Fresh plans to safeguard and enhance the historic character of Totnes and Dartmouth are set to go out to public consultation, as South Hams District Council moves to update its conservation area appraisals for the two towns.
A report to the Executive on Wednesday, March 5, recommends that members approve the commencement of a six-week consultation on draft updated Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plans for both areas. The review forms part of a wider programme to reassess all conservation areas across the South Hams.
Authorities are required “from time to time” to assess and designate areas of “special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance”.
The council describes it as a “statutory responsibility to review their conservation areas from time to time and seek via consultation, public views to ensure the ongoing preservation and enhancement of the conservation area.”
The consultation period will mark “the start of formal community engagement whereby the public are invited to review the new document and provide comments”.
It will last six weeks, with responses taken into account and incorporated where relevant to ensure the documents remain “an up to date and effective planning tool for the area it serves.”
Both towns have already been closely involved in shaping the draft documents. Recognising that Totnes and Dartmouth are two of the main towns in South Hams, the council says “a more throrough consultation process was undertaken. This included virtual discussions, pre-draft meetings with town councils, and engagement with local amenity groups and historians.
In Totnes, after an initial meeting with the town council, “a small group came forward, comprising parish councillors and interested persons from local groups including the museum for subsequent meetings and email correspondence.” The group suggested possible boundary extensions and contributed links, contacts and detailed feedback. The draft review was subsequently updated and discussed again with the town council.
In Dartmouth, the town council opted to engage separately from other historic groups. Discussions were generally held in person, where councillors outlined their ambitions for the reappraisal and proposed boundary changes. The report records appreciation for the “time and support offered by the Town Councils, amenity groups, local historians and residents.”
As part of the review, the existing boundaries of both conservation areas have been reassessed. In Totnes, four proposed boundary extensions put forward by the town council are included in the draft . In Dartmouth, three extensions suggested by the Dartmouth and Kingswear Society have been taken forward, although two further suggestions were not progressed “to avoid the inclusion of areas that are covered by other more relevant protections and which could be legally challenged.”
The updated appraisals will continue to carry weight in planning decisions. The report notes that the revised documents will “remain a material consideration in the determination of planning applications in both Conservation Areas” and will help ensure that “the preservation and enhancement of the Conservation Areas is be maintained into the future.”
Climate considerations are also referenced. The updated appraisals “refer to the declaration of the Climate Emergency and associated Planning Statement recognising that mitigating climate change and conserving historic buildings are compatible goals and that historic buildings can be a key part of the solution for lower carbon emissions through sensitive adaptation and retrofitting.”
The report outlines the risks of not proceeding. Without an update, the existing documents would remain in force but be “outdated”, limiting their relevance in planning decisions. There is also said to be “a risk of scrutiny if the conservation area appraisals are not updated, undermining their role as a material planning consideration.”
If approved by the Executive, the consultation will run for six weeks. Following that period, feedback will be considered and any relevant changes made before the finalised Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Plans are brought back to the Executive for adoption. Any additional properties included through boundary extensions will be registered accordingly, and updated digital mapping will be published on the council’s systems.
The proposed outcome, the report concludes, is for the revised documents to be adopted “to ensure the relevant document meets the requirements of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and remains a material planning consideration, to ensure continued preservation and where possible, enhancement of the Conservation Areas for both our enjoyment and that of generations to come.”
