botchergate - Carlisle City Council

BOTCHERGATE CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL
Area Three, in particular around the St
Nicholas junction. Impromptu bollards (Fig
42) and extensive guardrailing create an
atmosphere of lack of care and severely
weaken the integrity of the conservation area.
It is likely that a great number of these items
could be reduced or removed if the area were
thoroughly audited and pedestrians given the
primacy which the movement hierarchy
affords them.
1.10 Green Infrastructure
Fig 44. neglected maintenance of gutters leading to vegetation
growth and likely damage to building fabric.
1.10.1 With the exception of Christ Church
gardens, whose potential as a focal point for
new development has been identified above,
there is no other public green space within the
conservation area.
1.10.2 With the exception of the avenue tree
planting that survives and benefits Tait Street,
there are only a handful of trees in the area.
Two of these are located to the front of St
John's Church and the third is within the front
yard of the St Nicholas Arms. Alongside the
potential to enhance the St Nicholas junction
with structural planting there is the opportunity
to soften the rest of Botchergate through
appropriate planting of columnar street trees.
This is identified as a goal in the Urban
Design SPD for Carlisle and potential locations
for this are identified in the appendix.
1.11 Extent of Intrusion or
Damage (negative factors)
1.11.1 The conservation area has suffered
significant damage and erosion to its character
by incremental loss of historic features and
detailing. Loss of timber sash windows and
replacement with PVCu, removal or damage
of architectural elements such as finials,
chimney stacks and removal of historic shop
fronts all lower the architectural integrity of the
area. Neglected maintenance is usually a
Fig 45. A neglected gutter spilling water onto masonry and
window below.
Fig 46. Buddleia growing in coping could eventually unseat
the masonry unless removed.
false economy and failure for example to fix
leaking gutters or clear debris can lead to
expensive structural problems. Fig 45 shows
a cracked gutter whose water has spilled on
to windows and masonry below, hastening
decay and causing potentially costly damage.
Figure 46 shows vegetation whose continued
growth is likely to damage masonry and allow
water ingress into the building.
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