Battersea Square Conservation Area Appraisal

The appraisal is incomplete as it lacks guidance for those wishing to alter their property, concentrates too much on the Square and its buildings and does not set out details of current issues and how the Council plans to manage these.

The appraisal states that: This Appraisal has summarised the strengths and weaknesses of the area and this management plan will set out a strategy to consolidate and enhance these strengths and prevent further erosion of the area’s special historic and architectural character and appearance.

We can find no text setting out this strategy.

Guidance

A key principle for conservation areas is to repair and maintain rather than replace with the further aim of reinstating missing features where possible. While the historic information is valuable a key reason for appraisals is to set out both the Council’s strategy for conserving and maintaining the area and how those wishing to make changes to their property can support this. A useful example can be found on pages 90-111 of the Battersea Park Conservation Area Appraisal. This clearly sets out important principles and gives detailed commentary on how a resident might apply these principles while undertaking necessary repairs and alterations.

Battersea Square: The strategy appears to be restricted to the Square itself rather than the wider area and is not sufficiently clear about the different types of buildings, the variety of flats, houses and retail and commercial premises.

Design and Access Statements: We are aware that these are not mandatory but guidance should clearly identify these as essential elements of a thoughtful planning application.

Statutorily and locally listed buildings: There is a lack of guidance relating to these.

Changes needing planning consent. A list of these should be included.

Issues

While not all these are solely related to planning we are taking advantage of the draft appraisal to raise these issues.

Change from retail to residential: The strategy should include a clear indication that the Council will resist this. They might also suggest that grants could be available for upgrading retail fronts such as that shown for Candy Land and reinstating original window designs and other original features (if this is still the case).

Closure of business at 7-9 Battersea Square and the deterioration of that building.

Lack of public access to the Square: So much of the seating space is now taken over by restaurants that it has become inhospitable to other than a paying public. There are only three public benches and sometimes tables are pushed right up close to them, making them uninviting to anyone not in the Square for a meal. Battersea Square should remain a public space with some restaurant use rather than restricted to those who can afford to eat and drink there.

Traffic: The appraisal mentions this in passing but there is no mention of how this might be managed. The extension to Thomas’s School will exacerbate this.

St. Mary’s Churchyard and Slipway: The slipway is an important part of the history and the life of the area but there has been a failure of the Council to deal with the perpetual drug, alcohol and noise issues. As a result it is often not welcoming to those who would like to simply, and quietly, enjoy the space.

Conclusion

The Planning Committee of the Battersea Society looks forward to contributing further to the development of this and other Conservation Area Appraisals.