setting. Even a well-designed extension will usually undermine the form of, for example, a barn or oasthouse as an example of a particular building typology.

(1) Proposed Policy HER3: Shopfronts, Signage and Advertising

Explanatory Text:

12.31 Shopfronts^[132], signage and advertisements form an integral part of commercial streets and of town and village centres in the district. They play an important role in helping to create an attractive retail environment and, as such, contribute to economic vitality.

12.32 While advertising and signage generally convey important information and are valuable in promoting business activities, they can have a significant impact on the appearance of buildings and areas. Unduly prominent, prolific or poorly designed signage can detract from the character of a building, the townscape or village street scene or of the countryside within which it is located. Furthermore, if uncontrolled, it can lead to roadside clutter and distract drivers.

12.33 In order to protect the amenities of an area, it is important that all signs and advertisements, whether on a building or freestanding, are carefully designed and of an appropriate scale, detail, materials and colours.

12.34 Traditional shopfronts, such as the late Victorian/early Edwardian ones found in the planned shopping streets of Bexhill-on-Sea or those inserted into the medieval buildings of the market towns of Battle and Rye, are important because they provide active frontages and make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of those historic centres. Without careful attention though, it is easy to gradually erode the character of traditional shopfronts and historic street-frontages and to lose or obscure important building features.

12.35 Where shops or other commercial premises lie within Conservation Areas or other areas of historic character, it is particularly vital that shopfronts, signage and advertisements are well designed and detailed, and relate to their surroundings. There should be a general presumption to retain and restore the original fabric and detailing of historic shopfronts, such as stallrisers, cornices and pilasters, windows and decorative tiling. More generally, any new shopfront should relate well to the building and to its overall setting in the street scene, in terms of its proportions, design, relationship to upper storeys, fascia height and width, mullion treatment, materials and colour. Most common issues relate to the introduction of inappropriately deep or stuck-on fascias and internally illuminated signage. Fascia signs are the most common form of advertisement on a building and should be designed to appear as an integral part of it in terms of their positioning, height, size, design and materials.

12.36 Canopies and blinds may be successfully integrated into a traditional shopfront if carefully detailed and not unduly dominant. However, the use of modern materials such as acrylic sheeting, Perspex, aluminium or plastic, is rarely appropriate for traditional shopfronts on historic buildings in a Conservation Area. There is particular concern around the introduction of solid external roller shutters, which can have a "deadening", inhospitable effect on the street scene. Where security measures are essential, alternatives such as the use of an internal lattice shutter or laminated glass represent more sensitive approaches.

12.37 The Council has adopted specific guidance for shopfronts and signage within Bexhill-on-Sea Town Centre Conservation Area, in recognition of the special architectural character of the shopping terraces that were constructed within a very short period of time at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century.

12.38 The illumination of all signs and advertisements needs sensitive consideration and to be restrained in their quantity and brightness. Within the town centres of Bexhill, Battle and Rye, some night-time illumination of shops and other commercial premises helps to promote a vibrant and safe evening economy. Elsewhere, the illumination of signs on buildings, including hanging signs, is normally only justified where it relates to late opening premises such as a public house, restaurant, chemist or similar. At the same time, consideration must be given to the amenity of residential properties. Modern projecting, usually illuminated box signs, can be particularly cluttering and discordant features on shopfronts and in the street scene and are very unlikely to be appropriate within Conservation Areas.

12.39 In rural areas, the amount and siting of advertisements, especially illuminated signage, need to be strictly controlled, in the interests of maintaining the generally undeveloped landscape character and amenities of the countryside, preventing "clutter", maintaining highway safety and dark skies. Hence, unless there are exceptional circumstances which justify an alternative approach, any advertisement should be limited to a location close to the premises it serves, and should be sited and sized so as to not undermine the local countryside character. The cumulative Impact of advertisements on the character of rural areas will also be a consideration.