IMPERIAL SQUARE & GASWORKS

APPROVED BY COMMITTEE 8 March 2005 (updated June 2005 and June 2007)

L.B. HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM CONSERVATION AREA No 6 IMPERIAL SQUARE & GASWORKS CHARACTER PROFILE 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 states:-

"Every local planning authority shall from time to time determine which parts of their area are areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance, and shall designate those areas as conservation areas."

The Borough has 45 such areas designated over 31 years, of which Imperial Square & Gasworks Conservation Area is one.

1.2 Under Section 71 of the Act, once an area has been designated:-

"It shall be the duty of a local planning authority from time to time to formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of any parts of their area which are conservation areas."

1.3 The Council is doing this in stages. The first stage is this document which is called a Conservation Area Character Profile. The "profile" is an appraisal which aims to give a clear assessment of the special interest, character, and appearance which justified the designation of the area as a Conservation Area. It also includes some broad design guidelines that will aid all concerned in their efforts to preserve or enhance the character of the conservation area.

1.4 It is intended that each profile document will provide a sound basis, defensible on appeal, for the development plan policies and development control decisions, and for the guidance of residents and developers.

1.5 It will also form the groundwork for subsequent Conservation Area Studies. The next stage will be the production of more detailed design guidelines where necessary in consultation with Councillors, the Hammersmith and Fulham Historic Buildings Group, Fulham Society, Hammersmith Society and other local groups. These will be followed by the preparation of policy documents for the preservation or enhancement of the conservation area, which will be the subject of local consultation.

1.6 The profiles and subsequent design guidelines will form supplementary planning guidance and will support the Council's statutory Unitary Development Plan which sets out the planning policy framework for the development of the borough and development control decisions. Policy EN2 relates to conservation areas and makes special reference to the Character Profiles. They will constitute material planning considerations in the determination of planning applications.

11.7 The Government document (PPG 15) "Planning Policy Guidance: Planning and the Historic Environment" advises local authorities on how to operate the legislation, emphasising that:- "It is the quality and interest of areas, rather than that of individual buildings, which should be the prime consideration in identifying conservation areas. There has been increasing recognition in recent years that our experience of a historic area depends on much more than the quality of individual buildings - on the historic layout of property boundaries and thoroughfares; on a particular 'mix' of uses; on characteristic materials; on appropriate scaling and detailing of contemporary buildings; on the quality of advertisements, shopfronts, street furniture and hard and soft surfaces; on vistas along streets and between buildings; and on the extent to which traffic intrudes and limits pedestrian use of spaces between buildings. Conservation area designation should be seen as the means of recognising the importance of all these factors and of ensuring that conservation policy addresses the quality of townscape in its broadest sense as well as the protection of individual buildings."

1.8 This intention is reinforced by English Heritage in their document "Conservation Area Practice" which recognises that:- "As the number of conservation areas continues to grow, the criteria for their designation are being looked at more critically."

It is, therefore, even more important than before that there should be a clear definition, recorded in some detail, of what constitutes the special architectural or historic interest which warranted the designation of every conservation area.

1.9 The designation of an area as a Conservation Area has other benefits beyond the protection of buildings and the design of the area. It enables other policies such as biodiversity and smarter streets to be developed for the conservation area, and acts as a focus for the formation and development of Residents’ Associations and Neighbourhood Watch.

1.10 So, in line with the guidance given by both the Government and English Heritage, this conservation area profile will aim to define the character of the conservation area on the basis of an analysis of all or some of the following criteria :-

• origins and development of the street patterns, the lie of the land; • archaeological significance and potential of the area, including any scheduled ancient

monuments;

• architectural and historic quality, character and coherence of the buildings, both listed and unlisted, and the contribution which they make to the special interest of the area;

• character and hierarchy of spaces, and townscape quality; • prevalent and traditional building materials for buildings, walls and surfaces;

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• contribution made to the character of the area by greens or green spaces, trees, hedges and other natural or cultivated elements;

• prevailing (or former) uses within the area and their historic patronage, and the influence of these on the plan form and building types;

• relationship of the built environment to landscape/townscape including definition of significant landmarks, vistas and panoramas, where appropriate;

• extent of any loss, intrusion, or damage that has occurred since designation;

• existence of any opportunity sites;

• unlisted buildings which make a positive contribution to the conservation area according to English Heritage's criteria.

2 DESIGNATION

2.1 Imperial Square Conservation Area was designated on 8 August 1975 to protect its special character and in recognition of its history. At that time it was the smallest conservation area in the borough. It was extended on 23 February 2005 to include the adjoining buildings in Harwood Terrace and Imperial Road, and the northern part of the gasworks site that is inextricably linked to the history of the houses in Imperial Square. At the same time the Conservation Area was renamed Imperial Square and Gasworks.

2.2 Further control has been applied to Nos. 1 to 30 (consec.) Imperial Square through the application of a Restrictive Covenant on 16 April 1984, which requires residents to obtain permission in writing from the Council for any internal or external alterations to the properties, and that any changes must be made in accordance with the ‘Imperial Square Design Guidelines’ produced in 1980. (See Section 11) The application of an Article 4 Direction to all properties on 16 January 2003, removes the building owners’ permitted development rights to demolish or alter the appearance of any part of roofs, front elevations, front garden fences and gates, or to paint brickwork. (See Section 10)

3 CONSERVATION AREA BOUNDARY

3.1 The conservation area boundary can be seen on Plan 1. The north west boundary follows the centre line of Harwood Terrace to include the full width of Sands End Lane at its northern end. The south west boundary follows the centre line of Imperial Road to the entrance road into the gasworks site, following its centre line north east to include the full width of Sands End Lane. It then follows the north east side of Sands End Lane to the junction with the service road east of the office and laboratory buildings, running north east along the centre line of the road to a point where it crosses the site in a north west direction to include gas holder No. 2, skirting the south side of the boundary walls around gasholders No.4 & No.5. It then runs south west to rejoin Sands End Lane and follows its north east side to the centre line of Harwood Terrace.

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3.2 With the exception of Imperial Square and Harwood Terrace, the conservation area is within the Townmead Road / Imperial Road designated riverside employment zone (ix).

4 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CONSERVATION AREA

4.1 John Roque’s map of 1741 shows the part of the Borough within which Imperial Square and Gasworks are now located as Sands End, although maps of 1830 and 1847 show it as Strand End. The area consisted of a few private estates and extensive areas of market gardens and orchards in 1741, with the future conservation area site bounded on its north west side by the southern diversion of King’s Road (now Harwood Terrace) and bisected by Sands End Lane (first recorded in 1646), which at that time formed a route from the Thames north west to Walham Green and beyond. The Chelsea Creek is shown to the east as Bridge Creek, and the gardens of Lord Peterborough’s estate to the west.

4.2 The area began to evolve into a growing community at the beginning of the 19th Century as a result of changes in land use and an increase in industry. The Imperial Gas Company was established in 1812 to serve areas in East London and west of Pimlico, which was then considered the western periphery of London. The company works was an important presence in the area, providing jobs for hundreds of local people and being instrumental in the development of this part of Fulham.

4.3 A map of 1830 shows a rudimentary road network established around the future conservation area site. The north western boundary is defined by development along the south side of King’s Road, with more development around Sands End Lane. To the south west, Bagley’s Lane is shown extending south from King’s Road as far as the grounds of a large mansion in extensive gardens, later shown as Grove House on the 1869-74 map, with a footpath running south west to a road following the line of the future Studdridge Street. Sands End Lane continues southwest along the Thames foreshore past ‘The Town Meadows’ on the line of the current Townmead Road and Carnwath Road as far west as Broomhouse Lane. The map also shows the beginnings of the Imperial Gas Works, established for the production of town gas in 1823 on a site between the west bank of the Kensington Canal which was opened in 1828, and Sands End Lane.

4.4 Although the gasworks and other non-agrarian uses such as the Rose Public House (now known as The Fulham Tup) appear on the Ordnance Survey map of 1847, the area around these developing uses, including the future site of Imperial Square, remained occupied by market gardens. John Maclure’s 1853 rating valuation map still shows that Fulham was dominated by market gardens and historic settlements, with very few roads cutting across the medieval land strip pattern. During this time, the gasworks remained on a small scale, although the map shows the later demolished retort houses and gasholder No.1, the statutory listed gasholder No.2 and gasholder No. 3 already in existence. Maclure noted that “very extensive additional works are now in progress of erection at the premises of the Imperial Gas Company”.

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4.5 The 1869-74 Ordnance Survey map shows many cottages built among the market gardens in the Sands End area north of the gasworks to accommodate the increasing number of workers, including the houses in Harwood Terrace which share a rear boundary with Imperial Square. The railway line and the Imperial Gasworks Dock from the Kensington Canal appear for the first time on this map.

4.6 The history of the houses in Imperial Square is inextricably linked with that of the Imperial Gas Works. They were developed in phases during the mid 1870s as ‘tied cottages’ originally let to workers and pensioners of the Imperial Gas Company, which merged into the larger Gas Light & Coke Company in 1876. The 1869-74 map shows Nos. 1 to 16 and 22 to 30 built before Imperial Road and Emden Street were laid out. However, by 1879 the Company had reached an agreement with the Fulham District Board of Works to extend to the west, building new gas holders and plant and stopping off Sands End Lane at the newly constructed Emden Street.

4.7 The 1894-96 Ordnance Survey map shows the site at its most intensive state of development. Nos. 17 to 20 Imperial Square had been built, the open central area constructed, and the development was known as Imperial Cottages. It is a rare remaining example of company housing in London, the design of which is attributed to the company’s architect Francis Edwards. Imperial Road had been constructed at the Gas Company’s expense (£1,000) as a substitute for Sands End Lane, and needing still more land, in 1880 the Charity Commissioners agreed that two ‘church acres’ which had been in the possession of All Saints Church since 1491 could be sold to the Gas Company. This land, adjoining the southern end of the Gas Company’s estate, was eventually bought in 1885. It enabled the works to expand to fill the site from the railway line in the south east to Imperial Road, and gasholder No.6 and local listed (BoM) gasholder No.7 were erected. During this period the Gas Company brought some workers from Germany for the Sands End Works, possibly to counter local industrial unrest, and housed them in Imperial Square, which for a time became known locally as ‘German Square’. Emden Street was probably named at the same time because the workers were recruited from Emden, which was the nearest German port to England. It is understood that 3 shifts were worked around the clock with one man responsible for one retort (as happened at Fakenham), so the presence of 30 houses in Imperial Square may indicate that there were 10 retorts in operation when the square was built. The link to the gasworks along Emden Road to Sands End Lane is now blocked off. However, the visual link remains as views of the gasholders provide a powerful reminder of the proximity of the Imperial Gas Works to Imperial Square.

4.8 At the time of designation of the original conservation area Imperial Square had always been under single ownership, originally as ‘tied cottages’ of the Imperial Gas, Light & Coke Company, then the North Thames Gas Board and, in 1978, the Hammersmith & Fulham Council. This continuous single ownership left the physical fabric almost intact and in its original condition so that it remained a rare survival of the Victorian era. Unfortunately, under the ‘Right to Buy’ legislation increasing private ownership has resulted in the introduction of some unsympathetic changes, making it necessary to

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introduce additional statutory controls in the form of a restrictive covenant and an Article 4 Direction.

5 CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE

5.1 The character of the conservation area is of two distinct but inter-related areas. One is a predominately residential area with Imperial Square at its core, the other is a historic industrial site based on the earliest development of the Imperial Gasworks. The conservation area contains one statutory listed building and several locally listed Buildings of Merit (BoMs). Few alterations have taken place and the area as a whole retains much of its original character.

5.2 The conservation area can be split into sub-areas for the purposes of the character assessment in order to distinguish areas of similar character and similar periods of development as shown on Plan 1. These are defined as:-

A B A

Imperial Square and adjoining buildings Imperial Gasworks historic core Imperial Square and adjoining buildings

5.3 Imperial Square is of a compact and cohesive development of modest two storey terraced Victorian cottage style artisans’ houses of uniform building form, line and materials arranged around three sides of a trapezoidal central open area. Nos. 1 to 16 (consec.), the longer terrace, form the south side of the development, their rear boundary abutting the north elevation wall of the larger scale commercial premises at Nos. 3 to 11 (odd) Imperial Road. Nos. 17 to 20 (consec.) share a rear boundary with Nos. 1 to 9 (odd) Harwood Terrace, and have a splayed junction with Nos. 21 to 30 (consec.) which back onto gasworks land in Sands End Lane.

5.4 All of the houses are of yellow grey Gault brick in Flemish bond, with contrasting red brick window arches and dentils in their eaves cornice. They have shallow pitched Welsh slate roofs with semi-circular red clay ridge tiles, the roof lines punctuated by prominent party walls with triangular section coping stones and shared chimney stacks, many retaining their original pots.

5.5 The front elevation of each house has two first floor timber windows in the form of vertical casements subdivided into three panes by horizontal glazing bars surmounted by a two pane top hung top-light. Each ground floor has a similar window with two pane casements, and a timber front entrance door with four flush panels. Doors are paired, and share a porch with timber diamond-shaped side trellises and built in seats that are particularly characteristic of a rural cottage type, but which here is an example of its Victorian use in an urban context. Unfortunately, the porch and trellis has been removed from No. 30. Its reinstatement would be a great asset to the visual appearance of the conservation area.

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5.6 Each house has a generous front garden with well maintained soft landscaping. Most are still enclosed by their original white painted wooden picket fences and matching gates. These are a charming asset to the conservation area and any attempt to introduce hard surfacing will be resisted. Any recent unsatisfactory unauthorised changes may become the subject of enforcement action.

5.7 In contrast the rear gardens are very small, and regrettably a few have recently been further reduced in size by rear extensions.

5.8 Despite minor changes to the houses, the original features, consistent level of decoration and architectural embellishment which are so important to the character of the conservation area remain largely intact, contributing to a strong sense of place. It is important to retain these original features to maintain the conservation area’s character and special interest.

5.9 The central area of the square was not originally laid out in the formal Victorian manner with a grassed central space with railings because of its utilitarian character, although it did have gas lamp posts. Instead it was laid out as a hard surface with Staffordshire blue pavers with grooved diamond pattern surface in the industrial tradition. The area’s visual character and appearance had been compromised by uncontrolled use for off street parking prior to its current layout which took place after consultation with residents in 1980. Some of the original blue pavers remained in situ until they were uncovered when the enhancement scheme was carried out. The current layout of the central area and footpaths in a herringbone pattern of brick pavers has a tired appearance and is not the most sympathetic or traditional treatment. Further consideration is now needed to address this, together with the planting. A new design comprising a traditional treatment of York stone footpaths, granite setted vehicular carriageways and a grassed central open area with specimen trees, would be more in keeping with the surrounding Victorian rural cottage style artisans’ houses and would upgrade the appearance of the conservation area, or a return to the utilitarian grooved Staffordshire blue pavers could be implemented.

5.10 Harwood Terrace was first developed in the Early 19th Century around the junction with Sands End Lane, but none of the original buildings remain. The existing buildings are sympathetic in scale to the Imperial Square cottages, being two and three storey. The planting bed at the rear of the Harwood Terrace buildings could be enlarged and replanted with a range of shrubs that would flower at different times of the year, and the metal fencing replaced with white painted wooden picket fencing to integrate it with the boundary treatment infront of the cottages in the Square.

5.11 No.1, The Rose public house (currently renamed The Fulham Tup), is a three storey red brick corner building, now painted on the street elevations, with a parapet and shallow concrete tiled roof. It is the tallest building in the terrace, relating to the larger scale development to the north. Rebuilt in the 1930s it has metal casement windows on the upper floors and a ground floor pub front that retains some original features.

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5.12 Nos. 3 to 9 (odd) and 11 & 13 are Late 20th Century orange-red brick infill houses of two storeys and an attic storey in a slate mansard roof that step down in height from the pub to the older adjoining terrace, providing a successful visual link.

5.13 Nos. 19 to 33 (odd) are a continuous Mid 19th Century terrace of two storey yellow stock brick houses with stucco parapet cornice and window dressings. They are two windows wide, most retaining their original timber sashes with glazing bars. The front entrances have stucco doorcases with hoods on brackets, and small rectangular fanlights, except for No. 19, which has its entrance set back in a two storey side extension and has a semi- circular fanlight.

5.14 No. 1A Imperial Road is on the corner of Harwood Terrace and is also two storey stock brick, but built in the 1890s it has different detailing and a parapet without a cornice. The two windows in the Harwood Terrace elevation are twin sashes with pilasters and decorative stone foliate capitals with red brick cambered arches between them. The entrance doorway on the flank elevation to Imperial Road has a semi-circular fanlight and is recessed within a semi-circular porch with a hood moulding supported on red granite columns and foliate capitals relating to the style of the windows.

5.15 Nos. 3 to 9 (odd) Imperial Road is a workshop, built around 1935 as the works and garage of the Imperial Gas Light and Coke Company. It is a long single storey building with a tall pitched roof that makes it the equivalent of two storey height. It has little architectural value, but is historically linked to the running of the gasworks site, and is of a sympathetic scale to the adjoining buildings in Imperial Square and Harwood Terrace.

5.16 Imperial House, No.11 Imperial Road, is on the corner of Emden Street. Built as part of the adjoining works and garage complex, possibly as a transport administration office, it is of red brick with stone parapet cornice, and was originally two storeys but now has a modern slate mansard roof extension with dormers. Both street elevations have large windows with flat arches and glazing bars and an entrance door with rectangular fanlight.

B Imperial Gasworks historic core

5.17 Sands End was established as a site for the production of town gas in 1823 and was originally laid out by Samuel Clegg in 1824, some ten years after gas was first used for street lighting. The original site owner, the Imperial Gas Company (later the Imperial Gas Light and Coke Company) was London’s second oldest gas company. Although the part of the gas works site included within the conservation area is not on the river, it forms a significant part of the original site, so remains an important part of London’s riverside industrial heritage and is a reminder of the time when the Thames was primarily a working river, bordered with a variety of factories, breweries and other industrial works for which the river not only supplied water but was also essential for the transport of raw materials and finished products.

5.18 The construction of the tidal Kensington Canal was started in 1824 by widening the stream known as Counter’s Creek that joined the Thames at Chelsea Creek. This formed

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the north east boundary of the gasworks site, and was its original supply route. The Imperial Gasworks Dock was constructed to link to the canal in about 1856 and rebuilt and enlarged in 1862 to allow for the bulk delivery of coal to the gasworks. Part was filled in during the early 1970s, but the part of the dock still in water, together with Chelsea Creek, now forms part of the Sands End Conservation Area. In 1846 the canal, which had not been a financial success, was sold to the West London Railway and was filled in down as far as the King’s Road so that the site could form the route of the new railway. Sidings lead to Chelsea Basin and its associated industrial sites including the Imperial Gasworks. (Part of the Basin remains as a marina within the Chelsea Harbour development.) The section of canal from King’s Road to the entrance to the Imperial Gasworks Dock remained open and tidal until its ownership changed to the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea in 1982 and it was filled in, leaving only Chelsea Creek at its southern end open.

5.19 The Imperial Gasworks site was transferred to the North Thames Gas Board and operations reduced with the phasing out of coal gas and introduction of natural (North Sea) gas. The southern part of the site has been sold and redeveloped by St. George as Imperial Wharf.

5.20 The part of the site adjoining the east side of Imperial Square is of particular interest for its industrial archaeology from the earliest establishment of the gasworks, and comprises a group of historic buildings clustered around the remnant of Sands End Lane. The opportunity should be taken to research and reinstate the original colour of the paint on the listed No. 2 gasholder to recreate its authentic appearance.

5.21 The rudimentary gasworks buildings were located in the part of the site nearest to the canal and railway line and have long since been swept away by later development. The oldest remaining buildings, distinguishable on the 1853 map, are the statutory listed No. 2 gasholder erected around 1830, No. 3 gasholder, and a small building immediately west of it. No. 1 gasholder was positioned south of these holders and was of a similar size to No.2. It had been removed between the map surveys of 1874 and 1894 and replaced by storage tanks. Its site is now partly covered by the brick built offices that were the original research laboratory erected between 1916 and 1925.

5.22 The No. 2 Gasholder was listed Grade II in 1970 in recognition of its rarity. It is a circular single lift wrought iron holder, guided by cast iron ‘A’ frames with circle decoration. At the time of listing it was reputed to be the oldest remaining gasholder in the world. A plaque attached in 1949 commemorated its constant use since 1830.

5.23 On the north east side of Sands End Lane is the Grade II listed Chief Engineer’s Office, built in 1856, probably to a design by D. Mc Munn (Superintendent Station Engineer 1843-66) as the original offices of the Imperial Gas, Light and Coke Company. It is a two storey white painted stucco building, five windows wide, with a moulded parapet cornice and central pediment with flagstaff. The windows and central entrance doorway with fanlight have moulded stucco surrounds, and between ground and first floor there is a secondary cornice and stringcourse with a frieze and recessed panels. Most of the

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original timber sliding sashes with glazing bars remain intact, but two have been replaced with casements. Internally it retains a good original staircase with iron balustrade. There is a lower two storey, two window, 1919 extension on the right with similar details.

5.24 Immediately opposite the Chief Engineer’s Office, on the south west side of Sands End Lane, is the Grade II listed red brown brick and Portland stone 1927 research laboratory. It was designed by Sir Walter Tapper, then President of the RIBA, who was appointed consultant architect to the company in 1924. Its design was larger and grander than that of the original laboratory building that it replaced because it was intended to give the impression that it was a ‘learning institute’ at a time when the Gas Light and Coke Company was trying to recruit graduates to carry out gas-making research. It has two tall storeys, a parapet with stone cornice and pedestals, a stone string course and a stone clad semi-basement. The main elevations are ten windows wide, the outer ones within forward projecting bays with stone quoins. Each sash of the huge windows is divided by glazing bars into sixteen panes. The entrance doorways on the front and rear elevations are reached by balustraded flights of stone steps. An unusual feature is the orientation of the detailing on this building. The doorway on what is now perceived as the rear elevation facing the No. 7 gasholder has a stone doorcase with console brackets and broken segmental pediment with a central panel inscribed ‘AD 1927’. This suggests that when built this was intended to be the main entrance, with the plainer doorway on the Sands End Lane elevation as the secondary entrance. It is clear from the design, and the unfinished Fletton brick end elevation, that the building was originally meant to be almost twice as long, with the existing impressive entrance doorways as the central features flanked on each side by a range of nine windows, giving a total envisaged length of nineteen windows wide. Unfortunately only the north west range was completed. Internally the library remains a most impressive room with its oak floor and portico doors, oval windows, elaborate plaster ceiling and three domed skylights, but regrettably the original panelling has been removed.

5.25 No.7 gasholder (BoM) was built about 1880, after the land between Sands End Lane and the newly constructed Imperial Road had been added to the gasworks site. It is taller and has a much larger diameter than No.2 gasholder, but the delicate appearance of its two storey cast iron frame, particularly when the tank is deflated, limits the effect of its bulk on the adjoining area. The guiding framework consists of tapering square columns of diamond shaped trellis with ornamental capitals and decorative plaques linked horizontally by diamond shaped trellis cross bracing. As the gasholder is contemporary with much of the surrounding residential neighbourhood, its nobility and importance as a local landmark have been well recognised by residents and users of the area since it was first erected.

5.26 The south east boundary of the gasworks site adjoining No.6 & No. 7 gasholders still retains a handsome 19th Century brick wall with piers and panels, built about 1878, that extends along Imperial Road between the junctions with Emden Street and the entrance road into the site. This wall adds to the visual and historic quality of the area, and should be retained and repaired where necessary.

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5.27 No. 3 gasholder, adjoining the north east side of Sands End Road, stands on a footing that has a curved retaining wall made from an unusual collection of blocks of stone, spoilt misshapen bricks and segmental curved blocks that could have been salvaged from earlier structures. The footing and wall provide stability to the holder, and are of visual interest and historical significance as they were in existence at the time of the 1869-74 survey.

5.28 There are two war memorial plinths opposite the 1927 research laboratory building. The original one is Grade II listed and bears two bronze plaques commemorating the dead of WWI & WWII. A second plinth erected in 1999 bears a WWII plaque removed from a now demolished building within the gasworks site. It is unusual that the WWII plaque contains more names than that recording the dead of WWI.

5.29 Much of the Imperial Gasworks site was originally paved with granite setts. Some may remain in situ beneath later tarmac or other paving materials. These could be revealed by careful investigation, and where found should be reinstated within the historic areas of the gasworks in association with the many salvaged setts from other parts of the site.

6 BROAD DESIGN GUIDELINES

6.1 The previous section described the character of the conservation area looking at individual buildings, groups of buildings and the general townscape in terms of identified sub-areas. This section identifies key components that either define or affect the character of the conservation area, and suggests broad design guidelines to deal with each of these components.

6.2 Piecemeal changes to individual properties, when considered cumulatively, can have a severely negative effect on the special character and appearance of an area. Terraced houses that were designed as a cohesive and singular composition are particularly sensitive to even minor alterations. The following section outlines factors the Council considers important in preserving the character of an area through encouraging good practice. Not all the alterations and works listed below require planning permission or conservation area consent.

(This is set out in a general leaflet for this conservation area, which residents should have received through their door. Alternatively, it is available from the Council Environment Department).

6.3 Until fairly recent times the historic and architectural value of old buildings, and the settings which their groupings create, was overlooked and many were destroyed unnecessarily. The Council recognises the importance of the historic and architectural heritage represented by the wealth of remaining old buildings within its conservation areas, and is committed to their preservation. With a few rare exceptions, these buildings are Georgian, Victorian or Edwardian.

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6.4 A leaflet produced by the Victorian Society highlights the continuing threat to historic buildings:-

“It’s hard to believe that not so long ago people thought that Victorian buildings were ugly and old fashioned. They said that they were not suited to modern requirements, and so they tore them down and put up new ones. They ripped the heart out of our historic city centres and dispersed the communities who lived there, and soon many places looked much the same as anywhere else.

But today we have found that many of the new buildings lasted less well than the buildings they replaced, and are now themselves being torn down.

Would you really want to lose the attractive Victorian terraces in your neighbourhood, the Victorian church at the end of your road or the ornate pub on the high street? Yet still today many such buildings are threatened with demolition or insensitive alteration. Victorian buildings reflect the history of places and their occupants, and too often it is only after they have gone that people recognise their value.

Still there are many good Victorian buildings at risk. Neglect is bad enough, but sometimes well-meant ‘improvements’ such as plastic windows or stone cladding may destroy a building’s historic character and create maintenance headaches for the future. The Victorian Society produces a number of publications about the proper care of Victorian and Edwardian houses to enable owners to be custodians of their buildings for the future.

Worse still is the threat of demolition, as developers do not stop to understand what is special about Victorian buildings, and how they are cherished and valued by their communities. No one would tear up a 100 year-old book, but 100 year-old buildings are often pulled down without a second thought, and all these years of history lost.

Most buildings are perfectly capable of re-use: often imagination is the key ingredient to give an old building new life. Yet people often forget that demolishing and rebuilding in energy-hungry materials such as glass and aluminium is very wasteful. It also destroys the special character that old buildings impart to areas, and a sense of local distinctiveness is lost.

We are not against all change. We think there is a place for good modern design too – indeed high quality new developments can make a positive contribution to the setting of historic buildings. But building for the future should not ignore the importance of the past.”

Uses

6.5 In addition to the quality of individual buildings and local townscape, our experience of historic areas could be determined by a particular mix of uses. The balance of uses within a conservation area is important in defining its character particularly if they reflect the historic development of the area. Conservation Area designation is seen as the

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means of recognising the importance of such factors and ensuring that appropriate policies address the preservation or enhancement of such character where it exists.

6.6 The west part of the conservation area centred on Imperial Square is residential, whilst the adjoining east part containing the historic core of the Imperial Gasworks is industrial. These uses are important in defining its character because these have been the historic uses since the Mid 19th Century. Changes of use within the residential area will be resisted. Within the gasworks area, which is an employment zone, development for office or light industrial employment will be permitted, subject to buffer zones or landscaping.

Alterations to Buildings

6.7 The Imperial Square properties were designed to be viewed as a single composition achieved by the repetitive arrangement of identical features including windows, doors, rooflines and boundary treatments. The character of this part of the conservation area is derived substantially from this uniform arrangement. Alterations to such features would affect the character of the individual buildings and would also be visually detrimental to the terraces and the square in general. Extensions and alterations to the front elevation of properties will not, therefore, be acceptable. Any other changes that would visibly affect the scale, rhythm and massing of the houses when seen from the street or any public space will not be permitted.

6.8 The gasworks buildings are of a specialist design and use that will require very sensitive treatment if they become redundant. If alterations are found to be necessary to accommodate new financially viable uses they must be sympathetic to their architectural character and appearance.

Roof Extensions

6.9 Front roof extensions are generally considered unacceptable and will only be considered if the property is within a terrace that has been significantly impaired by front roof extensions. They are inappropriate within Imperial Square as none of the terraces has been impaired.

6.10 The design of any rear roof extension should be sympathetic to the character of the conservation area. Where they are visible from the street, including long views, then particular attention will need to be paid to their appearance. In some cases, high visibility of the rear roof of properties may prohibit a roof extension where it would have a detrimental effect on the character of the conservation area. This is particularly relevant with regard to Nos. 20 to 30 Imperial Square.

6.11 No property within Imperial Square has a rear roof extension, so all roof extensions and associated party wall alterations will be considered to unacceptably impair the terraces and will not be permitted.

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6.12 Where traditional materials remain in place repairs or alterations to roofs should use matching traditional materials, i.e. slate, red clay ridge tiles. The reinstatement of traditional materials to roofs is encouraged whenever the opportunity arises.

6.13 Existing rooflines should not be disturbed. Raising the height of the ridge to accommodate greater internal ceiling height is considered unacceptable. Original features such as red clay ridge tiles, cast iron gutters and down pipes, original roofing materials and their pattern should all be retained.

6.14 Consent should not be granted for demolition of original chimney stacks which are visible from the street or public spaces as this would result in a material alteration to the roofscape and shape of a dwellinghouse. Similarly, original chimney pots should not be removed.

6.15 Modern additions such as satellite dishes, T.V. aerials, roof-lights and vents should be as inconspicuous as possible. They will not be permitted where they would be visually obtrusive and where alternative locations are possible. Satellite dishes should be placed at roof level behind the chimney stack. Enclosed water tanks and air conditioning units on roofs should be avoided.

Rear Extensions

6.16 The design and materials of rear extensions must be in keeping with the existing property and all planning standards in the Unitary Development Plan should be met. When they require planning permission, rear extensions will be considered on their own individual merit.

6.17 Rear building lines should respect and take into account the value of rear gardens as private amenity space, in landscape terms, and should not prevent the opportunity for biodiversity. Extensions should not, therefore, extend to the rear property line or dominate the rear garden.

6.18 Rear extensions should never dominate the main building, not extend more than half of the width of the main building or rise as high as its eaves. The red brick dentil eaves cornice must remain visible above any first floor extension.

6.19 Rear roof terraces cut into the slates of the rear extensions require planning permission, and will be resisted because of their detrimental visual effect upon the appearance of the building and possible overlooking of adjoining properties.

Lightwells Associated with Basement Rooms

6.20 Front gardens define the edge of the public realm and contribute to the street scene. They form an important element of the character of most of the Borough’s streets and terraces, and when planted, provide a welcome greening of an otherwise hard urban environment. When the houses were built the inclusion of front gardens was regarded as adding status and, if kept in good order, improving privacy and the overall appearance of the properties.

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6.21 The creation of lightwells by the excavation of all or part of the front garden of a residential property to provide windows to basements to increase the light to basement rooms requires planning permission, as does the enlargement of an existing lightwell. Where there is no tradition of a lightwell in a particular property or street the introduction of an over large, visible and inappropriately designed lightwell could be harmful to the appearance of an area. This has a negative impact and will not normally be permitted where the lightwell would take up more than 50% of the front garden or would result in the loss of a substantial part of any planted area of the front gardens that forms an integral part of the design of the street or terrace.

6.22 However, a sensitively designed and proportioned lightwell that is in accordance with the Council’s approved ‘Design Guidelines for Lightwells associated with Basement Rooms’ may be acceptable. In such cases, it would not be appropriate to include the addition of protective railings around the edge of the lightwell as they would add unnecessary clutter to the appearance of the front garden and street scene. Instead, ingress to the lightwell should be prevented by the addition of either horizontal glazing or a horizontal grille over the lightwell and/or the reintroduction of metal railings around the front boundary of the property. Where the lightwell is used as a means of escape it must incorporate a metal ladder and the grille must be capable of being opened by one hand as someone holds onto the ladder with the other.

Brickwork, Painting, Render and Cladding

6.23 Properties’ external brick walls should be retained in their original condition and should not be painted, rendered or clad in any material.

6.24 Existing brick elevations including chimney stacks should be properly maintained and appropriate repointing undertaken where necessary (usually with lime based mortar in a flush finish). If a property’s brickwork has been painted, rendered or clad, advice should be sought from the Council regarding the removal of the paint, render or cladding. A less satisfactory alternative, in the case of paint, is that the property could be repainted in matt finish paint of a colour to match the original brick.

6.25 Properties that already have had their plinth rendered or painted can be left in this state. Specialist advice should be sought where re-rendering or repairs are necessary. The plinth should be repainted in an appropriate matt colour i.e. white or a pale cream rather than vivid colours.

6.26 Decorative red brick window arches and brick dentil eaves cornices should not be painted. Those that have been painted should be carefully cleaned after seeking advice from the Council.

Windows and Original Features

6.27 Original architectural features such as timber casement windows, panelled doors and door cases, and shared porches with timber diamond-shaped side trellises and built in seats should be maintained and repaired wherever possible. Where renewal is unavoidable,

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owners are encouraged to reinstate these with exact replicas, or where features are missing, recreate them using traditional or matching designs and traditional materials.

6.28 Owners of properties with unsuitable replacement windows, including PVCu (plastic) windows, should be encouraged to change them for those of a more appropriate design and materials to match the originals when an opportunity arises.

Other Additions

6.29 Gutters, rainwater pipes and soil pipes should be replaced, when necessary, in their original form and material. The use of PVCu (plastic) is inappropriate on buildings within conservation areas, and should be discouraged.

6.30 The positioning of gas and electricity meters on external walls of buildings within conservation areas should be avoided. If absolutely necessary, their location should be carefully considered to minimise their visual impact upon the building and townscape quality of an area.

6.31 The routing of external cables for telephone, T.V., alarms etc, and the location of alarm boxes, gas flues, air conditioning units etc. on external walls should be carefully considered so that they are located away from important architectural details to minimise their visual effect on the appearance of the building on which they are located, and the townscape quality of an area.

6.32 Satellite dishes will not be permitted where they would be visually obtrusive and where alternative locations are possible. Further detailed guidelines may be helpful in ensuring that they do not have a negative impact upon the character of the conservation area.

Building Line

6.33 The frontages on either side of a street define an enclosed space that is in a critical relationship to the scale of the buildings. In the case of Imperial Square they define the central open area. This relationship would be lost by redevelopment because it would break the rhythm of the elevations, spaces, entrances and fenestration patterns. New development in Imperial Square would, therefore, be resisted.

6.34 The building line of the rear of buildings can also be important as can its relationship with gardens. This should be maintained as much as is possible throughout the conservation area through the careful design of any proposals to the rear. Any new development within or adjoining the industrial part of the conservation area should be sympathetic to its historic core buildings and structures in scale, design and materials.

Height

6.35 The residential part of the conservation area comprises a uniform development of two storey terraces. The open central area of Imperial Square and its surrounding cottage style terraces give this part of the conservation area a domestic scale. Most of the surrounding buildings are taller commercial or industrial buildings. It is important,

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therefore, that any new development beyond Imperial Square should respect the general building heights in each area.

Boundary Treatment

6.36 The original front boundary treatments of white painted timber picket fences and gates are important in defining the modest cottage style character of Imperial Square and in visually uniting the residential terraces. Most have been retained or have been replicated, but some properties have inappropriately designed gates, which detract from the uniform appearance of the conservation area. Owners are encouraged to retain the fencing and the gates, to keep them repaired and in good condition, and to reinstate them with traditional and appropriate designs where they are missing.

6.37 Alterations to, or removal of, original timber fences and their gates should be avoided as this has a visually detrimental effect upon the building and conservation area by weakening their unifying effect and losing the boundary definition. Hedge planting and greenery in front gardens is also important, both visually in softening the streetscape and because of its biodiversity value, and should be retained wherever possible.

6.38 Bin, cycle or meter enclosures in front gardens can often be unsightly features unsuitable within conservation areas, where they would detract from the appearance of the streetscape. In positions where they might be acceptable, the height and size of such enclosures should be designed in proportion to the height of the boundary treatment and the size of the garden. The use of traditional materials such as timber and brick to match the main building is preferred. They should never open directly onto the highway, and in streets and terraces with traditional front boundary fences, railings or walls, should not form a new opening through them.

6.39 Where a building is on a corner site its flank boundary can be of equal visual importance to the front boundary. Traditionally the side boundary is often of a plainer form such as a simple stock brick wall, possibly with contrasting coloured brick string courses and coping stones, or a timber fence, but in some cases it continues the elaborate treatment of the front boundary around the side of the building. A simple timber garden door or garage doors may be incorporated into the side boundary treatment. It is important that the original design is respected, retained and repaired where necessary, as the appearance of the flanks of corner buildings have a major visual impact upon the local street scene. Any new structure over one metre in height on a boundary adjoining the highway would require planning permission.

6.40 Occasionally rear boundary walls or fences are also visible from public areas, and in such cases the effect of their appearance should also be considered. Any new structure over 2 metres in height would require planning permission.

6.41 The original tall brick boundary walls of the Imperial Gasworks along Emden Street and Imperial Road are important historical and visual features within the conservation area. They add to its former character as a major industrial site and should be retained and repaired where necessary.

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Forecourt Parking associated with Residential Areas

6.42 There is considerable parking pressure within the Borough, which has resulted in an increased demand for forecourt parking. This can have a detrimental effect on the character and amenity value of the streetscape with the resultant loss of front gardens and their features, boundary treatments and the sense of enclosure these give, and in damaging the uniform appearance of terraces and groups of houses. The London Assembly has carried out a study that shows that front gardens equivalent to an area of about 12 square miles have been paved over within the city. The London front garden, mostly set back from the road behind a low brick wall, was known for its neatly clipped privet hedge, bedding plants and patch of lawn, but the trend to pave over the garden to provide forecourt parking is increasing the possibility of flash floods and increased local temperature. The result is a dirtier environment, a reduced amount of greenery in the city, and more car noise and pollution. The more the ground is covered by hard surfaces, the less rainfall will soak into the ground, and drains will overflow, discharging into rivers and putting extra pressure on the already overloaded Victorian sewerage and drainage systems. The creation of a vehicular access will, therefore, be resisted where the proposal will be detrimental to the environment of the area or where it will be likely to affect road and pedestrian safety or reduce the level of available on- street parking.

6.43 The creation of forecourt parking can result in the loss of on-street parking. This increases the potential for on-street parking stress, which can result in double parking and obstruction of the highway. This has a serious consequential effect on the health and safety of local residents, both directly and indirectly through the obstruction of emergency/social service vehicles. The maintenance of a safe and attractive environment for pedestrians and cyclists is also of primary importance and vehicular access to properties via footway crossovers conflicts with these aims.

6.44 Consent for permanent crossovers and new vehicle access is needed under highway legislation and will be resisted in Imperial Square.

Disabled Access

6.45 The Council will support dignified and easy access for disabled people to and within historic buildings and public spaces. Suitable access for disabled people, which does not compromise a building’s special interest, can normally be achieved if treated as part of an integrated review of access requirements for all visitors or users, and a flexible and pragmatic approach is taken.

Landscape and Floorscape

6.46 It is not only an area's buildings but also the spaces around them that are important to the character of an area. It is important that the roads and pavements form a neutral backcloth to the buildings within the conservation area. The materials used to pave footways and other surfaces are of prime importance especially in conservation areas. High quality natural materials such as York stone and granite setts can greatly add to the visual interest of an area.

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6.47 There is currently an unsympathetic modern herringbone paver finish to footpaths and vehicular carriageways within Imperial Square. Footpaths should be of uniform materials, ideally traditional, which are visually distinguishable from the road surface (which should be black tar-macadam, or granite setts) and should also be visually subordinate within the townscape providing a coherent character throughout the conservation area.

6.48 All original granite kerb stones and areas of historic stone paving should be kept if practical where they form part of a significant composite scheme. Any works affecting these surfaces should be made good, reusing wherever possible the original materials, or if this is not possible, using matching materials and traditional construction techniques.

6.49 Ideally new paving should be large rectangular slabs of York stone or artificial stone of a uniform colour laid in a traditional interlocking pattern.

6.50 Tactile paving surfaces, where necessary, should be well integrated with the surrounding paving in size, colour and pattern. Utmost care and attention to detail is required to ensure that the tactile paving and dropped kerbs are integrated seamlessly into the wider floorscape context. The incorporation of such design features is considered to be unnecessary within the intimate scale and sheltered nature of Imperial Square, but would be appropriate within the surrounding areas.

6.51 Any highway management schemes including vehicular crossovers should be of sympathetic materials that relate to their surroundings and are properly 'joined' to the surrounding footpaths/roads. All work on the highway will be carried out in accordance with the Council’s street design guide “Street Smart” which promotes high quality design related to local character.

Street Furniture

6.52 The Council is committed to improving the street scene. The aim is to promote high quality design and to eliminate visual clutter by removing redundant items of street furniture.

6.53 The Imperial Square area benefited from the installation of sympathetically designed lighting columns and lanterns when the earlier enhancement scheme was carried out.

6.54 Original bollards should always be retained where they have survived. New metal Tuscan column style bollards were installed as part of the earlier enhancement scheme. Because of the discrete nature of Imperial Square, this is an acceptable variation on the new ‘Hammersmith’ bollard which has been adopted for use in the Borough's other conservation areas. , The opportunity should be taken to replace the unsatisfactory modern bollards at the entrance to Imperial Square from Emden Street.

6.55 Careful consideration should be given to the number and location of street signs, so as to avoid clutter. These should be reviewed with a view to reducing the number of columns by fixing signs to lamp posts etc. Imperial Square currently has several large

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parking scheme signs positioned throughout the area. Its small isolated character would suggest that one sign at the entrance to the square from Emden Street should be sufficient. Similarly, the size and positioning of unsightly ‘No Ball Games’ signs should be reconsidered within this area.

6.56 The only remaining cast iron name plate is on No. 1 Imperial Square. It should be retained.

Overhead Telephone Lines

6.57 Overhead telephone lines are very intrusive to the amenity value of streetscape and are particularly inappropriate within conservation areas. British Telecom has been persuaded to place lines underground within Imperial Square, and this has greatly improved its appearance. The Council will encourage further removal of overhead lines from the surrounding areas, particularly Harwood Terrace, when an opportunity arises to improve the amenity value of its streets and to provide more space along footpaths for the planting of additional street trees.

Continuity and Historic Names

6.58 The Council considers the retention of the old names of sites and properties within the conservation area to be desirable. This would enable the historic identity and continuity of the conservation area to be preserved. The names of historic or locally important developments and their associated signage and features should be kept. This is particularly relevant to public houses. Historic names and associations should also be taken into account in the naming of any new developments.

6.59 Several new properties in the conservation area have date plaques. The Council would like to see, and will encourage, the inclusion of date plaques on any new developments. This would provide interesting features in the townscape and points of reference for the future. Where appropriate a plaque could be placed on public houses or other buildings of historic significance, giving the original date, interesting historic associations and the old name if changed.

Opportunity Sites

6.60 Opportunity sites are ones where visual improvements are desirable and could be achieved through redevelopment or refurbishment. It is considered that the following are opportunity sites:- • The car park in Sands End Lane. • The former motor showrooms and garage in Imperial Road. • The prefabricated building adjoining the south east flank wall of the Grade II

listed 1927 Research Laboratory could be demolished and its missing south east

range completed as a great visual asset to the historic gasworks area. • Infill development, limited redevelopment and the creation of open space around

the historic buildings within the gasworks area. • The open square at the centre of Imperial Square is in need of redesign and offers

an opportunity for it to contribute positively to the area, providing a functional amenity space and enhancing the visual quality of the area.

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• The planting bed behind Harwood Terrace could be extended, replanted with shrubs and enclosed in white painted timber picket fencing to match those infront of the cottages in Imperial Square.

6.61 Redevelopment will be judged against criteria suitable for a conservation area, in which new buildings should contribute positively to the visual quality of the area, and preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the area.

6.62 In considering proposals for new buildings in conservation areas, amongst the principal concerns should be the appropriateness of the mass, scale of the architectural elements and its relationship with its context. A good new building should be in harmony with, or complementary to, its neighbours having regard to the pattern, rhythm, details and materials of the surrounding development in the conservation area. A new building that does not respect its context is not a good building.

Landmarks

6.63 Most conservation areas have at least one distinct visual landmark in the form of an architecturally impressive building such as a church, theatre, town hall, rail station or an imposing office or mansion block or industrial building. These are usually positioned prominently on a junction or at the end of a vista along a road. They can be of local or wider interest, but will often be of importance in defining and identifying the character of the conservation area.

6.64 Where the landmarks make a positive contribution to the character or appearance of the conservation area, every effort should be made to retain these as focal points.

6.65 The locally listed No.7 gasholder in the south east part of the conservation area is a very prominent local landmark which is clearly visible from Imperial Square and surrounding streets above the brick boundary walls along Emden Street and Imperial Road. The statutory listed No. 2 gasholder is clearly visible from King’s Road along Cambria Street and locally listed historic buildings within the former Imperial Gas Light & Coke Company site are also important visual and historical anchors.

Setting of the Conservation Area

6.66 The setting of a conservation area is important in defining its character and appearance. Any development or alterations to properties affecting the setting of the conservation area should take full account of its character and appearance, and should preserve or enhance it.

Views

6.67 The relationship of the built environment to identified landmarks and the setting of more uniform and consistent townscape, will give rise to significant vistas and panoramas which contribute to the character of the area. Great care should be taken to ensure that these key views are maintained and any new development within the view corridors does not adversely affect the views. The existence, and importance, of these views should help determine the appropriate height of new development in the conservation area.

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Similarly, the height and location of new buildings outside the conservation area can have important implications with regard to the quality of views into and out of the conservation area.

6.68 Views into, out of and within much of the conservation area are limited. The outer edges of the conservation area can be seen from Harwood Terrace and Imperial Road. The rear elevations of Nos. 20 to 30 Imperial Square are open to view from Sands End Lane, but when originally built, were screened by older terraced properties on Sands End Lane. Sympathetic two storey development on this opportunity site would once again benefit this view. There are only glimpses of Imperial Square from the pedestrian access in Harwood Terrace, and the vehicular access from Imperial Road and Emden Street. The historic buildings within the gasworks site can be glimpsed over the top of the historic boundary wall in Imperial Road and from the gate across Sands End Lane. Longer views of the gasholders open up upon entering Imperial Square and from within the gasworks site.

Open Spaces

6.69 Public and private open spaces within a conservation area have a major visual and amenity value and impact upon the character of what would otherwise be densely developed land by providing an open aspect within a built up area. Many open spaces within the Borough’s conservation areas are identified within the Council’s UDP as Nature Conservation Areas or Metropolitan Open Spaces. They are not only visually important, but also offer areas for recreation and contemplation, for protection of wild fauna and flora, and the opportunity for biodiversity.

6.70 The central area of Imperial Square is the only substantial open space within the residential part of the conservation area. It was laid out as a hard surface of buff brick pavers in herringbone pattern in 1980, incorporating some dedicated parking spaces within the vehicular carriageway. The central raised area includes some tree and shrub planting, but overall the area is in need of redesign using traditional materials with the introduction of a greener central space. There is potential for the creation of new open space to link the historic buildings and new infill development within the gasworks site.

Front Gardens

6.71 Hedge planting and greenery in many of the front gardens of Imperial Square are important elements in softening the streetscape and contributing to the ‘rural cottage’ style character of this part of the conservation area. Enlargement of existing dustbin enclosures within the front gardens will not normally be permitted as these would detract from the appearance of the conservation area.

Trees

6.72 There are significant mature trees of value to the townscape in the conservation area, none of which are at present the subject of Tree Preservation Orders. Currently all of the trees are street trees, but there remains scope for improved tree planting, some in front gardens and others within the gasworks historic core area. All trees in a conservation area, including those in rear gardens, are protected, but the small size of rear gardens in

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Imperial Square greatly limits the opportunity for tree planting within them. Owners are urged to look after trees on their land and plant new ones in order to ensure a continuing stock of mature trees for future generations and to provide an opportunity for biodiversity.

6.73 A programme of planting should be maintained where appropriate to ensure there is new stock to replace these in the future.

6.74 Planting more street trees will be considered throughout conservation areas where they would make a positive contribution to the street scene and where underground services allow sufficient space to accommodate them.

6.75 The Council encourages the retention and maintenance of trees and shrub planting along boundaries of properties where they exist, as they enhance views and provide an opportunity for biodiversity.

Advertisement hoardings

6.76 Advertisement hoardings are not substitutes for suitable boundary treatments. There are currently no advertising hoardings within the conservation area. The Council will refuse permission for the erection of any new advertising hoardings within the conservation area because of their detrimental effect upon the residential character of its western part and the industrial archaeology of its historic gasworks eastern part.

7 OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS

Street Improvements in Historic Areas; English Heritage; August 1993.

PPG15: Planning Policy Guidance: Planning and the Historic Environment; Department of the Environment/Department of National Heritage, September 1994.

Industrial Archaeology: A Policy Statement; English Heritage, September 1995.

Conserving the Inheritance of Industry: English Heritage Grants for Industrial Archaeology 1984-1993; English Heritage, September 1995.

Conservation Area Practice: English Heritage Guidance on the Management of Conservation Areas; English Heritage, October 1995.

Traffic Advisory Leaflet 1/96: Traffic Management in Historic Areas; The Department of Transport & English Heritage, January 1996.

London Terrace Houses 1660 – 1860: A Guide to Alterations and Extensions; English Heritage, February 1996.

British Standard: BS 7913: 1998: Guide to the Principles of the Conservation of Historic Buildings.

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Streets For All: A Guide to the Management of London’s Streets; English Heritage, March 2000.

Building Regulations and Historic Buildings: Balancing the needs for energy conservation with those of building conservation: an Interim Guidance Note on the application of Part L; English Heritage, September 2002.

The Unitary Development Plan: London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, adopted August 2003.

The London Plan: Spatial Development Strategy for Greater London; Greater London Authority, February 2004.

Street Smart: A Guide to Designing & Maintaining the Streetscape; London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, Summer 2005

8 STATUTORY LISTED BUILDINGS IN THE CONSERVATION AREA

Building

Sands End Lane (Imperial Gasworks Site)

Grade

No. 2 Gasholder II 1856 Chief Engineer’s Office (White Stuccoed Building) II 1927 Former Research Laboratory II 1920 Fulham Gas Works War Memorial II

9 BUILDINGS OF MERIT IN THE CONSERVATION AREA Harwood Terrace

Nos. 19 to 33 (odd)

Imperial Road

No. 1A

Sands End Lane (Imperial Gasworks Site)

No. 7 Gasholder

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10 ARTICLE 4 DIRECTIONS IN THE CONSERVATION AREA

Planning permission is needed for most forms of development, including many building alterations. However, in order to prevent unnecessary interference in more straightforward work the “Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995” grants a general planning permission for some types of development, including some alterations to dwelling houses. Because even these more simple developments can harm the character and appearance of a conservation area, Local Planning Authorities can remove these permitted development rights. This is done by the Council making a Direction under Article 4 of the General Permitted Development Order.

The Article 4 Direction and properties affected are listed below:

Imperial Square (2003)

Nos. 1 to 30 (consec) Imperial Square

Planning permission is required for any enlargement, improvement or other alteration to the front elevation of a dwelling house.

Planning permission is required for any addition or alteration to the roof or any other alteration to the roof profile or roof covering materials of a dwelling house.

Planning permission is required for any alteration, insertion, enlargement or replacement of a gate or fence, or any demolition in whole or in part of any gate or fence in respect of the front elevation of a dwelling house.

Planning permission is required for any painting of the exterior of a dwelling house except windows, window frames, doors and doorframes.

Please note that these planning controls are in addition to those that apply everywhere. If you need advice as to what development does or does not need planning permission you should contact the Environment Department reception on the 3rd Floor, Town Hall Extension, King Street, Hammersmith, W6 9JU or phone the Call Centre on 020 8753 1083.

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11 RESTRICTIVE COVENANT on Nos. 1 to 30 (consecutive) IMPERIAL SQUARE

Hammersmith & Fulham Council imposed a Restrictive Covenant on the houses in Imperial Square on 16 April 1984, following the Government introduction of Right to Buy legislation relating to council housing. The covenant, binding on all successors in title of properties within Imperial Square, requires residents to observe and perform the stipulations set out in its First Schedule.

1. Not to use the Property for any purpose other than as a single private dwellinghouse. 2. No trade or business or manufacture of any kind whatever shall be carried on upon

the Property. 3. Nothing shall be done or allowed to be done on the Property which shall be or

become in the judgement of the Council a nuisance damage or annoyance to the Council or to the owners or occupiers of adjoining or neighbouring premises or users of the public highway.

4. Not to use the Property for any illegal or immoral purpose. 5. Not at any time, without the consent in writing of the Council first had and obtained,

to erect or place any additional building or erection on the Property or any part thereof nor, without the like consent, make any alteration or addition whatsoever in or to the Property or any Buildings which may be erected on the Property with such consent as aforesaid, either internally or externally or make any alteration in the plan, external construction, height, roof, roof slates, chimney pots, walls, timbers, fences, elevation, architectural appearance of decorations of the Property and any buildings which may be erected thereon with such consent as aforesaid, nor build or set up any erection or projection of any kind in the forecourt or garden in the front, rear, or sides of the Property and buildings and any part thereof, or any permitted new building alteration, addition, or any part thereof, or any boundary walls or fence whatever, or by reason of destruction by fire or through decay, or from any other cause, the same shall be rebuilt in accordance with the plans and specifications and with materials previously approved of in writing by the Council and not otherwise, AND, at all times to maintain the Property and every part thereof in accordance with the ‘Imperial Square Design Guidelines’ produced in 1980.

6. To cleanse, repair, renew and relay when necessary, jointly with the owners and occupiers of other property served thereby, such private drains and watercourses laid or to be laid in or under the Property or other properties, and to bear with the owners and occupiers of the other property served thereby an equal proportion of the costs, charges, and expenses of cleaning, repairing, renewing and relaying the said drains and water courses.

7. Not at any time hereafter, to cut, maim, or injure the main walls or timbers of the Property unless for the purpose of making good any defect therein which shall be made good accordingly.

8. To pay to the Council upon demand, one thirtieth of the expense of maintaining the boundary walls.

9. In the event of the central amenity area not being adopted by the Council, the Purchaser is to contribute one thirtieth of the cost of maintaining the same following the laying out as an amenity area.

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12 UDP POLICY E1 EMPLOYMENT ZONES

The Council’s UDP designates Employment Zones where it will seek to sustain a wide range of economic activities subject to satisfactory environmental conditions, and to ensure that all borough residents have access to an adequate supply and variety of local jobs. Part of one of these (Townmead Road / Imperial Road (Sands End) Zone (ix)) falls within the conservation area. In this zone, development for employment (Use Class B) will be permitted provided that it will make a positive contribution to the wider objectives of the regeneration initiatives covered by the Hammersmith and Fulham neighbourhood renewal strategy and single regeneration budget programmes, and where proposals would not prejudice the use of safeguarded wharves for the transhipment of freight, including waste and aggregates, and for related activities.

In this riverside employment zone particular encouragement will be given to activities which are capable of using the river commercially. This would assist the overall strategy of reducing road traffic and its adverse environmental impact, whilst at the same time promoting economic activity. The council will seek to ensure that development in the vicinity of current or potential wharves avoids uses which are incompatible with cargo handling operations and takes into account the need to minimise any conflict of use and disturbance which might jeopardise the wharf’s future use as a cargo-handling site. Working wharves can have an adverse impact on neighbouring land uses. Therefore, where development is proposed on adjoining sites within these zones protection may need to be provided on this land rather than on the wharf itself. This could take the form of buffer zones, landscaping or sight and sound barriers.

13 UDP POLICY EN20D HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

The conservation area includes parts of the gasworks site containing gasholders that are notifiable installations under the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 1992.

Planning permission for development involving the use, movement or storage of a hazardous substance will not be granted if there would be additional risk to the health or safety of users of the site, occupants of neighbouring land or the environment.

Development in the vicinity of a site used for the storage, use or transport of hazardous substances will not be granted permission if there would be an unacceptable risk to the life or health of its users.

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