Pete Boland, Principal Conservation Officer and Borough Archaeologist Dudley MBC. Presentation from RTPI West Midlands - CPD 15/05/13

1. Local Heritage and Planning Policy
“It’s the Development Plan Stupid!”
Pete Boland

2. Policy Framework
Black Country Core Strategy
Dudley Local Development Framework
Development Strategy Development Plan Document
Halesowen Area
Action Plan
Brierley Hill Area
Action Plan
Stourbridge
Area Action Plan

3. Black Country Core Strategy
ENV2: Historic Character and Local Distinctiveness Policy
“All development should aim to protect and promote the special qualities,
historic character and local distinctiveness of the Black Country in order to help
maintain its cultural identity and strong sense of place. Development proposals
will be required to preserve and, where appropriate, enhance local
character and those aspects of the historic environment together with their
settings which are recognised as being of special historic, archaeological,
architectural, landscape or townscape quality.”

4. ENV2: Historic Character and Local Distinctiveness (Cont..)
“All proposals should aim to sustain and reinforce special character and conserve the historic aspects of the following
locally distinctive elements of the Black Country:
a) The network of now coalesced but nevertheless distinct small industrial settlements of the former South
Staffordshire Coalfield, such as Darlaston & Netherton;
b) The civic, religious and commercial cores of the principal settlements of medieval origin such as Wolverhampton,
Dudley, Wednesbury & Walsall;
c) Surviving pre-industrial settlement centres of medieval origin such as Tettenhall, Aldridge, Oldbury and
Kingswinford;
d) Areas of Victorian and Edwardian higher density development which survive with a high degree of integrity
including terraced housing and its associated amenities;
e) Areas of extensive lower density suburban development of the mid 20th century including public housing and
private developments of semi-detached and detached housing;
f) Public open spaces, including Victorian and Edwardian municipal parks, often created upon and retaining
elements of relict industrial landscape features;
g) The canal network and its associated infrastructure, surviving canal-side pre-1939 buildings and structures
together with archaeological evidence of the development of canal-side industries and former canal routes (see
also Policy ENV4);
h) Buildings, structures and archaeological remains of the traditional manufacturing and extractive industries of the
Black Country including glass making, metal trades (such as lock making), manufacture of leather goods, brick
making, coal mining and limestone quarrying;
i) The Beacons”

5. ENV2: Historic Character and Local Distinctiveness (Cont..)
“In addition to statutorily designated and protected historic assets particular attention should be paid
to
the preservation and enhancement of:
• locally listed historic buildings and archaeological sites;
• historic parks and gardens including their settings;
• locally designated special landscape areas and other heritage based site allocations.
Development proposals that would potentially have an impact on any of the above distinctive elements
should be supported by evidence included in Design and Access Statements which demonstrates that all
aspects of the historic character and distinctiveness of the locality have been fully assessed and
used to inform proposals. In some instances local authorities may require developers to undertake
detailed Historic Landscape Characterisation studies to support their proposals.”

6. Dudley Metropolitan Borough
An overarching conservation strategy required
• Need to understand more comprehensively what local distinctiveness is
• Move away from individual heritage assets – what makes areas locally
distinctive
• Area based concept – areas designated as a means of protection
• A fresh look using Historic Characterisation to identify areas worthy of a
local designation.

7. Detailed Historic Characterisation
•Brierley Hill UHLC (evidence base for Brierley Hill AAP)
•Glass Quarter UHLC (evidence base for Glass Quarter SPD)
•Stourbridge UHLC (evidence base for Stourbridge AAP)
•Emerging Halesowen UHLC (evidence base for Halesowen AAP)

8. • Detailed Survey Work Depicted in Overview
• Identification of Areas of High Historic Townscape
Value (AHHTV).

13. Proposed ‘AHHTV’
-Areas of High Historic
Townscape Value
Proposed ‘APA’ –
Archaeological
Priority Area
Proposed ‘AHHLV’
-Areas of High Historic
Landscape Value

16. BCS Regeneration Corridors
Extensive Characterisation/Appraisal
• HER used for:
Plotting Heritage
Assets
Identifying APA’s
• Black Country HLC-
identified potentially
significant
townscape &
landscape
• Focused Survey
identifies-
character areas;
Conservation Area &
Listing potential;
AHHTV; AHHLV,
AHHDLV;
Threats;
Opportunities.

18. “Light Touch” Historic Characterisation
The Borough-wide Historic Landscape Survey

20. Axis Layer – ‘htv’
Extensive Historic Characterisation - North
Legend
Areas of High Historic Townscape Value
Conservation Area
Areas of High Historic Landscape Value
Area of Special Townscape Value
Areas of High Historic Designed
Landscape Value

21. Designation Framework
Statutory List Conservation
Areas
Scheduled
Ancient
Monuments
Registered
Parks &
Gardens
Locally Listed
Buildings
Areas of High
Historic
Townscape
Value (AHHTV)
Areas of High
Historic
Designed
Landscape
Value
(AHHDLV)
Archaeological
Priority Areas
(APA)
Areas of
High
Historic
Landscape
Value
(AHHLV)
Development Plan Policies

22. Halesowen Area Action Plan – Policy 24
Suggested Policy - Conservation and Enhancement of Local Character and Distinctiveness in
Halesowen
• All development proposals should take account of the locally distinctive character of the area in which
they are to be sited, including its historic character, and should respect and respond to its positive
attributes. Physical assets (buildings, sites or areas together with their settings) whether man made or
natural that positively contribute to the local character and distinctiveness of Halesowen’s landscape and
townscape should be retained and wherever possible enhanced and their settings be respected.
• The Halesowen Urban Historic Landscape Characterisation (UHLC) has mapped out for each identified
character zone various buildings and spaces and assigned a degree of significance to them based upon the
contribution they make to the overall character of the historic environment. This includes Locally Listed
Buildings that are felt to make a particularly special contribution to local character. The Halesowen UHLC
document, therefore, provides baseline data that in conjunction with the information held in Dudley
Council’s Historic Buildings Sites and Monuments Record must be used for land use appraisals and to
inform proposals for development.
• New development in Halesowen should be designed so as to reinforce and enhance local distinctiveness
and full reference should be made in Design and Access Statements accompanying planning applications
to the Halesowen Urban Historic Landscape Characterisation. Design and Access Statements should clearly
set out the steps that have been taken to achieve locally responsive outcomes through either traditional
or more contemporary design solutions.

25. Suggested Policy - Areas of High Historic Townscape Value (AHHTV)
(Halesowen AAP)
• Areas of High Historic Townscape Value (AHHTV) are recognised in the Halesowen
Urban Historic Landscape Characterisation (UHLC) as defining discrete areas of
townscape of acknowledged importance. Where new development is proposed in
an AHHTV every effort must be made to ensure it consolidates or enhances the
existing positive characteristics of the locality including the public realm. Not only
should existing townscape in these areas be conserved and enhanced but the
opportunity should be taken to create complementary good quality townscape
through extension, new build or redevelopment. Views into, out of and within the
AHHTV must be respected.
• Design and Access Statements accompanying planning applications in AHHTV’s
must be prepared with full reference to the Halesowen UHLC and must clearly
evidence how the proposal has taken account of its detailed findings in order to
produce a locally responsive high quality design that, wherever appropriate, also
conserves and where possible enhances significant historic assets together with
their settings. Proposals that fail to respond adequately to their townscape context
or that would prejudice views into, out of or within AHHTV’s will not be permitted.

27. Halesowen Area Action Plan – Policy 26
Suggested Policy - Areas of High Historic Landscape Value (AHHLV)
• Within Areas of High Historic Landscape Value, Dudley Council will resist any
development or other works taking place which would be detrimental to the
character, quality and historic integrity of the landscape. Dudley Council will seek
to protect and enhance views into, from or within Areas of High Historic
Landscape Value. Approval will not be given where such views would be unduly
interrupted or harmed, or where the opportunity to enhance such a view would
be lost.

29. Halesowen Area Action Plan – Policy 27
Suggested Policy - Designed Landscapes of High Historic Value (DLHHV)
• Designed Landscapes of High Historic Value will be preserved and
wherever possible enhanced and Dudley Council will resist any
development or other works taking place which would be detrimental to
the setting, character, quality and historic integrity of the landscape
including detailed design features and individual historic components
whether man made or natural.

31. • Pic to illustrate
Halesowen Area Action Plan – Policy 28
Suggested Policy - Archaeological Priority Areas (APA)
Archaeological Priority Areas have been identified in the Halesowen Urban Historic Landscape
Characterisation and in respect of these and any other areas of potential archaeological
significance that may be identified and included in the Dudley Council Historic Buildings
Sites and Monuments Record through the life of the plan, Dudley Council will:
•Expect developers as part of any planning application to provide adequate information to
allow the full and proper consideration of the impact of the proposed development on
archaeological remains through desk top archaeological appraisal and as Dudley Council
deems appropriate subsequent physical site evaluation/building recording.
•Resist development that would have a damaging impact upon significant archaeological
remains and where potentially negative impacts have been identified expect developers
to devise and put forward for agreement suitable measures designed to mitigate such
impact in order to preserve buildings, structures or buried deposits in situ.
•Where preservation in situ would be unreasonable seek to ensure that provision is made
for an appropriate level of archaeological investigation and recording of any building,
structure or buried deposit of interest prior to the commencement of development, site
clearance or infrastructure works and for appropriate publication of the results.

33. Policy into Practice
Two Positive Appeal Decisions

34. The Dudley Borough Landscape and
Townscape Character Study

40. Foxcote Farm, Oldnall Road, Stourbridge

41. App/C5615/D/11/2160416
• “The farmhouse at Foxcote Farm is of local historic importance, recorded
on the Council’s HER and the surroundings are part of a designated
Landscape Heritage Area in the Unitary Development Plan (2005) (UDP).
• As was evident from the site visit, the farm complex, with the main house
at its heart, is a significant, historic feature in the local landscape,
particularly as seen from Oldnall Road.’
• The building is not statutorily or locally listed or in a conservation area,
but even so, alterations or extensions to it should respect its character
and be sympathetic to its appearance.
• ….the proposal would conflict with UDP Policy DD1 and ENV2 of the Black
Country Core Strategy (2011), which seek to ensure that new
development makes a positive contribution to an areas character and
appearance and that the special qualities, historic character and local
distinctiveness of the Black Country are protected and promoted’.