6.1 Village Identity A Conservation Plan needs vision to succeed, as well as local support. There seems to be little doubt as to the characteristics of the village or the extent of its environmental and amenity needs. The village character itself needs drawing out and emphasising to the public and visitor. The first recommendation is: To strengthen the village identity This is usually done by village signing, giving a greater sense of arrival. A suitable design should be commis- sioned, using traditional materials. It can also be promoted, not in the sense of its better known neighbour, Wookey Hole, but in things like a house style of letter- headings of its institutions. The Parish Council might take a lead in this. Some of the other enhancement scheme recommendations, for instance 6.9.1 and 6.9.3, will also promote village identity. The design of infill schemes will also play a part (see below para.6.3) Taken together all these would make a significant impact. 6.2 Proposed protection against further development The village envelope or Develop- ment Limit, as proposed by Mendip DC in the Draft Local Plan should be adopted without extension. Buxtons Ground and Sparclose and adjoining field no. 4967 abut and reach into the edges of the village providing views, footpaths and wildlife corridors. These are important open green spaces. The Development Limits should be adopted as drawn 6.3 Infilling Certain infill sites can be identified and in the case of one, a possible ‘brown- field’ site, redevelopment might be actively encouraged. These sites, shown on map 6, are: - The former petrol station and builders yard at Borough Bridge. This is an important entry site to the village and could be redeveloped with the best possible traditional housing, or a house/work devel- opment. In view of the welcome trend for residents to park cars off street on their own land: - Possible small development of flats on part of the lock-up garages in Holmlea (western end only). Existing permissions are in place for houses on 3 sites; 2 houses to rear of Batch Cottage, adjacent Newlyn on B3139 and adjacent Cotswolds in Sunday School Lane. It is surprising that consent was granted for Batch Cottage, owing to the adverse effect of removing part of the cur- tilege of a listed building, and renewal should be very carefully considered. There is a new designation pro- posed, see para. 6.4 below and map 6, within which infilling should not be permit- ted. The proposed house permission adja- cent Newlyn is at variance with para. 6.4 below and should not be renewed. Infilling on identified sites should be in traditional materials to a high quality of design Conservation Plan Main Recommendations Village Identity 6.1 21
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Wookey Village Design Statement - Mendip District Council
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6.1 Village IdentityA Conservation Plan needs vision
to succeed, as well as local support.
There seems to be little doubt as to the
characteristics of the village or the extent
of its environmental and amenity needs.
The village character itself needs drawing
out and emphasising to the public and
visitor.
The first recommendation is:
To strengthen the village identity
This is usually done by village
signing, giving a greater sense of arrival.
A suitable design should be commis-
sioned, using traditional materials. It can
also be promoted, not in the sense of its
better known neighbour, Wookey Hole,
but in things like a house style of letter-
headings of its institutions. The Parish
Council might take a lead in this.
Some of the other enhancement
scheme recommendations, for instance
6.9.1 and 6.9.3, will also promote village
identity. The design of infill schemes will
also play a part (see below para.6.3)
Taken together all these would make a
significant impact.
6.2 Proposed protection
against further development
The village envelope or Develop-
ment Limit, as proposed by Mendip DC in
the Draft Local Plan should be adopted
without extension.
Buxtons Ground and Sparclose and
adjoining field no. 4967 abut and reach
into the edges of the village providing
views, footpaths and wildlife corridors.
These are important open green spaces.
The Development Limits should beadopted as drawn
6.3 Infilling
Certain infill sites can be identified
and in the case of one, a possible ‘brown-
field’ site, redevelopment might be actively
encouraged.
These sites, shown on map 6, are:- The former petrol station and builders yard
at Borough Bridge. This is an important entry site to
the village and could be redeveloped with the best
possible traditional housing, or a house/work devel-
opment.In view of the welcome trend for
residents to park cars off street on their
own land:- Possible small development of flats on part
of the lock-up garages in Holmlea (western end
only).
Existing permissions are in place for
houses on 3 sites; 2 houses to rear of
Batch Cottage, adjacent Newlyn on B3139
and adjacent Cotswolds in Sunday School
Lane. It is surprising that consent was
granted for Batch Cottage, owing to the
adverse effect of removing part of the cur-
tilege of a listed building, and renewal
should be very carefully considered.
There is a new designation pro-
posed, see para. 6.4 below and map 6,
within which infilling should not be permit-
ted. The proposed house permission adja-
cent Newlyn is at variance with para. 6.4
below and should not be renewed.
Infilling on identified sites should be intraditional materials to a high quality of
design
Conservation Plan
Main RecommendationsVillage Identity 6.1
21
6.4 Cultural Landscape
The medieval development of the
bishop’s palace and the water manage-
ment systems of an early date are of
considerable historical and cultural
importance. This is a wider remit than is
afforded by the already extensive
Scheduled area and slightly wider view
than is provided under the Historic
Landscape/ Special Landscape Features
defined in policy EN12. The Structure
Plan includes a not dissimilar notation -
Outstanding Heritage Settlement Area,
but not surprisingly this is applied to
standing settlements. On present evi-
dence, an extension to the Scheduled
site which encompasses the water cours-
es could not be justified. Policy EN15,
Nationally Important Archaeological
Remains, provides an appropriate policy
of development control for significant,
unscheduled sites, in one aspect.
6.5 Conservation Area and
Setting Area
Wookey is a medieval village with
a special medieval history and distinctive
landscape. It is bounded by 3 small
estates of merit (1 very small) and in the
village centre is another small country
house of particular architectural interest.
Whilst there is much new development
within the village envelope, the traditional
village centre is unspoilt and is consid-
ered worthy of Conservation Area status.
An area to the south of the B3139
provides an important treed backdrop to
this area and should itself be protected
with a lesser designation as a setting
area, in which no development should be
permitted.
The potential for Wookey village to bedesignated a conservation area and a
setting area to the south should beinvestigated.
(NB: this recommendation was followed in2001 with a draft appraisal document
going out to public consultation but it wasnot pursued due to lack of local support)
It should be remembered that
Conservation Area status is a positive and
redeeming control, one which can only
enhance the present qualities of the vil-
lage. The controls on building and trees for
house and landowners can be shown to
enhance property values and this more
than offsets the cost of the added care
which is required. The not-dissimilar AHAP
designation has been in place for some
years, and this has not been any great
obstacle to owners.
6.6 Redundant historic
buildings
These have been identified in para.
3.2 above as:
- East Court bothy- Court Farm barn- Buttice Lane/High Street cider shed
These buildings all have economic
potential and make a contribution to the
character of the village. These are all
‘working’ buildings in terms of an historic
building perception of the fabric and their
reuse should follow that function. In other
words conversion to residential use should
be avoided (Court Farm barn is in any
event the subject of covenants). And all
should be useful in providing small scale
commercial workshop space, providing
much needed local employment opportuni-
ty in accordance with Draft Local Plan
policy E4.
Conservation Plan
Main Recommendations6.4 Cultural Lanscape
22
6.7 Riparian rights &
responsibilities
There are a good number of
frontagers to watercourses who are not
necessarily owners of those watercours-
es and who, it would appear, are not
aware of their riparian responsibilities.
Too often watercourses are used as a
means of waste disposal, from lawn
mowings to disposal of domestic appli-
ances. How much better to spot an otter,
than deter their presence!
6.8 Watercourses & Quality
Whilst all the streams are still flow-
ing (with the exception of the filled moat),
there are very few ponds still in the vicin-
ity of the study area, and none now with-
in.
The aerial photograph shows a
large pond within the moated area of
Court Farm. Outside of the study area
the 1902 Ordnance Survey map shows
all fields not abutting watercourses to
have had a pond. Only two ponds
remain, a small pond to the west of
Buttice Lane and a large pond or small
lake to the west of Somerleaze (see pho-
tographs).
Whilst a wide stretch of land is
identified as liable to flooding on the
Mendip Local Plan, there are few boggy
areas with habitat for insects. Ponds
have an important part to play in habitat
for wildlife and opportunities to recreate
them should be taken whenever they
arise, small scale or larger.
The quality of water in the mill-
stream and in the tailrace of Burcott Mill
alongside the B3139, a County Wildlife
Site (Mendip Draft Local Plan policy
EN3), is below the desired water quality
(see para. 2.11). The effect on wildlife
Conservation Plan
Main RecommendationsRedundant historic buildings 6.6
has not been recorded, and the usual
remedy is to install a containment system.
The Environment Agency are understood
to have this problem in hand.
6.9 Enhancement Schemes
There are a number of schemes
that should be considered as a way of
strengthening the shortcomings that have
been discussed within the study area.
6.9.1 “Village Green”Wookey, as far as is known, never
had a village green in the usual meaning
of the word, but the triangle of space
between Church House and the church-
yard lychgate is not vested with those
facilities which might be found in such a
central location.
Church Road should have its road
widening line lifted and the area surfaced
to encourage shared use by pedestrian
and vehicle (with the emphasis on the
pedestrian) as an access only route for
vehicles to Church Farm and the church.
A Wookey village sign and notice board
could give village identity and seats or
benches provided, without forming a shel-
ter which might attract lingering youths.
Robustness should be uppermost. The
wirescape should be removed. If this were
successful it might be applied to the area
of the Ring of Bells.
The Parish Council should canvass
support for reordering the Mellifont
triangle, erecting minor amenities and
seek a programme for ungrounding of
overhead wires
6.9.2 Traffic calmingThe Parish Council should continue
to put pressure on the County to provide
traffic calming along the B3139. 23
The Parish Council should investi-
gate a local scheme for traffic calming
measures on Preywater Road from the
junction of High Street/North Road to No.
20 Preywater Road.
This might might take the form of a
shared paved pedestrian/vehicle surface
with low speed restriction and so avoid
any need for demolition of old walls.
The Parish Council should investigate
support for a local traffic calming
scheme for the blind section of
Preywater Road. The district council
supports schemes to improve the
environment of its settlements and
can contribute to improvements in
conservation areas as funds permit.
6.9.3 Structural plantingIdentity and a sense of place can
readily be created where tree planting is
used to good effect. It can for instance
create distinctive entry points to a village
given time. Indeed mature trees can
come to identify villages (viz Tolpuddle).
Funds are available from County.
Another aspect of planting is to
remedy what used to be called good
manners in urban design. Good manners
is a 2-way process to be enjoyed by pub-
lic and private owner in equal measure.
Walls were a traditional provision; tree
planting may be an effective remedy, can
separate public and private realms and
add distinction to a nondescript view.
With regard to the first purpose, a
splendid opportunity exists at the south
entrance to the village at Preywater
Road, where the great oak mentioned in
the 1557 survey grew. This might be
replanted.
The entry to the village from the
east, along Henley Lane, could easily be
lined with trees associated with a foot-
way.
With regard to the second pur-
pose, the open character of the bunga-
lows on the west side of Preywater Road
leaves something to be desired. The
footway there is also non-existent and
needs improvement.
The rear of the centre block of
Buxtons Close is particularly damaging;
the bank in Vicarage Road fronting
Buxton’s Close is another opportunity.
The village edge is weak on the bound-
ary of the playing field and Knowle Lane
and on the west side of Chapmans
Close/Axe Road.
After due consultations, a planting
target could be set for the millennium.
The Parish Council should carry out
tree planting in Buxtons Close,
Henley Lane, between Nos. 15 & 24
Preywater Road, on the corner with
B3139 and elsewhere
Private tree planting continues in
Somerleaze, and in the backland of
Abbey Close adjacent the river. A pri-
vate scheme for structural planting on
the south side of the millstream in Long
Orchard, Court Farm, would strengthen
the wildlife corridor.
Likewise, reinstatement of the for-
mer hedgerow across Buxtons Ground
alongside the footpath would enhance
the footpath and reformed field to the
south and extend the options for wildlife.
There is a privately owned trian-
gle of ground alongside the river/vic-
arage garden in Vicarage Lane. This
should be the subject of landscaping for
wildlife.
Conservation Plan
Main RecommendationsTraffic calming 6.8.2
24
6.9.4 Wildlife, flora and pondsThe data on wildlife should be
more thoroughly surveyed and this may
be necessary before conclusions and
policies can be drawn. A local volunteer
leader to orchestrate the survey is need-
ed! A good start has been made with
flora, and and this should be continued,
with study too of aquatic plants and
insects.
In the areas where flora is preva-
lent the present management regimes
should be continued, whether grazed or
not. As a general recommendation, with a
limited budget, monies should be directed
to management, not first and foremost to
reintroductions.
For planning purposes the three
east-west corridors along the watercours-
es need to be respected and where pos-
sible enhanced - River Axe, Millstream
and Tailrace. There are some valuable
canopies with light shade in these zones.
The possibility of a major rewater-
ing of historic pond(s) in Home Ground,
Court Farm alongside the public footpath,
is under consideration as a private initia-
tive. It would depend among other things
on results of the outcome of the Heritage
Ponds pilot application to the Heritage
Lottery Fund.
6.9.5 Community BuildingsThe lack of an effective, central vil-
lage hall has been the most vexing prob-
lem facing the village of Wookey and its
neighbours, Henton and the hamlets of
Yarley Worth and Bleadney. Matters are
already well advanced with a new con-
struction commenced at Henton and it
may no longer be possible to see the
issues in an entirely detached way. These
settlements can be expected to concen-
trate at Henton, leaving Wookey, apart
from major events, with its church hall
and ambitions for a sports pavilion.
Figuring large in this equation is
the future of Wookey County Primary
School. Last year, when it seemed unlike-
ly that there would be resistance to devel-
opment of the Haybridge site for housing
and there was a consequent argument
advanced for a new primary school to
serve Wookey Hole, Haybridge, Wookey,
Henton, Worth, Yarley and Bleadney, the
author drafted questions for the school
governors on the future of the Wookey
school site. Was it a good site for a
school, and capable of expansion? Is
there an educational benefit in maintain-
ing schooling on an historic site with well
built buildings?
The opposing view, one that
Somerset County Estates and Architects
department are likely to promote is that
new buildings of lasting quality can be
achieved with limited budgets. Even if
one accepts this (and it is doubtful), is
such an approach tenable and sustain-
able, given the corollary of demolition of
the school for housing?
The writer’s view is that these
arguments for a new school are not
proven, especially if the present school
can be extended and the historic site
retained in use. Be that as it may, it is
necessary to ensure:
i) reuse of the school in the event of closure and
ii) the school playing field is not used for housing.
Can one then envisage a new type
of village centre developing in the closed
school buildings? One which has
office/work facilities for those without their
own? All of this has come too late for the
Henton decision and to be adapted as a
centre for all the villages. It is to be hoped
that the matter will not arise. But should
the possibility of a closed the school site
Conservation Plan
Main RecommendationsWildlife, flora and ponds 6.8.4
25
arise it is worth flagging up the possibility
of use as as community based offices,
promoting local employment.
6.9.6 Bridleways and FootpathsA bridleway connection might be
examined from the end of Dummis Lane
to the north end of Buttice Lane to create
a route for riders as far as Easton. This
would depend on permission of the own-
ers of Dummis Lane where there is no
public right of way, perhaps by means of
a permissive licence for a limited period,
as well as the agreement of the landown-
er northwards. Buttice Lane should be
used only by walkers, but this not helped
by lying water.
The pavement on B3139 north of
the school is unsafe for children. Con-
sideration should be given to erecting
cast iron bollards, with or without lengths
of railing.
The Parish Council should consider
means of acheiving protection to the
footway 100 metres east of the
primary school
7.1 Means & the Millennium
The majority of the main recom-
mendations require collective planning
and funding. The best vehicle to achieve
that is the Parish Council.
There is an obvious target for cel-
ebration in the year 2000. In Wookey that
will represent nearly 800 years of record-
ed and standing history. So far there has
been no public discussion of local cele-
bration in the village and so the study
comes just in time to have such a discus-
sion and to make a selection.
7.2 Public meeting
Much of what is contained in this
study will require community effort and
the active involvement of villagers. The
community is already involved with the
Sports Field Pavilion, flower show, gar-
dens open day etc. Those very worth-
while initiatives should not suffer and it
will have to be decided how best to mar-
shall energies for public projects.
The Parish Council leafleted all
houses in the village to announce a public
meeting in July, at which a free summary
was available. Villagers discussed the
findings and there was an overwhelming
majority in favour of conservation area
designation. Various written representa-
tions following that meeting have been
incorporated as appropriate in the text.
7.3 Supplementary planning
guidance (SPG)
This aspect of the study is straight-
forward enough in procedural terms, and
adoption as SPG would be of consider-
able value to the village.
The Parish Council are recom-
mending to Mendip to include the recom-
mendations in this report as SPG and to
designate the conservation area.
Conservation Plan
ImplementationMeans and the Millennium 7.1
26
Paragraph No. Enhancement Scheme Public/Private
6.9.1 ‘Village Green’,including undergrounding
of overhead cables.
This item has a village identity dimension Public
6.9.2 Traffic Calming in Preywater Road Public
6.9.3 Structural planting schemes
Preywater Road oak Public
Henley Lane Public
Outside Nos. 15-24 Preywater Road Public
Front & rear of Buxtons Close Public
Playing field/Knowle Lane village edge Public
Chapmans Close/Axe Road village edge Public
Court Farm millstream/Long Orchard Private
6.9.6 Safety protection to footway Wedmore Road Public
6.9.4 Rewatering of historic pond(s) alongside the Private