heritage statement - Seven Sisters Regeneration
heritage statement - Seven Sisters Regeneration
heritage statement - Seven Sisters Regeneration
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<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
<strong>Regeneration</strong><br />
Heritage Statement<br />
David Lewis Associates<br />
‘part of the Tottenham regeneration vision’<br />
MAY 2012<br />
PLANNING APPLICATION
PLANNING (LISTED BUILDINGS AND CONSERVATION AREAS) ACT 1990<br />
HERITAGE STATEMENT<br />
For<br />
PLANNING AND CONSERVATION AREA<br />
CONSENT APPLICATIONS<br />
FOR<br />
DEMOLITION OF BUILDINGS AND MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT AT<br />
WARD’S CORNER<br />
TOTTENHAM HIGH ROAD, TOTTENHAM<br />
APRIL 2012<br />
DAVID LEWIS ASSOCIATES<br />
Chartered Architects<br />
Conservation and Historic Building Specialists<br />
Delf View House<br />
Church Street<br />
Eyam<br />
Derbyshire<br />
S32 5QH<br />
Tel: 01433 630030<br />
Fax: 01433 63197<br />
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CONTENTS<br />
1.0.0 INTRODUCTION<br />
2.0.0 THE SITE AND ITS LOCATION<br />
3.0.0 BACKGROUND<br />
4.0.0 METHODOLOGY<br />
5.0.0 REASONS GIVEN BY HARINGEY PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR<br />
REFUSING TO GRANT PLANNING PERMISSION TO APPLICATION<br />
REFERENCE No. HGY2008/0303<br />
6.0.0 CONSIDERATION OF THE NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY<br />
FRAMEWORK IN RELATION TO AFFECTING HERITAGE ASSETS<br />
7.0.0 CONSIDERATION OF THE BRIEF FOR THE WARDS CORNER SITE<br />
ADOPTED BY HARINGEY COUNCIL IN 2004.<br />
8.0.0 CONSIDERATION OF THE HARINGEY UNITARY DEVELOPMENT<br />
PLAN ADOPTED IN JULY 2006, RELEVANT TO CONSERVATION.<br />
9.0.0 THE DESIGNATION AND APPRAISALS OF THE SEVEN SISTERS/<br />
PAGE GREEN CONSERVATION AREA BY HARINGEY COUNCIL<br />
10.0.0 CONSIDERATION OF THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND..<br />
11.0.0 CONSIDERATION OF HISTORIC MAPS AND OS PLANS.<br />
12.0.0 THE EXISTING CARACTER AND APPEARANCE OF THE<br />
CONSERVATION AREA IN THE VICINITY OF THE SITE.<br />
13.0.0 ASSESSMENT OF THE EXISTING BUILDINGS ON THE SITE<br />
14.0.0 CONCLUSION REGARDING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE<br />
CONSERVATION AREA AND THE CONTRIBUTION MADE BY THE<br />
EXISTING BUILDINGS ON THE SITE<br />
15.0.0 CONSIDERATION OF THE PROPOSAL.<br />
16.0.0 CONCLUSION<br />
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APPENDICES<br />
Appendix 1. Local Plan Extract Showing Conservation Area<br />
Appendix 2. Historic Maps and OS Plans<br />
Appendix 3. Old Photographs<br />
Appendix 4. Digital Views of the Proposed Development.<br />
Photographs of the site and Conservation Area<br />
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1.0.0 INTRODUCTION<br />
1.1.1 My name is David Wyn Lewis. I have an Honours Degree in<br />
Architecture from Sheffield University (1969) and became a member of<br />
the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1971. I have an M.A. in<br />
Architectural Building Conservation. I have been the Senior Partner of<br />
David Lewis Associates since the Practice was established in 1978.<br />
The Practice specialises in the Conservation of Historic Buildings.<br />
1.1.2 My career has been substantially involved with the conservation and<br />
restoration of listed and historic buildings, their alteration and careful<br />
extension to accommodate new uses and modern needs, besides the<br />
design of new buildings to fit comfortably into historic locations.<br />
1.1.3 I provide an expert consultancy service related to Conservation Areas<br />
and Listed Buildings and the design of new buildings in historic<br />
contexts. I advise and guide both architects and developers on the<br />
design of buildings associated with Listed Buildings and Conservation<br />
Area, evaluate and comment on proposals as they develop and when I<br />
am content with the final design prepare a Justification Statement as<br />
required by the NPPF to accompany Listed Building and Conservation<br />
Area Consent Applications. I assist in positive liaison with Planning and<br />
Conservation Officers. I also have considerable experience as an<br />
Expert Witness evaluating issues associated with proposals related to<br />
Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas and the preparation and<br />
presentation of Proofs of Evidence for Planning Appeals and Public<br />
Inquiries.<br />
1.1.4 Expert Consultancy and Expert Witness Clients have included George<br />
Wimpey UK Ltd, John Laing Ltd, St Modwen, Melton Mowbray District<br />
Council, Asda, CDC 2020 PLC, Peel Holdings, Modus, Newcastle<br />
under Lyme Borough Council and Choice Hotels amongst many others<br />
1.1.5 I am personally appointed by Her Majesty the Queen to the Panel of<br />
Architects serving and advising the Royal Household. Historic Building<br />
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clients have included Lord Grey of Codnor at High Legh House,<br />
Knutsford, Sir Richard FitzHerbert at Tissington Hall, South Derbyshire<br />
(Jacobean Grade II*), the Leghs at Adlington Hall, Cheshire (building<br />
1475-1720 Grade I), Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Richards at Gawsworth Hall,<br />
Cheshire (1530 Grade I), The National Trust, The Devonshire<br />
Maintenance Fund (Chatsworth), Great Portland Estates (London), The<br />
National Tramway Museum at Crich in Derbyshire, The University of<br />
Sheffield, and the Dioceses of Derby and Sheffield. I have recently<br />
completed a twelve year term as a founder Trustee and Architectural<br />
Adviser to the Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust whose buildings<br />
include the Mappin Art Gallery (1820) and Bishops House (1474).<br />
2.0.0 THE SITE AND ITS LOCATION<br />
2.1.0 The site is bounded by Tottenham High Road, <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road,<br />
Suffield Road, and West Green Road. Part of the site is located in the<br />
<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Conservation Area which was designated in 1998. . (See<br />
site location Plan Appendix 1)<br />
2.2.0 The existing buildings on the site primarily comprise two and three<br />
storey late Victorian terraced housing converted to retail use along<br />
Tottenham High Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road, along with one early<br />
twentieth century infill retail shop unit on the corner of Tottenham High<br />
Road and <strong>Seven</strong> sisters Road, and a number of inter War retail and<br />
commercial buildings along West Green Road. Suffield Road is<br />
bounded by a two storey terrace of late Victorian Houses on the site.<br />
2.3.0 None of the buildings on the site is Statutorily Listed. However, two<br />
buildings on the site have been locally listed by Haringey Council.<br />
2.4.0 There is one Statutorily Grade II Listed Building, the former Barclays<br />
Bank building at 220-224 High Road, located in the conservation area<br />
on the opposite side of the High Road to the north east of the site.<br />
3.0.0 BACKGROUND<br />
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3.1.0 The London Borough of Haringey published the “Wards Corner/<strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Underground Development Brief” in January 2004.<br />
3.2.0 The current proposal is to demolish all the existing buildings on the site<br />
including the station access canopies and to remove the existing street<br />
furniture from the public space fronting Tottenham High Road, and for<br />
the amended design for a mixed use re-development.<br />
3.3.0 An application for redevelopment of the Wards Corner site, which lies<br />
partly within the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Conservation Area, designed by Pollard<br />
Thomas Edwards architects was submitted by Grainger (<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong>)<br />
Ltd and was originally approved in December 2008. However the<br />
planning consent was quashed in June 2010 by the Court of Appeal.<br />
The Court of Appeal considered that the Planning Committee had not<br />
fully discharged its duty under section 71 of the Race Relations Act,<br />
1976.<br />
3.4.0 The Consent was overturned by the Court of Appeal but the Planning<br />
Application Reference No. HGY2008/0303 for the proposed<br />
redevelopment of the Wards Corner Site remained valid and was<br />
therefore redetermined.<br />
3.4.0 The Planning Application was placed before the Planning Committee<br />
with a firm recommendation for approval from the Chief Planning<br />
Officer. Unexpectedly, however, the application was refused<br />
permission by the planning committee with the narrowest possible<br />
margin, and the Notice of Refusal was dated 03/08/2011.<br />
3.5.0 During their consideration of an Appeal the developers, Grainger PLC,<br />
instructed me to provide a totally independent evaluation of the<br />
appearance, character and <strong>heritage</strong> significance of the Conservation<br />
Area and Listed Building along with locally listed buildings that might be<br />
affected by the proposed re-development on the site and to consider<br />
and evaluate the appearance, character and <strong>heritage</strong> significance of<br />
the site itself including its existing buildings along with its relationship<br />
6
with and its contribution to the <strong>heritage</strong> significance of the Conservation<br />
Area as a whole. I was also asked to consider and provide an<br />
independent and objective assessment of the design and layout of the<br />
development which had been designed by Pollard Thomas Edwards<br />
architects and refused planning permission as referred to above. I was<br />
asked to consider its relationship with the Conservation Area, its<br />
setting, and with the nearby listed building. My observations and<br />
assessments were restricted to Conservation and Heritage issues and<br />
all took PPS5 into consideration alongside other relevant planning<br />
policies. The Appeal has now been submitted.<br />
3.5.0 Despite total confidence in the proposal which was unexpectedly<br />
refused planning permission, Grainger PLC decided to amend the<br />
proposal solely in order to address the stated reasons for refusing<br />
Planning Permission associated with design of the proposal. Grainger<br />
PLC was anxious, if sensibly possible, to submit a revised proposal for<br />
planning permission and hopefully to secure planning permission with<br />
support from the Planning Committee. Grainger PLC, therefore,<br />
decided to prepare and submit an amended proposal for Planning<br />
Permission with an associated Conservation Area Consent Application<br />
for demolition of the existing buildings on the site. I was asked to<br />
comment on, and to suggest any, amendments to the design that I<br />
considered necessary or advisable to ensure that the proposal<br />
achieves, in my opinion, a satisfactory relationship with the<br />
Conservation Area and will contribute positively to its appearance and<br />
character. Following my visit to Tottenham High Road and my detailed<br />
consideration of its history and development, the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
Conservation Area the site and its immediate context, and the proposal,<br />
I was generally impressed by the analytical approach adopted by the<br />
architects and by their assessment of the character and appearance of<br />
the conservation area, and the manner in which the proposal<br />
responded to its context, all of which is expressed in their Design and<br />
Access Statement. As a consequence of this, I was able to express that<br />
I am happy with the proposal and certain that it will make a positive<br />
7
contribution to the appearance and character of the conservation area, I<br />
was then able to agree to a request to prepare a Heritage Statement,<br />
considering Conservation Area, contextual and Listed Building issues to<br />
accompany the Planning and Conservation Area Consent Applications<br />
for the development.<br />
4.0.0 METHODOLOGY<br />
4.1.0 My Heritage Statement to accompany the planning application<br />
therefore analyses and considers the following as appropriate.<br />
� The Site and its location.<br />
� The Reasons Given for refusing Planning Application Reference No.<br />
HGY2008/0303<br />
� Consideration of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)<br />
Published on 27 th<br />
� Consideration of the Brief for the Ward’s Corner site adopted by<br />
Haringey Council in 2004<br />
March 2012 and other relevant Planning Policies in<br />
relation to a development affecting <strong>heritage</strong> Assets<br />
� Consideration of the Unitary Development Plan adopted in July 2006<br />
with Reference to Policies Relevant to Conservation.<br />
� The Designation and Latest Appraisal of the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong>/Page<br />
Green Conservation Area by Haringey Council.<br />
� Consideration of the Historical Development of the Tottenham High<br />
Road in the Conservation Area to Inform my Assessments of the<br />
Significance of the Affected Heritage Assets, including reference to<br />
Historical OS Plans, bearing in mind historical interest and its impact on<br />
the nature, appearance, character and <strong>heritage</strong> significance of the<br />
Conservation Area.<br />
� Consideration of the character, appearance and <strong>heritage</strong> significance,<br />
in the terms of NPPF, of the Conservation Area and its setting, in<br />
8
elation to the Wards Corner Site and the proposed development,<br />
taking the affected Listed Building into consideration.<br />
� Consideration of the nature, appearance, character and relative<br />
<strong>heritage</strong> significance of the site and its buildings and its visual<br />
relationship and impact on the appearance character and <strong>heritage</strong><br />
significance of the Conservation Area as a whole and on the nearby<br />
Statutory Listed Building.<br />
� Consideration of the impact of demolition of the buildings on the site on<br />
any affected <strong>heritage</strong> asset.<br />
� Consideration of the proposed development of the Wards Corner site<br />
and its impact on the Character, Appearance and <strong>heritage</strong> significance<br />
of the Conservation Area including nearby Listed Buildings, taking the<br />
NPPF and local planning policies and guidance into consideration<br />
where appropriate.<br />
5.0.0 REASONS GIVEN BY HARINGEY PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR<br />
REFUSING TO GRANT PLANNING PERMISSION TO APPLICATION<br />
REFERENCE No. HGY2008/0303<br />
5.1.0 The reasons given by the Planning Committee for refusing to grant<br />
Planning Permission were as follows:<br />
1) “The proposed development by virtue of its bulk massing and<br />
design neither preserves nor enhances the character of the<br />
Tottenham Road Corridor/<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong>/Page Green<br />
Conservation Area. Consequently the proposal is contrary to the<br />
aims and objectives of National Planning Policy Statement<br />
(PPS)1: Creating Sustainable Communities ; PPS5, Policies<br />
UD3 “General Principles” and UD4 “Quality Design” and CSV1<br />
9
“Development in Conservation Areas” of the Haringey of the<br />
Haringey UDP.”<br />
2) “The proposed development would involve the loss of<br />
designated <strong>heritage</strong> assets as defined in Annex 2 of PPS5 and<br />
constitute ‘substantial harm’. The application has failed to<br />
demonstrate that the substantial harm is necessary in order to<br />
deliver substantial public benefits that outweigh that harm.”<br />
5.2.0 During my <strong>heritage</strong> Statement for the revised Proposal I shall not<br />
evaluate the scheme that was refused planning permission or consider<br />
the reasons given for refusing planning permission with reference to<br />
that proposal or my assessment of their appropriateness or<br />
inappropriateness in any way.<br />
5.3.0 As already noted, following the Planning Refusal, a number of<br />
modifications were made to the proposal by the architects to seek to<br />
address the Planning Committee’s stated concern, albeit we did not<br />
consider them necessary. I shall, therefore, bear in mind the reasons<br />
given by Haringey Council, and the Planning Policies when assessing<br />
the revised proposal and my comments are pertinent only to the current<br />
revised proposal and associated applications.<br />
6.0.0 CONSIDERATION OF THE NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY<br />
FRAMEWORK IN RELATION TO DEVELOPMENT AFFECTING<br />
HERITAGE ASSETS<br />
6.1.0 The National Planning Policy Statement was published on 27 th<br />
March<br />
2012. Bearing in mind its very recent publication, I have quoted<br />
sections which are relevant to development affecting <strong>heritage</strong> assets.<br />
6.1.1 The Ministerial foreword includes:<br />
“The purpose of planning is to help achieve sustainable development.”<br />
10
“Development means growth. We must accommodate the new ways by<br />
which we will earn our living in a competitive world. We must house a<br />
rising population, which is living longer and wants to make new choices.<br />
We must respond to the changes that new technologies offer us. Our<br />
lives, and the places in which we live them, can be better, but they will<br />
certainly be worse if things stagnate.”<br />
“Our historic environment – buildings, landscapes, towns and villages –<br />
can better be cherished if their spirit of place thrives, rather than<br />
withers.”<br />
“Our standards of design can be so much higher. We are a nation<br />
renowned worldwide for creative excellence, yet, at home, confidence<br />
in development itself has been eroded by the too frequent experience<br />
of mediocrity.”<br />
“So sustainable development is about positive growth – making<br />
economic, environmental and social progress for this and future<br />
generations.”<br />
“The planning system is about helping to make this happen.”<br />
6.1.2 The Introduction includes in Paragraph 1 “The National Planning Policy<br />
Framework sets out the Government’s planning policies for England<br />
and how these are expected to be applied.1 It sets out the<br />
Government’s requirements for the planning system only to the extent<br />
that it is relevant, proportionate and necessary to do so.”<br />
6.1.3 With reference to “Achieving Sustainable Development” The NPPF<br />
states in paragraph 7:<br />
“There are three dimensions to sustainable development: economic,<br />
social and environmental. These dimensions give rise to the need for<br />
the planning system to perform a number of roles:<br />
11
� an economic role – contributing to building a strong, responsive<br />
and competitive economy, by ensuring that sufficient land of the<br />
right type is available in the right places and at the right time to<br />
support growth and innovation; and by identifying and<br />
coordinating development requirements, including the provision<br />
of infrastructure;<br />
� a social role – supporting strong, vibrant and healthy<br />
communities, by providing the supply of housing required to<br />
meet the needs of present and future generations; and by<br />
creating a high quality built environment, with accessible local<br />
services that reflect the community’s needs and support its<br />
health, social and cultural well-being; and<br />
� an environmental role – contributing to protecting and<br />
6.1.4 Comment:<br />
enhancing our natural, built and historic environment; and, as<br />
part of this, helping to improve biodiversity, use natural<br />
resources prudently, minimise waste and pollution, and mitigate<br />
and adapt to climate change including moving to a low carbon<br />
economy.<br />
My Heritage Statement concentrates on evaluating, protecting and<br />
enhancing our built and historic environment as part of consideration of<br />
the environmental dimension of sustainable development. Nevertheless<br />
it will also be aware of the social and economic dimensions as these<br />
form an important aspect of maintaining a sustainable <strong>heritage</strong><br />
environment, in this case the conservation area. As paragraph 8 of the<br />
NPPF states: “These roles should not be undertaken in isolation,<br />
because they are mutually dependent. Economic growth can secure<br />
higher social and environmental standards, and well-designed buildings<br />
and places can improve the lives of people and communities.<br />
Therefore, to achieve sustainable development, economic, social and<br />
environmental gains should be sought jointly and simultaneously<br />
through the planning system. The planning system should play an<br />
active role in guiding development to sustainable solutions.”<br />
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6.1.5 The National Planning Framework includes policies specifically<br />
appertaining to Conserving and enhancing the historic environment in<br />
section 12. This confirms most of the policies already established in<br />
PPS5 but in a simplified form and omitting many of the definitions that<br />
were scheduled in Annex 2. For transparency and for ease of reference<br />
by all readers, this section is here quoted in full<br />
“12. Conserving and enhancing the historic environment<br />
126. Local planning authorities should set out in their Local Plan a<br />
positive strategy for the conservation and enjoyment of the<br />
historic environment, including <strong>heritage</strong> assets most at risk<br />
through neglect, decay or other threats. In doing so, they should<br />
recognise that <strong>heritage</strong> assets are an irreplaceable resource and<br />
conserve them in a manner appropriate to their significance. In<br />
developing this strategy, local planning authorities should take<br />
into account:<br />
� the desirability of sustaining and enhancing the significance of<br />
<strong>heritage</strong> assets and putting them to viable uses consistent with<br />
their conservation;<br />
� the wider social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits<br />
that conservation of the historic environment can bring;<br />
� the desirability of new development making a positive<br />
contribution to local character and distinctiveness; and<br />
� opportunities to draw on the contribution made by the historic<br />
environment to the character of a place.<br />
127. When considering the designation of conservation areas, local<br />
planning authorities should ensure that an area justifies such<br />
status because of its special architectural or historic interest, and<br />
that the concept of conservation is not devalued through the<br />
designation of areas that lack special interest.<br />
128. In determining applications, local planning authorities should<br />
require an applicant to describe the significance of any <strong>heritage</strong><br />
13
assets affected, including any contribution made by their setting.<br />
The level of detail should be proportionate to the assets’<br />
importance and no more than is sufficient to understand the<br />
potential impact of the proposal on their significance. As a<br />
minimum the relevant historic environment record should have<br />
been consulted and the <strong>heritage</strong> assets assessed using<br />
appropriate expertise where necessary. Where a site on which<br />
development is proposed includes or has the potential to include<br />
<strong>heritage</strong> assets with archaeological interest, local planning<br />
authorities should require developers to submit an appropriate<br />
desk-based assessment and, where necessary, a field<br />
evaluation.<br />
129. Local planning authorities should identify and assess the<br />
particular significance of any <strong>heritage</strong> asset that may be affected<br />
by a proposal (including by development affecting the setting of<br />
a <strong>heritage</strong> asset) taking account of the available evidence and<br />
any necessary expertise. They should take this assessment into<br />
account when considering the impact of a proposal on a <strong>heritage</strong><br />
asset, to avoid or minimise conflict between the <strong>heritage</strong> asset’s<br />
conservation and any aspect of the proposal.<br />
130. Where there is evidence of deliberate neglect of or damage to a<br />
<strong>heritage</strong> asset the deteriorated state of the <strong>heritage</strong> asset should<br />
not be taken into account in any decision.<br />
131. in determining planning applications, local planning authorities<br />
should take account of:<br />
� the desirability of sustaining and enhancing the significance of<br />
<strong>heritage</strong> assets and putting them to viable uses consistent with<br />
their conservation;<br />
� the positive contribution that conservation of <strong>heritage</strong> assets can<br />
make to sustainable communities including their economic<br />
vitality; and<br />
14
� the desirability of new development making a positive<br />
contribution to local character and distinctiveness.<br />
132. When considering the impact of a proposed development on the<br />
significance of a designated <strong>heritage</strong> asset, great weight should<br />
be given to the asset’s conservation. The more important the<br />
asset, the greater the weight should be. Significance can be<br />
harmed or lost through alteration or destruction of the <strong>heritage</strong><br />
asset or development within its setting. As <strong>heritage</strong> assets are<br />
irreplaceable, any harm or loss should require clear and<br />
convincing justification. Substantial harm to or loss of a grade II<br />
listed building, park or garden should be exceptional. Substantial<br />
harm to or loss of designated <strong>heritage</strong> assets of the highest<br />
significance, notably scheduled monuments, protected wreck<br />
sites, battlefields, grade I and II* listed buildings, grade I and II*<br />
registered parks and gardens, and World Heritage Sites, should<br />
be wholly exceptional.<br />
133. Where a proposed development will lead to substantial harm to<br />
or total loss of significance of a designated <strong>heritage</strong> asset, local<br />
planning authorities should refuse consent, unless it can be<br />
demonstrated that the substantial harm or loss is necessary to<br />
achieve substantial public benefits that outweigh that harm or<br />
loss, or all of the following apply:<br />
� the nature of the <strong>heritage</strong> asset prevents all reasonable uses of<br />
the site; and<br />
� no viable use of the <strong>heritage</strong> asset itself can be found in the<br />
medium term through appropriate marketing that will enable its<br />
conservation; and<br />
� conservation by grant-funding or some form of charitable or<br />
public ownership is demonstrably not possible; and<br />
� the harm or loss is outweighed by the benefit of bringing the site<br />
back into use.<br />
15
134. Where a development proposal will lead to less than substantial<br />
harm to the significance of a designated <strong>heritage</strong> asset, this<br />
harm should be weighed against the public benefits of the<br />
proposal, including securing its optimum viable use.<br />
135. The effect of an application on the significance of a non-<br />
designated <strong>heritage</strong> asset should be taken into account in<br />
determining the application. In weighing applications that affect<br />
directly or indirectly non designated <strong>heritage</strong> assets, a balanced<br />
judgement will be required having regard to the scale of any<br />
harm or loss and the significance of the <strong>heritage</strong> asset.<br />
136. Local planning authorities should not permit loss of the whole or<br />
part of a <strong>heritage</strong> asset without taking all reasonable steps to<br />
ensure the new development will proceed after the loss has<br />
occurred.<br />
137. Local planning authorities should look for opportunities for new<br />
development within Conservation Areas and World Heritage<br />
Sites and within the setting of <strong>heritage</strong> assets to enhance or<br />
better reveal their significance. Proposals that preserve those<br />
elements of the setting that make a positive contribution to or<br />
better reveal the significance of the asset should be treated<br />
favourably.<br />
138. Not all elements of a World Heritage Site or Conservation Area<br />
will necessarily contribute to its significance. Loss of a building<br />
(or other element) which makes a positive contribution to the<br />
significance of the Conservation Area or World Heritage Site<br />
should be treated either as substantial harm under paragraph<br />
133 or less than substantial harm under paragraph 134, as<br />
appropriate, taking into account the relative significance of the<br />
element affected and its contribution to the significance of the<br />
Conservation Area or World Heritage Site as a whole.<br />
16
139. Non-designated <strong>heritage</strong> assets of archaeological interest that<br />
are demonstrably of equivalent significance to scheduled<br />
monuments, should be considered subject to the policies for<br />
designated <strong>heritage</strong> assets.<br />
140. Local planning authorities should assess whether the benefits of<br />
a proposal for enabling development, which would otherwise<br />
conflict with planning policies but which would secure the future<br />
conservation of a <strong>heritage</strong> asset, outweigh the disbenefits of<br />
departing from those policies.<br />
141. Local planning authorities should make information about the<br />
significance of the historic environment gathered as part of plan-<br />
making or development management publicly accessible. They<br />
should also require developers to record and advance<br />
understanding of the significance of any <strong>heritage</strong> assets to be<br />
lost (wholly or in part) in a manner proportionate to their<br />
importance and the impact, and to make this evidence (and any<br />
archive generated) publicly accessible. However, the ability to<br />
record evidence of our past should not be a factor in deciding<br />
whether such loss should be permitted.”<br />
6.1.6 In paragraph 150 the NPPF clarifies that “Local Plans are the key to<br />
delivering sustainable development that reflects the vision and<br />
aspirations of local communities. Planning decisions must be taken in<br />
accordance with the development plan unless material considerations<br />
indicate otherwise.”<br />
6.1.7 The NPPF also clarifies that “For 12 months from the day of publication,<br />
decision-takers may continue to give full weight to relevant policies<br />
adopted since 2004 even if there is a limited degree of conflict with this<br />
Framework.”<br />
17
6.1.8 Annex 2 of the NPPF provides a glossary of terms. Those particular to<br />
the historic environment have been extracted below for ease of<br />
reference:<br />
“Annex 2: Glossary<br />
Aged or veteran tree:<br />
A tree which, because of its great age, size or condition is of<br />
exceptional value for wildlife, in the landscape, or culturally.<br />
Archaeological interest:<br />
There will be archaeological interest in a <strong>heritage</strong> asset if it holds, or<br />
potentially may hold, evidence of past human activity worthy of expert<br />
investigation at some point. Heritage assets with archaeological interest<br />
are the primary source of evidence about the substance and evolution<br />
of places, and of the people and cultures that made them.<br />
Conservation (for <strong>heritage</strong> policy):<br />
The process of maintaining and managing change to a <strong>heritage</strong> asset in<br />
a way that sustains and, where appropriate, enhances its significance.<br />
Competent person (to prepare site investigation information):<br />
A person with a recognised relevant qualification, sufficient experience<br />
in dealing with the type(s) of pollution or land instability, and<br />
membership of a relevant professional organisation.<br />
Designated <strong>heritage</strong> asset:<br />
A World Heritage Site, Scheduled Monument, Listed Building,<br />
Protected Wreck Site, Registered Park and Garden, Registered<br />
Battlefield or Conservation Area designated under the relevant<br />
legislation.<br />
European site:<br />
This includes candidate Special Areas of Conservation, Sites of<br />
Community Importance, Special Areas of Conservation and Special<br />
18
Protection Areas, and is defined in regulation 8 of the Conservation of<br />
Habitats and Species Regulations 2010.<br />
Heritage asset: A building, monument, site, place, area or landscape<br />
identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in<br />
planning decisions, because of its <strong>heritage</strong> interest. Heritage asset<br />
includes designated <strong>heritage</strong> assets and assets identified by the local<br />
planning authority (including local listing).<br />
Historic environment:<br />
All aspects of the environment resulting from the interaction between<br />
people and places through time, including all surviving physical remains<br />
of past human activity, whether visible, buried or submerged, and<br />
landscaped and planted or managed flora.<br />
Historic environment record:<br />
Information services that seek to provide access to comprehensive and<br />
dynamic resources relating to the historic environment of a defined<br />
geographic area for public benefit and use.<br />
Original building:<br />
A building as it existed on 1 July 1948 or, if constructed after 1 July<br />
1948, as it was built originally.<br />
Setting of a <strong>heritage</strong> asset:<br />
The surroundings in which a <strong>heritage</strong> asset is experienced. Its extent is<br />
not fixed and may change as the asset and its surroundings evolve.<br />
Elements of a setting may make a positive or negative contribution to<br />
the significance of an asset, may affect the ability to appreciate that<br />
significance or may be neutral.<br />
Significance (for <strong>heritage</strong> policy):<br />
The value of a <strong>heritage</strong> asset to this and future generations because of<br />
its <strong>heritage</strong> interest. That interest may be archaeological, architectural,<br />
19
artistic or historic. Significance derives not only from a <strong>heritage</strong> asset’s<br />
physical presence, but also from its setting.”<br />
6.2.0 Comment<br />
6.2.1 The existing historic environment comprises the designated<br />
Conservation Area which includes part of the site. The remainder of the<br />
site forms part of the setting for the Conservation Area. The<br />
Conservation Area, including the site also forms the setting for a single<br />
Grade II listed building. There are locally listed buildings on the site and<br />
a number in the conservation Area generally. I have observed,<br />
researched and then considered and addressed the significance of the<br />
affected <strong>heritage</strong> assets and their settings in sections xx and xx of my<br />
Heritage Statement. I have also assessed the character, local<br />
distinctiveness and significance of the Conservation Area.<br />
6.2.2 Section 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas)<br />
Act states with respect to planning functions affecting conservation<br />
areas “special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or<br />
enhancing the character of the area.”<br />
6.2.3 The NPPF defines a <strong>heritage</strong> asset as “A building, monument, site,<br />
place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance<br />
meriting consideration in planning decisions, because of its <strong>heritage</strong><br />
interest. Heritage asset includes designated <strong>heritage</strong> assets and assets<br />
identified by the local planning authority (including local listing).<br />
6.2.4 As already quoted significance” for <strong>heritage</strong> policy is defined in the<br />
NPPF as: “The value of a <strong>heritage</strong> asset to this and future generations<br />
because of its <strong>heritage</strong> interest. That interest may be archaeological,<br />
architectural, artistic or historic. Significance derives not only from a<br />
<strong>heritage</strong> asset’s physical presence, but also from its setting.”<br />
6.2.5 I commenced my appointment by visiting the conservation area<br />
including the site and its broad setting and observing and analysing its<br />
20
character and appearance in order to assess its architectural and<br />
artistic interest and significance in the terms of NPPF. I also studied the<br />
historical development of the area in order to consider its historic<br />
interest and significance. This combination was critical as it quickly<br />
became evident that the timing and reason for the initial establishment<br />
of the settlement, and the particular history of its subsequent growth<br />
over nearly two millennia until the present day, directly affected its<br />
current appearance, quality, character and most particularly its<br />
architectural and townscape appearance, interest and distinctiveness. It<br />
forms a crucial part of its overall significance as a Conservation Area.<br />
The detailed general historical evidence resulting from my research and<br />
analyses, which included the study and analyses of nineteenth and<br />
twentieth century OS Plans is included in my Heritage Statement. This<br />
careful detailed analysis contributed to my identifying and<br />
understanding the appearance, character, historical interest and<br />
significance of the <strong>heritage</strong> assets, including the Conservation Area as<br />
a whole, which will be affected by the proposal and so satisfies the<br />
NPPF Paragraph 128<br />
6.2.6 This analysis and understanding then enabled me to consider the<br />
impact of the proposals on the significance of affected <strong>heritage</strong> assets<br />
in accordance with paragraph 131 and most especially the designated<br />
<strong>heritage</strong> asset in accordance with paragraph 132 of the NPPF, whilst<br />
also taking into consideration the criteria for achieving sustainable<br />
development in the context of the <strong>heritage</strong> assets affected as<br />
established in paragraphs 131-139 of the NPPF.<br />
6.2.7 This information provided the background for my assessment of the<br />
proposal of the amended design as it developed into its latter stages<br />
and then to completion. It was clear to me that the architects had the<br />
necessary understanding, in accordance then with the requirements of<br />
PPS5, for them to design a proposal that preserved or enhanced the<br />
character of the conservation area in accordance with the requirements<br />
21
of sections 66 and 72 of “The Act” and now in accordance with the<br />
requirements of NPPF.<br />
6.2.8 It is worthy of note that Haringey Council has prepared a brief for the<br />
redevelopment of the Ward’s Corner site.<br />
7.0.0 CONSIDERATION OF THE BRIEF FOR THE WARDS CORNER SITE<br />
ADOPTED BY HARINGEY COUNCIL IN 2004.<br />
Relevant sections of the Brief are quoted for ease of reference as<br />
follows:<br />
“2.<strong>Regeneration</strong> Context<br />
The area around the station is perceived as unsafe by the local<br />
community and suffers from a high degree of crime. The range of shops<br />
and facilities in the area is considered poor and regeneration of West<br />
Green is one of the objectives of the adopted UDP.<br />
The east of Haringey is recognised as one of the most deprived areas<br />
in London in the draft London Plan and is targeted for regeneration.<br />
This is being linked to improved transport links, training programmes<br />
and capacity building initiatives. Haringey is taking a co-ordinated<br />
approach towards development along Tottenham High Road. This is an<br />
historic corridor which runs on the alignment of the Roman Ermin Street<br />
from the southern to the northern borders of the borough. It is split into<br />
six conservation areas which run its full length, however there has been<br />
an overall lack of investment in the building stock and the whole area<br />
suffers from high levels of deprivation. A Heritage Economic<br />
<strong>Regeneration</strong> Scheme (Hers) operates along the High Road.<br />
3. Site Description and Context<br />
The Wards Corner site is predominately two-three storey late Victorian<br />
commercial buildings, some of which are derelict, as well as <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Market. The commercial buildings on the High Road frontage<br />
22
are all located within the Page Green conservation area, although they<br />
are considered to make a neutral contribution to its character and<br />
appearance. At the rear there is a car park and a residential terrace on<br />
Suffield Road.<br />
5. Development Principles<br />
A) Urban Design<br />
��������������must provide an attractive and high quality landmark<br />
and gateway to the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong>/Tottenham High Road area.<br />
The sites visual prominence provides a great opportunity for an<br />
imaginative development. On Wards Corner a development of 5-6<br />
storeys in height may be appropriate, stepping down to three storeys on<br />
Suffield Road. On Apex Corner there is scope for a higher, landmark<br />
development, taking the opportunity presented by a corner site. The<br />
treatment of the roofline will be particularly important. There should,<br />
however, be a symmetry and consistency of architectural treatment<br />
across <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road, which together should act as a gateway<br />
into the Bridge community area. A public feature of equal, or preferably<br />
greater, landmark merit as the clock tower should be included and the<br />
public lavatories should be replaced.<br />
At the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Underground there is potential for an ‘airights<br />
development (that is over the station) which also brings the station<br />
entrance further forward towards the street. Development here could be<br />
around 4 storeys in height.<br />
New development should regenerate and improve the living and<br />
working environment and make best use of the opportunities presented<br />
by the site.<br />
The area is run-down and the buildings on the Wards Corner site in<br />
particular, are in need of physical renewal. However, the former Wards<br />
department store building itself is considered to have some<br />
architectural merit and any development scheme should reflect, and<br />
retain, the architectural features of the store, if at all possible. Any new<br />
development on the site should take the opportunity to reduce the<br />
23
opportunities for crime, by embracing the concepts set out in the<br />
Police’s “Secured by Design”.<br />
Development must enhance the Page Green Conservation Area.<br />
The buildings at Wards Corner make only a neutral contribution to the<br />
character and appearance of the conservation area, (although the<br />
Wards store itself has some merit). In these circumstances, national<br />
policy PPG15 (“Planning & the Historic Environment”) sees such sites<br />
as a spur to high quality, imaginative development. Pages Green itself<br />
has the potential to be an attractive open space which has the<br />
opportunity for environmental enhancement and much improved links to<br />
the Wards Corner area.<br />
Buildings should be of a distinctive and imaginative modern design with<br />
simple and robust detailing to provide a low maintenance and<br />
sustainable solution.<br />
On this side of the High Road there is a lack of strong context at this<br />
point. This provides the opportunity for bold and creative design.<br />
Development should include active frontages, and visual variety and<br />
interest, onto the West Green Road, High Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
Road frontages.<br />
Maintaining activity of the street will be particularly important, in<br />
particular more uses that are open in the evening looking out onto the<br />
street.<br />
Development should take its cue from the richness and diversity of the<br />
communities and small shops in the West Green Road area.<br />
This diversity is one of the great strengths of the area. The<br />
development should add to rather than detract from this richness.<br />
Development should include significant and co-ordinated improvement<br />
to the public realm, including public art and street trees. A wide<br />
pavement and clear building line along the High Road should be<br />
maintained.<br />
The current wide pavement and street tree cover, with opportunities for<br />
forecourt seating, is a strong positive feature of the area. The existing<br />
24
Wards Corner building line should be retained, so far as is possible, in<br />
order to maintain this sense of space.<br />
Mature trees should be protected where possible, and additional hard<br />
and soft landscaping introduced. The air duct for the underground is<br />
subject to graffiti and should be replaced or improved, if possible.<br />
Development should incorporate the principles of sustainable design<br />
including use of waste and recycling.<br />
C) Land Uses and Development<br />
The development is suitable for a range of land uses; including retail<br />
uses to promote the vitality and viability of the West Green Road/<strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> District Centre.<br />
Development should be for a vital mix of land uses. As a District<br />
Centre, development suitable to its scale and function would be<br />
welcomed, providing it fulfils a qualitative need. Replacement of the<br />
covered market, although outside the remit of the Brief, would be<br />
welcomed. Housing is suitable as part of the range of uses, especially<br />
at above ground floor level. Any housing lost on Suffield Road should<br />
be replaced as part of the overall scheme. Affordable housing, meeting<br />
the needs of the borough will be secured, although it is unlikely that<br />
pure social housing would be sought. Key worker or shared<br />
ownership would be encouraged, which is supported by the Tottenham<br />
High Road Strategy. The amount of affordable housing should be in<br />
accordance with the policies of the Council, but will take account of the<br />
other planning benefits being enabled by the development and of<br />
commercial viability.<br />
8. Content of a Planning Application<br />
Any planning application should be accompanied by sufficient<br />
information to enable the application to be determined. On major cases,<br />
Haringey strongly encourages applicants to undertake their own<br />
consultation and to include a <strong>statement</strong> of the outcome of this in their<br />
application.<br />
25
The scheme should include:-<br />
-Urban Design Statement<br />
-Full drawings including perspective and illustrative drawings<br />
-Policy <strong>statement</strong>, including retail policy<br />
-Statement as to how the affordable housing will be delivered<br />
-Transport Assessment.<br />
-Conservation assessment of any buildings in the conservation area<br />
proposed to be demolished.<br />
9. Further Information<br />
This Development Brief gives guidelines on how the site could be<br />
satisfactorily redeveloped. Haringey Council’s Planning Applications<br />
Sub-Committee (PASC) in December 2003 considered the results of<br />
the public consultation that took place on the Brief and it was agreed by<br />
the Executive of the Council in January 2004 for adoption as the<br />
approved Brief for the site. Once adopted, the Brief becomes a material<br />
consideration in determining any future planning application on the site<br />
and Supplementary Planning Guidance, as part of the review of the<br />
Haringey Unitary Development Plan. The UDP is undergoing a review<br />
and the guidelines set out in this Development Brief will be adopted by<br />
the emerging plan and become policy for the site.”<br />
8.0.0 CONSIDERATION OF THE HARINGEY UNITARY DEVELOPMENT<br />
PLAN ADOPTED IN JULY 2006, and the LOCAL PLAN STRATEGIC<br />
POLICIES DOCUMENT (formerly Core Strategy) RELEVANT TO<br />
CONSERVATION.<br />
8.1.0 UDP Policies relevant to conservation areas and <strong>heritage</strong> issues are<br />
quoted for ease of reference.<br />
8.1.1 POLICY CSV1: DEVELOPMENT IN CONSERVATION AREAS<br />
“The Council will require that proposals affecting Conservation<br />
Areas:<br />
26
a) preserve or enhance the historic character and qualities of<br />
the buildings and/or the Conservation Area,<br />
b) recognise and respect the character and appearance of<br />
Conservation Areas; and<br />
c) protect the special interest of buildings of architectural or<br />
historic interest.”<br />
8.1.2 POLICY CSV2: LISTED BUILDINGS<br />
“There is a presumption in favour of the preservation of listed buildings.<br />
The Council will require that proposals affecting statutory listed<br />
buildings:<br />
a) preserve or enhance the historic character and qualities of the<br />
buildings;<br />
b) recognise and respect the character and appearance of listed<br />
buildings;<br />
c) protect the special interest of buildings of architectural or historic<br />
interest;<br />
d) do not adversely affect the setting of listed buildings; and<br />
e) retain the original use of a listed building wherever possible.<br />
8.1.3 Policy CSV3: LOCALLY LISTED BUILDINGS AND DESIGNATED<br />
SITES OF INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE INTEREST<br />
“The Council will maintain a local list of buildings of architectural or<br />
historical interest, including Designated Sites of Industrial Heritage<br />
Interest with a view to giving as much attention as possible to buildings<br />
and features worthy of preservation.<br />
8.1.4 Policy CSV7: DEMOLITION IN CONSERVATION AREAS<br />
The Council will seek to protect buildings within Conservation Areas, by<br />
refusing applications for their demolition or substantial demolition if it<br />
would have an adverse impact on the character and appearance of the<br />
Conservation Area. In some exceptional cases, if substantial<br />
community benefit would result from total or substantial demolition of<br />
buildings in Conservation Areas the Council may consider this to be<br />
27
acceptable. Each case will be judged on its merits and weighed against<br />
arguments in favour of a building’s preservation. Further information is<br />
available in the Conservation and Archaeology SPG2.<br />
8.1.5 Table 11.3: Areas of Archaeological Importance (AAI)<br />
Roman Ermine Street closely follows the route of the High Road here,<br />
and roman features and artefacts have been recovered along this<br />
stretch of the road. This area was a substantial medieval settlement<br />
which may have had Saxon origins, and several long standing coaching<br />
inns, farms and houses dating from the 16th century are located<br />
throughout the AAI.<br />
8.2.0 Local Plan Strategic Policies relevant to conservation areas and<br />
<strong>heritage</strong> issues are quoted for ease of reference.<br />
8.2.1 SP12 – Conservation<br />
“The Council shall ensure the conservation of the historic significance<br />
of Haringey’s <strong>heritage</strong> assets, their setting, and the wider historic<br />
environment. The borough’s <strong>heritage</strong> assets include Statutory Listed<br />
Buildings, Conservation Areas, Registered Parks and Gardens,<br />
Archaeological Priority Areas, and other locally important <strong>heritage</strong><br />
assets such as Locally Listed Buildings, Local Historic Green Spaces<br />
and Sites of Industrial Heritage Interest. Where archaeological<br />
excavation is required, findings should be published, disseminated, and<br />
used as the basis for archaeological interpretation on site.<br />
The Historic Environment should be used as the basis for <strong>heritage</strong>-led<br />
regeneration and as the basis for good design and positive change.<br />
Where possible, development should help increase accessibility to the<br />
historic environment. All development shall protect the Strategic view<br />
from Alexandra Palace to St Paul’s Cathedral as protected in the<br />
London Mayoral “London View Management Framework” Revised<br />
SPG, July 2010, and key local views.”<br />
28
9.0.0 THE DESIGNATION AND APPRAISALS OF THE SEVEN SISTERS/<br />
PAGE GREEN CONSERVATION AREA BY HARINGEY COUNCIL<br />
9.1.0 There are 29 Conservation Areas in Haringey of which the <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> /Page Green Conservation Area is one. It forms one of a series<br />
of Conservation Areas on the Tottenham High Road Historic Corridor. It<br />
was designated on 13 th July 1998 with a designation appraisal dated<br />
1997 and a subsequent appraisal dated 26 th February 2007as part of<br />
an appraisal of all the conservation areas comprising the Tottenham<br />
High Road Historic Corridor. These will be referred to during my<br />
evaluation of the significance of the Conservation as currently existing<br />
in the terms of the NPPF published on 27 th<br />
March 2012. These<br />
appraisals will be referred to during my own assessment of the<br />
appearance, character and significance of the Conservation Area, the<br />
buildings on the site, and of the one listed building affected by the<br />
proposal and as appropriate when assessing the impact of the proposal<br />
10.0.0 CONSIDERATION OF THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF<br />
TOTTENHAM HIGH ROAD IN THE CONSERVATION AREA TO<br />
INFORM MY ASSESSMENTS OF THE HERITAGE ASSETS.<br />
10.1.0 Tottenham developed as a small settlement along the old Roman<br />
Road, Ermine Street, which was built between the years 45 and 47 AD<br />
connecting London, which was founded as a fort in 43AD, to York and<br />
beyond via Lincoln. Tottenham was recorded in the Domesday Book in<br />
29
1086 as Toteham when about seventy families lived in the area of the<br />
manor.<br />
10.1.1 The road made possible the subsequent development of country<br />
houses for the aristocracy who by Tudor times favoured easily<br />
accessible rural living away but accessible from the court and free of<br />
the dirt and disease of the city and where they could still enjoy country<br />
pursuits. Henry VIII is known to have visited Bruce Castle and also<br />
hunted in Tottenham Wood. Substantial villas, small versions of their<br />
country estates had became highly favoured as rural retreats for the<br />
aristocracy, close to the principal radial roads in locations such as<br />
Tottenham around London during the late seventeenth and especially<br />
during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The were quickly<br />
followed during the late eighteenth and first half of the nineteenth<br />
century by the quickly growing upper middle classes who aspired to<br />
emulate the aristocratic lifestyle in rural houses and villas. In response<br />
to this, <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road was laid out in 1831 to create a link to the<br />
West End and shortly afterwards this became a popular route into the<br />
City. Tottenham remained a semi rural middle-class retreat from<br />
London until 1870.<br />
10.1.2 In late 1870, the Great Eastern Railway introduced special workman's<br />
trains and fares on its newly opened Enfield and Walthamstow branch<br />
lines. Tottenham's fields and market gardens began to be developed<br />
with cheaper smaller housing for the lower- middle and working<br />
classes, who were able to commute cheaply to inner London. The<br />
workman's fare policy stimulated the relatively early development of the<br />
area into a London suburb.<br />
11.0.0 CONSIDERATION OF HISTORIC MAPS AND OS PLANS TO<br />
MONITOR DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE<br />
30
11.1.0 Consideration of the Extract from the 1609 Thomas Clay Survey<br />
Map (Appendix 2.1)<br />
11.1.1 An extract from the map illustrating the extent of the current <strong>Seven</strong><br />
.<br />
<strong>Sisters</strong>/West Green Conservation Area and the adjacent South<br />
Tottenham Conservation as part of the Tottenham High Road Corridor<br />
is included in The Conservation Area Appraisal published by Haringey<br />
Council in 2009<br />
11.1.2 The route of the old Roman road, Ermine Street is clearly illustrated<br />
extending south to north through the present confines of the<br />
Conservation Area, and it appears to be of quite substantial width. A<br />
lateral road is illustrated branching off to the west in the approximate<br />
location of what is later named as West Green, whilst Page Green is<br />
illustrated as a wide branch to the east before narrowing as a road or<br />
lane extending further to the east.<br />
11.1.3 The map illustrates a patchwork of small fields flanking the roads with<br />
many of the different owners named.<br />
11.1.4 The only buildings illustrated on the extract of the plan form a small<br />
cluster, possibly of six, modest houses on the fringes of Page Green.<br />
Their modest size, small gardens and proximity on to another indicates<br />
that these were not the fashionable villas of the aristocracy but most<br />
probably a hamlet of modest houses in gardens around a green.<br />
11.1.5 Tottenham High Road, where it extends to the south side of a stone<br />
bridge across a stream through what is now the South Tottenham<br />
Conservation Area, maintains a similar width but is flanked by<br />
somewhat larger fields and is totally devoid of buildings<br />
11.2.0 Consideration of the 1798 Wyburd Survey Map (Appendix 2.2)<br />
31
11.2.2 An extract from the map illustrating the same two Conservation Areas<br />
as part of the Tottenham High Road Corridor is also included in the<br />
Conservation Area Appraisal of 2007.<br />
11.2.3 The road layout appears the same as in 1609 within the <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong>/Page Green Conservation Area and also the adjacent South<br />
Tottenham Conservation Area and the roads are still flanked by small<br />
fields. There are substantially more buildings which appear to be small<br />
houses and outbuildings clustered around most of the length of Page<br />
Green and these extend along the road to its east. There is also a<br />
cluster of five small buildings on modest plots, presumably houses, on<br />
the west side of what is named the High Road flanking the road<br />
branching to the west now known as West Green. Four of these<br />
buildings are on part of what is now the Wards Corner site, but primarily<br />
just outside of the present Conservation Area. As was noted in relation<br />
to the 1609 Plan their modest and sometimes small size, and small<br />
gardens, clearly indicate that these are clearly not semi rural villas of<br />
the aristocracy or of the upper echelons of the already growing middle<br />
class.<br />
11.2.4 There is similar cluster of modest but not small houses, mostly<br />
detached but also including one terrace, flanking the High Road at the<br />
south end of what is now the South Tottenham Conservation Area.<br />
11.3.0 Consideration of the 1810 Turnpike Plan (Appendix 2.3)<br />
11.3.1 The plan shows the High Road and the roads branching off it along with<br />
buildings along the roads, but it does not illustrate the flanking field<br />
boundaries.<br />
11.3.2 The High Road appears to have been restricted in width. Land<br />
previously forming more than half the western side of the High Road<br />
now forms part of what has become the Wards Corner site and includes<br />
one quite substantial additional building. To the north of what is now<br />
West Green the released highway land on the west side of the High<br />
Road is now illustrated and named as “The Grove” formally planted with<br />
32
ows of trees bounding the road and extending to the northern<br />
boundary of what is now the Conservation Area, and beyond.<br />
11.3.3 West Green is now illustrated with a narrower road to its south and a<br />
serpentine footpath near its northern boundary extending east from the<br />
High Road. Between the road and the footpath a circle of trees is<br />
shown at its western end, named as the “<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong>”. There<br />
appear to be fewer buildings around the edge of the Green but this may<br />
well be because the main purpose of the map is to illustrate the new<br />
Turnpike Road and not more general details on the land flanking it.<br />
11.4.0 Consideration of the Extract from the 1864 OS Plan covering the<br />
<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong>/West Green Conservation Area and also the<br />
adjacent South Tottenham Conservation Area (Appendix 2.4 and<br />
the 1876 OS Plan Covering a Wider Area Appendix 2.5)<br />
11.4.1 The extract dated as from the 1864OS Plan illustrates only the area in<br />
the immediate vicinity of what is now designated the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong>/<br />
West Green Conservation Area and the South Tottenham Conservation<br />
Area where it appears very similar and possibly identical to the 1876<br />
OS Plan.<br />
11.4.2 The extract illustrated in the Conservation Area Appraisal dated 26 th<br />
February 2007appears to comprise two OS Plans of different dates with<br />
the railway line illustrated only on the northern plan. The date of 1864<br />
ascribed to the combined plans may be incorrect as the Tottenham and<br />
Hampstead Joint Line was opened in 1868 by the Great Eastern<br />
Railway in conjunction with the Midland Railway.<br />
11.4.3Both the OS Plan extract dated 1862 and the 1876 OS Plan illustrate<br />
the beginnings of the substantial and increasing rapid change that<br />
affected the semi rural areas around most of Britain’s cities during the<br />
first half of the nineteenth century. Tottenham was no exception. The<br />
plans show <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road which was laid out in 1831 to create a<br />
33
link to the West End and shortly afterwards this became a popular route<br />
into the City.<br />
11.4.4 The extract from the plan concentrating on the two conservation areas<br />
clearly shows a significant number of the substantial detached houses<br />
and villas that had become fashionable during the second half of the<br />
eighteenth century and for the majority of the nineteenth century for the<br />
increasingly wealthy middle and professional classes seeking to<br />
emulate the aristocracy and landed gentry by having houses and villas<br />
located in a countryside environment but easily accessible by the<br />
improved roads. Here the improvements had included upgrading the<br />
High Road to a turnpike road and the creation in 1831 of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
Road connecting Tottenham to the West End.<br />
11.4.5 The form of the site under present consideration is apparant bounded<br />
to the north by West Green Road, to the east by the High Road and to<br />
the south by <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road, although it is subdivided into several<br />
uses and its west boundary abutting open agricultural land is not<br />
evident.<br />
11.4.6 Within what is now the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong>/Page Green Conservation Area,<br />
the maps illustrate Suffield Lodge which appeared to be a typical small<br />
example located in modest pleasure gardens which occupied much of<br />
what is now the Wards Corner site under consideration. The lodge<br />
includes a forecourt facing east onto Tottenham High Road, enclosed<br />
by a sweeping curved drive.<br />
11.4.7Other substantial villas on the west side of the High Road, in the broad<br />
vicinity of the site although not always within the confines of the present<br />
Conservation Area, include Stonebridge House located in substantial<br />
pleasure gardens and with a sweeping drive off the High Road a little to<br />
the south, and Grove Villa located on the north side of what is now<br />
named “West Green Road” whilst Grove House can be seen a little<br />
further to the north. <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> House is located on the opposite<br />
34
side of the High Road from Suffield Lodge at the junction with Page<br />
Green.<br />
11.4.6 Similar substantial villas are shown in modest pleasure gardens some<br />
distance to the south along the High Road such as Barnfield House,<br />
Coleraine House, Stanford Hill,and Marlfield House within what is now<br />
the South Tottenham Conservation Area.<br />
11.4.7However the 1876 OS Plan also shows the north-south route of the<br />
Great Eastern Railway opened in 1872 and the Junction Railway,<br />
joining it from the west. This new accessibility from London along with<br />
cheap fares for working people began the sudden development of small<br />
terraced houses for artisans and the lower middle classes and<br />
destroyed the rural context that had previously attracted the villas and<br />
larger houses of the upper middle classes. Tottenham quickly lost its<br />
reputation for health and gentility. The 1876 OS Plan shows the<br />
beginnings of development of smaller terraced houses bounding the<br />
High Road and elsewhere and especially in areas somewhat north of<br />
the site. There is also evidence of small local industry in the broader<br />
Tottenham context at some distance to the north of the site, including a<br />
Floor Cloth Manufacturer and India Rubber Mills. The larger scale plan<br />
(Appendix 1.5) illustrates terraced houses reasonably close to the site<br />
on what was then called the High Street and also at Montague Villas on<br />
West Green Road.<br />
11.5.0 Consideration of the 1896 OS Plan Appendix 2.7<br />
11.5.1 The 1896 OS Plan clearly illustrates the magnitude of the change that<br />
had already occurred in the vicinity of the site. The South Tottenham<br />
and Stamford Hill Station is illustrated on the Tottenham and<br />
Hampstead Junction just off the High Road at a short distance south of<br />
the site, whilst The <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Station on the Great Eastern Railway<br />
35
line is located a few minutes walk to the west of the site under<br />
consideration. A tramway is also located on <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road which<br />
connects with the tramway the extends along the High Road to the<br />
north and south of the site under consideration.<br />
11.5.2 None of the large villas in substantial pleasure grounds which had<br />
characterised the area as illustrated on the 1876 OS Plan only twenty<br />
years earlier, remains. There has been a fundamental change in<br />
building density, size, and overall character of the whole area. It is<br />
absolutely clear that the area is no longer the shortlived home to the<br />
wealthy and fashionable upper middle classes. Virtually the entire area<br />
is now built up with a dense grid of generally relatively short streets<br />
enclosed on either side by terraces of small houses. On the grid of<br />
streets west side of the High Road many of the small houses have<br />
extremely narrow front gardens whilst many are built directly on to the<br />
pavement. Virtually all have small rear gardens or yards and in many<br />
cases these are extremely small.<br />
11.5.3 The boundaries of the site under present consideration are defined by<br />
roads on all four sides with the High Road to the east, West Green<br />
Road to the north, Suffield Road to the east and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road to<br />
the south.<br />
11.5.4 Developments of terraced houses now cover the sites of most of the<br />
former mansions seen on the 1876 OS Plan. In particular, Suffield<br />
Lodge, on part of the site under consideration and facing the High<br />
Street near the south corner of West Green Road, was offered as<br />
building land in1880. On the resulting site, now known as Wards<br />
Corner, terraces are illustrated facing the roads on all four boundaries.<br />
The small houses forming the terrace facing west onto Suffield Road<br />
have rear offshoots as was common to most terraced housing. The<br />
terrace is articulated around the obtuse bend in the road at its southern<br />
end. The houses are illustrated with very narrow front gardens and<br />
small rear gardens which back onto the longer and wider rear gardens<br />
36
of the slightly larger properties in the terrace facing onto the High Road<br />
which also are shown with slightly deeper front gardens than those<br />
terraces generally on the grid of roads to the west of the High Road.<br />
The terrace facing east onto the High Road appears to be bounded by<br />
a pedestrian footpath overlooking a wide verge planted with two rows of<br />
trees, which in turn is bounded by the public footpath as it curves<br />
around <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road onto the High Road and thence onto West<br />
Green Road. The terrace on the site facing the High Road terminates to<br />
the north with a simple return end directly onto the pavement on West<br />
Green Road, which also bounds its rear garden. The south end of the<br />
High Road terrace is shown to include a small element which is<br />
articulated on plan as it wraps around the obtuse corner to abut the<br />
terrace of small houses located directly at the back edge of the footpath<br />
on <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road. The short terrace on the north boundary of the<br />
site is shown located directly on the back-edge of the West Green Road<br />
footpath and extends to have its return end on the back edge of the<br />
footpath on Suffield Road. The west end of the terrace facing West<br />
Green Road is separated from that facing Suffield Road by the short<br />
length of its rear garden.<br />
11.5.5 There is an irregular terrace of houses on West Green Road with its<br />
western gable end curving around the angle onto Haughton Road and<br />
its eastern gable end projecting beyond the building line of Grove<br />
Terrace which faces onto the High Road.<br />
11.5.6 The terraces of houses called Grove Terrace, occupying part of the<br />
grounds of the demolished Grove Villa, opposite Page Green, were<br />
built in 1880. They face onto the High Road north of West Green Road<br />
and appear very slightly wider on plan than those on the Wards Corner<br />
site under consideration, and have significantly deeper front gardens,<br />
although slightly smaller rear gardens. Similar to the houses on the site<br />
facing High Road it also includes a footpath along the front garden wall<br />
followed by a wide verge area, planted with two partial rows of trees,<br />
extending as far as the High Road.<br />
37
11.5.7 To the north of the Grove Terrace is the Tottenham Larger Beer<br />
Brewery and Ice Factory along with the substantial building named as<br />
Grove House which is described as a “club”.<br />
11.5.8 For much of its length the east side of the High Road north of Ipplepen<br />
Road is flanked by a wide verge planted with mature trees which had<br />
been illustrated on earlier OS Plans illustrating a remnant of its earlier<br />
status as a road primarily serving the gentry and upper middle classes<br />
11.5.9 On the east side of the High Road, the houses in the older terrace<br />
bounding the High Road north of Page Green and illustrated on the<br />
1876 OS Plan are built at the back edge of footpaths but have rear<br />
gardens which are substantially larger than any of the later properties<br />
indicating a vey different and much more rural social structure.<br />
11.5.10 Page Green Common remains and will have provided a lateral<br />
green and tree planted perspective view to the east.<br />
11.5.11 With the exception of a small cluster of slightly larger detached<br />
properties close to the north corner of the High Road, the gardens and<br />
well spaced rural properties on the north side of Page Green, however,<br />
have been largely replaced by a terrace of houses behind narrow front<br />
gardens whilst terraces of much smaller houses extend along Broad<br />
Lane to the east of Talbot Road.<br />
11.5.11 Along the south side of Page Green Common, The short stub<br />
road has been extended for the fulllength of the common and named<br />
Ashmount Road whilst <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> House and its substantial<br />
pleasure gardens extending some distance to the south along the High<br />
Road have all been replaced by a serried rank of lateral roads including<br />
Earlesmead Road, Pembroke Road, Melton Road and Townsend Road<br />
extending as far as the railway line, all flanked by small terrace houses<br />
38
ehind narrow front gardens. Terraces of considerably smaller houses<br />
extend along roads to the east of Wakefield Road.<br />
11.5.12 Generally, between Wakefield Road and the High Road, the<br />
layout of the houses east of High Road is very slightly less dense and<br />
constrained than those on the east side of the road. Many of the<br />
houses on balance appear slightly larger whilst front gardens are<br />
slightly deeper and rear gardens are generally slightly but noticeably<br />
longer. In particular the short terraces of houses south of Page Green<br />
Common and facing west towards the High Road are separated from<br />
the road by a secondary carriage drive parallel to the main road and a<br />
generously wide planted verge creating the character of a boulevard<br />
parallel to the High Road.<br />
11.5.13 Interestingly the OS Plan reveals a number of surprising gaps in<br />
the otherwise dense development of the area. This resulted from the<br />
fact that prospective residents found that the promised cheap tickets to<br />
London on the new railways were available only for early trains,<br />
although the G.N.R. Co. conceded some half-price fares in 1886.<br />
Construction therefore outran lettings, causing work to be suspended<br />
for a time in 1887. Little has changed in the balance between aspiration<br />
and its realization!<br />
11.6.0 Consideration of the 1913 OS Plan Appendix2.8<br />
11.6.1 There are no fundamental differences apparent in the close vicinity of<br />
the site from the 1896 OS.Plan. The Methodist Chapel on the corner of<br />
Earlesmead Road the High Road, opposite the “Wards Corner” site,<br />
appears to have been enlarged and is now named as the Methodist<br />
Church. The single building isolated within its own small plot of land at<br />
the corner of High Road and Broad Lane, overlooking Page Green<br />
Common, has been replaced by a small terrace of three buildings<br />
facing the High Road with the larger one on the corner with Broad Lane<br />
named as a bank.<br />
39
11.6.2 On the west side of the High Road, on land previously shown<br />
associated with the brewery north of the rear gardens of properties<br />
facing onto Pelham Road a substantial building with a near symmetrical<br />
plan and described as a “Home for Incurable Jews” is now illustrated,<br />
somewhat fatalistically with its own mortuary illustrated to its north. The<br />
land to its west is now illustrated accommodating a substantial building<br />
described as “cold stores” whilst the building to its north previously<br />
described as “Grove House (Club)” is now enlarged and described as a<br />
Polytechnic.<br />
11.6.3 On the site itself, the building with an articulated plan that was<br />
previously shown on the obtuse corner between High Road and <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Road appears to have been replaced by a building that turns<br />
the corner with a simpler splayed façade. It is known that the corner<br />
building forming the Wards Shop was erected in 1909. The plan,<br />
however still illustrates the terrace of individual buildings, with individual<br />
rear gardens, on the eastern boundary of the site, facing onto the High<br />
Road. However, they are no longer illustrated with front gardens with<br />
the exception of the slightly wider building recessed back from the main<br />
building line of the High Road terrace at its north end at the junction<br />
with West Green Road, suggesting that the remainder of terrace may<br />
by now have become individual shops. The footpath crossing the<br />
forecourt is still illustrated but the forecourt is now devoid of trees.<br />
11.6.4 The rear gardens of the terrace of buildings on the site facing onto the<br />
High Road have been shortened by varying amounts but increasingly<br />
so as one approaches the north end of the terrace creating a ginnel or<br />
service route accessed from near the south end of Suffield Road which<br />
widens into a yard behind approximately the northern half of the<br />
terrace. A long narrow outbuilding is also illustrated along the eastern<br />
boundaries of the remaining longer gardens on the southern end of the<br />
terrace.<br />
40
11.6.5 Considerable infill development of small terraced housing has occurred<br />
on large tracts of previously undeveloped land, especially to the south<br />
of the Tottenham and Hampstead Joint Line.<br />
11.7.0 Consideration of the 1936 OS Plan Appendix 2.9<br />
11.7.1 Little of significance appears to have changed in the vicinity of the site.<br />
Minor infilling has occurred to the east of the bank on the corner of<br />
Broad Lane and High Road, extending to the north on land between the<br />
rear gardens of buildings facing onto High Road and Talbot Road.<br />
11.7.2 Further north a number of the smaller abutting elements forming the<br />
terrace on the east side of the High Road have been replaced by<br />
slightly larger buildings including one described as a hall located<br />
opposite the Home for Incurable Jews.<br />
11.7.3 On the site under consideration the northern element of the terrace<br />
facing onto High Road is now illustrated following the building line of the<br />
remainder of the terrace instead of recessed as on the 1915 OS Plan. It<br />
now also extends further west along West Green Road and is<br />
described as a bank, whilst the four terraced units to its south are<br />
illustrated as on previous plans. However, the remainder of the building<br />
facing onto the High Road, previously shown as a terrace of individual<br />
elements extending south to include the return splay onto <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Road, now appears as one single element which has also been<br />
extended to the rear in a series of three steps and is included as part of<br />
the single large element. This is known to have been “Wards” shop.<br />
11.8.0 Consideration of the 1975-77 OS Map Appendix 2.10<br />
11.8.1 Little change is evident in the vicinity of the site. The most significant<br />
difference appears to be the demolition of the buildings opposite the<br />
site on the east side of the “High Road” located between Ashmount<br />
Road and Earlesmead Road. On the west side of the High Road the<br />
Building housing the Polytechnic appears to have expanded and is now<br />
41
described as a Collage and possibly includes the building previously<br />
named the “Home for Incurable Jews”.<br />
11.8.2 The plan of the buildings on the site appears to be unchanged.<br />
11.9.0 Consideration of the 1983-88 OS Plan. Appendix 2.11<br />
11.9.1 A number of changes are apparent in the vicinity of the site<br />
11.9.2 On the east side of the High Street the building previously named as a<br />
bank at the junction of Broad Street and High Road is still illustrated.<br />
However the land facing the High Road to its north previously occupied<br />
by small buildings on the roadside, along with a garage and its roadside<br />
forecourt is now illustrated as redeveloped with a single large building<br />
that is currently occupied by Tesco.<br />
11.9.3 The large triangular area of land on the south-east side of <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Road Building, bounded also by High Road s and extending<br />
south west as far as the curve of Stonebridge Road, which forms an arc<br />
spanning the junction between two railway lines, has been totally re-<br />
planned and redeveloped with a totally different layout of roads and<br />
buildings.<br />
12 .0.0THE EXISTING CARACTER AND APPEARANCE OF THE<br />
CONSERVATION AREA IN THE VICINITY OF THE SITE.<br />
12.1.0 The Designated Conservation Area<br />
42
12.1.1 As already noted, part of the site is located within the <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong>/Page Green Conservation Area which was designated in 1998<br />
by the Borough of Haringey.<br />
12.1.2 In February 2008 the Council adopted the “Tottenham High Road<br />
Historic Conservation Area Partnership Scheme” (CAP). It stated in<br />
page 2/40 that its reason for the Conservation Area designation was<br />
“to create a continuous historic corridor from the border with Hackney in<br />
the south to the border with Enfield in the north and in order to<br />
regenerate this area of South Tottenham.”<br />
12.1.3 In 2009, the Council adopted a revised “Tottenham High Road Historic<br />
Conservation Area Appraisal” in which the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Conservation<br />
Area is assessed and this will be referred to later.<br />
12.2.0 Overview of the Contribution of History and Development to the<br />
Layout, Appearance, Character and Significance of the<br />
Conservation Area.<br />
12.2.1 Tottenham generally and of the area in the vicinity of the site under<br />
consideration has been significantly influenced by the history of its<br />
development much of which is related to the development of transport<br />
to satisfy changing military, commercial, industrial, social and aspiration<br />
conditions commencing with the development of Ermine Street by the<br />
Romans. As already noted, the manor of Tottenham, and many other<br />
associated settlements, developed on the route. There have been<br />
many deviations along the route of Ermine Street over two millennia,<br />
and Tottenham High Road is a typical deviation from that original route<br />
and is now the principal highway.<br />
12.2.2 As already noted when considering the 1609 map the area was then<br />
essentially rural with only a tiny hamlet of small houses located just off<br />
the “High Road” around what was probably a common at Page Green<br />
43
where the cluster of trees later named <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> was already<br />
illustrated. The width of the High Road as illustrated is a significant<br />
feature There was little change by publication of the 1748 survey map<br />
although the hamlet had intensified slightly and expanded to include<br />
four or five dwellings on the west side of the High Road.<br />
12.2.3 The continued importance of The High Road is emphasised by it<br />
becoming a Turnpike Road with tolls charged. The date of it becoming<br />
a Turnpike is uncertain. By 1700 the state of Britain’s roads was<br />
generally appalling and most were rutted muddy ditches which had<br />
grown in width to alleviate the problems. The width of the High Road in<br />
Tottenham as illustrated on the 1609 and 1748 survey maps may well<br />
have been a consequence of this problem. Parliament created the first<br />
turnpike trust in 1706 permitting businesses to be formed which could<br />
charge a toll for using a road with the money used to maintain the road.<br />
The boom in Turnpike occurred after about 1851and by 1830 there<br />
were approximately 1,100 trusts. The establishment of each Trust<br />
required an Act of Parliament. The earliest turnpikes tended to be<br />
established around London but from 1750 this was followed by the<br />
Midlands then after about 1790 by the north of England. By the end of<br />
the eighteenth century nearly all main roads were Turnpikes. They<br />
inevitably reflected the pattern of economic growth and especially that<br />
resulting from the Industrial Revolution. The improved roads permitted<br />
a significant increase of haulage, passenger coaches and the national<br />
postal service.<br />
12.2.4 The 1810 plan illustrating the Turnpike Road provides limited<br />
information but does indicate that no fundamental change had<br />
occurred, although the road appears to have become more constrained<br />
and regular in width, probably as a result of its improvement although<br />
this date preceded the invention of Telford Pitching or the more<br />
successful Macadam method of road building. At this stage, however,<br />
the road is shown bounded by a narrow plantation of trees named “The<br />
Grove” on its west side north of the junction with West Green Road.<br />
44
Unimaginatively maintained remnants of this margin and its trees still<br />
remain and form an important but a disappointingly dull and bleak part<br />
of the character of the conservation area. The area has enormous<br />
potential for tree and other planting and imaginative improvement by<br />
Haringey Council that would reflect its history and also reduce the<br />
engineered dominance of the highway and greatly enhance the<br />
appearance, character and significance of the conservation area as a<br />
whole.<br />
12.2.5 The 1864-75 OS Plans illustrate that the area was still essentially rural<br />
the area was essentially agricultural and rural with a patchwork of small<br />
fields, In common with the area south of the railway line the High Road<br />
was characterised by many small country houses and villas, besides<br />
smaller rural houses for the developing middle classes seeking to<br />
emulate their aristocratic and wealthier neighbours throughout the<br />
Tottenham area. These rapidly lost their fashionable appeal once the<br />
railways made the area equally accessible to the masses of the lower<br />
classes and the fine houses were precipitously sold as development<br />
sites for terraced housing. On the site under consideration, however,<br />
the layout of Suffield Lodge and the land separating it from the highway<br />
have had a subtle but on-going local effect on the existing character of<br />
the area and have clearly influenced aspects of the design of the<br />
current proposal as will be referred to later.<br />
12.2.6 Transport, the development of the urban economy, and the<br />
development of a vast lower- middle class of clerks supporting that<br />
economy, along with a rapidly developing artisan class and their<br />
housing and social needs dramatically changed the character of the<br />
entire area from the late 1870s. The railways enabled this vast army of<br />
people to commute easily and cheaply into London, whilst the need for<br />
cheap housing resulted in the development of dense grids of streets<br />
bounded by small terraced houses along with a sprinkling of slightly<br />
larger and grander terraced housing to accommodate supporting<br />
trades- people and junior management. The need for local shops by a<br />
45
substantial local population resulted in the conversion of the terrace of<br />
houses on the site under consideration to a parade of shops and later<br />
to one larger store, which subsequently closed, in response to ongoing<br />
changes in retail requirements and market forces The present character<br />
of Tottenham in the vicinity of the site is the result of this combination of<br />
historical transport economic and social influences along with housing,<br />
retail and social needs and the associated impact on social and<br />
personal aspirations.<br />
12.2.7 Following the dramatic development that occurred during the twenty or<br />
so years following the introduction of the railways the pace of change<br />
inevitably slowed but has been continuous, and indeed has accelerated<br />
during the second half of the twentieth century in response to the<br />
changing and growing need for housing and in response to changing<br />
retail aspirations as indicated by the development of the Tesco store on<br />
the east side of Tottenham High Road.<br />
12.2.8 The result of this development and ongoing change has resulted in the<br />
existing character and appearance of the conservation area and the<br />
areas close to the conservation area in the broad vicinity of the site<br />
under consideration.<br />
12.3.0 The Present Overall Character and Appearance of the<br />
Conservation Area<br />
12.3.1 The Conservation area is limited in its extent and scope. It includes the<br />
length of the High Road between the railway- lines to the south and<br />
extends to the north as far as 293 High Road, stopping short of the<br />
building that was the Home for Incurable Jews. It also extends to the<br />
east along Broad Street to some degree including and Page Green and<br />
some roads off it. However the extent and scope of the designation of<br />
the conservation area was extremely selective and whilst including the<br />
full length of the High Road itself, it only included some of the built<br />
facades that enclose it. Nevertheless, I consider that the appearance,<br />
46
character and significance of all the buildings flanking and enclosing the<br />
length of Tottenham High Road, and indeed the appearance and<br />
character of the road itself including its junctions to lateral roads,<br />
contribute to the character appearance and significance of the<br />
conservation area as a whole, and therefore will be assessed and<br />
described in my <strong>statement</strong>. This will satisfy Section 128 of the NPPF<br />
which states: “In determining applications, local planning authorities<br />
should require an applicant to describe the significance of any <strong>heritage</strong><br />
assets affected, including any contribution made by their setting. The<br />
level of detail should be proportionate to the assets’ importance and no<br />
more than is sufficient to understand the potential impact of the<br />
proposal on their significance. As a minimum the relevant historic<br />
environment record should have been consulted and the <strong>heritage</strong><br />
assets assessed using appropriate expertise where necessary.”<br />
12.3.2 Within this area, the character of the conservation area is dominated<br />
and almost overwhelmed by the nature of highway itself which is an<br />
extremely busy dual carriageway with major junctions into <strong>Seven</strong><br />
Sister’s Road and Broad Lane all with a dominating preponderance of<br />
street “furniture. The Conservation Area Character Appraisal within<br />
Tottenham High Road Historic Corridor adopted by the London<br />
Borough of Haringey in 2009 states in paragraph 8.1 “Within this area,<br />
the High Road is at its busiest and most divisive, and the busy junctions<br />
with Broad Lane and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road have a significant influence<br />
on the area’s character.”<br />
12.3.3 The Conservation Area Character Appraisal dated 2009 states “the<br />
conservation area can be split into sub areas to identify its character<br />
and appearance:”<br />
Sub Area 1. High Road (west side)<br />
Sub Area 2. High Road (east side) Broad Lane & Wakefield Road<br />
Sub Area 3. High Road (east side) South of Broad Lane<br />
47
12.3.4 However, whilst the conservation area can be split into sub areas to<br />
identify its character and appearance, in my opinion, this alone is<br />
inadequate. It is Tottenham High Road and the roads branching off it<br />
that visually, physically and psychologically divide the conservation<br />
area into fragments each of which have quite different characteristics.<br />
Moreover, the associated roads themselves including their character,<br />
appearance and <strong>heritage</strong> significance must be considered on their own<br />
and in relation to each sub area. Whilst dividing the built environment<br />
into separate areas, the roads also physically connect them into a<br />
whole, the character, appearance and significance of which must also<br />
be considered and appraised.<br />
12.3.5 In the context of Tottenham High Road as a conservation area, I also<br />
consider it inappropriate to appraise only the buildings within the<br />
conservation when appraising its character, appearance and<br />
significance. It is reasonable to consider the sub areas referred to in the<br />
Conservation Area Appraisal, as quoted above, but in my opinion these<br />
sub areas of the conservation equally include the buildings and<br />
environment which are excluded from the conservation area but which<br />
abut and enclose both it, including those in the adjacent South Green<br />
Conservation area which immediately abut the South <strong>Sisters</strong>/Page<br />
Green Conservation Area. They make an equivalent contribution to the<br />
appearance, character and significance of the Tottenham High Road as<br />
an historic corridor and as a conservation area. Whilst appreciating that<br />
conservation areas always have boundaries, the relevant length of<br />
Tottenham High Road within the conservation area appraised is a<br />
physical and environmental ‘entity’ including all its physical enclosure<br />
and in my opinion should be considered as a whole with its positive,<br />
negative and neutral contributions when appraising the character,<br />
appearance and significance of the Conservation Area and/or its sub<br />
areas. The street enclosing buildings and their environment are much<br />
more than just a “setting”, they form a fundamental part of the roadways<br />
which are the core of the conservation area and form an essential and<br />
coherent part of its street scene and so fully contribute to its<br />
48
appearance character and significance. NPPF accepts the fact in<br />
section 138 that “Not all elements of a World Heritage Site or<br />
Conservation Area will necessarily contribute to its significance” (It does<br />
not state IN a conservation area) Annex 2 of NPPF defines<br />
“Significance (for <strong>heritage</strong> policy): The value of a <strong>heritage</strong> asset to this<br />
and future generations because of its <strong>heritage</strong> interest. That interest<br />
may be archaeological, architectural, artistic or historic. Significance<br />
derives not only from a <strong>heritage</strong> asset’s physical presence, but also<br />
from its setting.”<br />
12.4.0 The East Side of Tottenham High Road North of Broad Lane<br />
12.4.1 The east side of Tottenham High Road immediately to the north of the<br />
<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Page Green Conservation Area is bounded by a series<br />
of short two and three storey mid nineteenth century abutting terraces<br />
of houses built from yellow stock brick, most of which, as noted in the<br />
Haringey 2009 Appraisal of the Tottenham Green Conservation Area<br />
“have mostly been adversely altered and have unsympathetic retail<br />
units at ground floor level.” The most distant in the group, Nos. 270 to<br />
274 are three storeys and have High Road have roofs substantially<br />
concealed behind a parapet. (Photographs 1 and 2) Each house is two<br />
windows wide with ground floor shop fronts that retain their shop<br />
surround pilasters and corbel brackets. The Haringey Appraisal<br />
considered them to make a positive contribution to the street scene of<br />
this part of the conservation area.<br />
12.4.2 Nos. 266 & 268 High Road are much lower and have two stories with<br />
three twin-sash windows (replaced) below a low parapet with a<br />
continuous slate mansard roof with three attic windows. The first floor<br />
brickwork has been painted white. The ground floor shop replicates<br />
some traditional shop front features. (Photograph 2)The building is<br />
considered in the Haringey appraisal to make a positive contribution to<br />
the street scene.<br />
49
12.4 3 No. 264 appears to be a mid C19 two bay three storey house,<br />
including a shorter attic storey, above which a low parapet conceals a<br />
low pitched roof. Abutting this, are two somewhat ungainly three<br />
storey, three bay, mid-twentieth century houses at Nos. 258 and 260.<br />
Each has tripartite windows with casements on either side of a central<br />
fixed light with a top-light over, flanking a central two-light window, at<br />
first floor level. Uncomfortably-high up the façade are similar but<br />
shorter second floor windows located too close to the plain coping of a<br />
very low parapet spanning between crudely upstanding party walls.<br />
The facade of Nos. 258 has been painted white which compromises<br />
the continuity of the street enclosing façade, and all of the buildings<br />
have suffered from detrimental alterations. (Photograph 2)<br />
12.4.4 At the southern boundary of the conservation area, and abutting the<br />
Tesco building in the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Conservation/Page Green<br />
Conservation Area, Nos. 250 to 256 High Road comprise mid 19 th<br />
Century two storey double fronted houses each of which originally had<br />
three sash windows at first floor level although these have been<br />
replaced at No 250, adjacent to Tesco’s by wholly inappropriate<br />
casement windows in a horizontal apertures. (Photograph 3) All four<br />
houses have low parapets and slate mansard roofs with a pair of attic<br />
dormer windows with sashes. No 250 has replaced the sashes with<br />
inappropriate casements. Although No. 256 is the only one to retain its<br />
original parapet cornice and its ground floor residential elevation with<br />
central entrance door with a timber doorcase, flat hood and flight of<br />
stone steps. The twelve paned sash windows have been replaced with<br />
plain sheet glass however, and it has also now has painted brickwork.<br />
The other three buildings have all been altered by the introduction of<br />
inappropriately designed ground floor shop-fronts. However, in my<br />
opinion they still make a positive if modest contribution to the character<br />
and appearance of the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong>/Page Green Conservation Area.<br />
50
12.4.5Within the conservation area under consideration, this section of the<br />
High Road is somewhat dominated by the Tesco’s Supermarket<br />
Building and its relationship to the Grade II listed building to its south at<br />
the junction with Broad Lane. It appears to have tried, in my opinion<br />
unsuccessfully, to relate to the adjacent Listed Grade II building that<br />
was once Barclay’s Bank. (Photograph 5) The height of the principal<br />
plane of its principal façade is similar to that of the adjacent listed<br />
building and the equivalent to four storeys of nearby domestic buildings<br />
to its north.(Photographs 3 and 6) Like the bank its façade above<br />
ground floor level is divided into quite wide bays by pilasters which at<br />
the bank are of rusticated stone (Photographs 5 and 8) and at Tesco’s<br />
are weighty projecting red brick fins with concrete caps which<br />
approximately lines with, and may be an attempt to relate to the partly<br />
balustrade stone parapet that caps the Barclay’s Bank façade. The<br />
base of the brick fins sit on canted cantilevered white painted concrete<br />
plinth which project between deep, blind arched, concrete lintels<br />
projecting beyond the recessed glazed shop-front. (Photographs 5 and<br />
6) The ten bays to the High Road façade at Tesco’s, however, are all<br />
identical and blandly infilled by three vertical panels of vertical louvers<br />
screening a car park resulting in a lifeless monolithic façade with a<br />
dominating rhythm. (Photographs 5 and 8)<br />
12.4.6 Tesco’s is separated from the former Barclay’s Bank, which is Grade II<br />
Listed by a narrow alleyway. (Photograph 8) The bank building is<br />
three tall commercial storeys high. The ground floor elevations are<br />
totally constructed of sandstone the horizontal banded rustication of<br />
which return into the jambs of windows of which the architraved<br />
archways spring from a moulded string course. The first and second<br />
floors are divided into bays by rusticated sandstone pilasters supporting<br />
an entablature and cornice above which is a partly balustraded stone<br />
parapet partly masking an additional attic storey with pedimented<br />
dormer windows in the steeply pitched roof. (Photograph 8) Unlike<br />
Tesco’s ten bay long High Road elevation, the bank’s High Road<br />
façade at first and second floor levels is just three bays long, two of<br />
51
which are equal in width and subdivided by thee brick-built secondary<br />
pilasters which flank a stacked pair of sandstone dressed sash<br />
windows, whilst the end bay prior to the canted return into Broad Street<br />
has three similar stacked windows each also flanked by brick<br />
secondary pilasters creating a lively asymmetry which is emphasised by<br />
the quirkiness of the design of a splayed corner which successfully<br />
returns the building into Broad Lane. (Photograph 10)The splay<br />
includes an arched doorway at ground floor level, whilst at first and<br />
second floor levels slender cantilevered octagonal pepper pot turrets<br />
define the corners, and extend up above roof level to flank a tall and<br />
slender gablet capped by a stylised open topped broken pediment. The<br />
Broad Lane facade repeats the three widowed end bay on High Street.<br />
12.4.7 Immediately to the east of the bank corner building, the over dominant<br />
Tesco building also expresses itself on Broad Lane with an unattractive<br />
red brick flank elevation and vehicular ramps which has a detrimental<br />
impact on the street scene in the conservation area. (Photographs 11<br />
and 12)<br />
12.4.8 East of Tesco’s , Nos. 9 to 35 Broad Lane comprise a terrace of<br />
relatively uniform two storey dwellings, which are constructed of red<br />
brick and have canted bay windows at ground and first floor level with<br />
stucco detailing, capped with steeply pitched pantiled hipped<br />
roofs.(Photograph 13)<br />
12.4.9 Nos. 7 to 23 (odd) Ashmount Road, on the south side of the Common,<br />
is a two storey terrace of houses that are identical in form and materials<br />
to those on the northern side of Broad Lane. Both terraces are typical<br />
of innumerable examples throughout London and are not innovative in<br />
any way and so have only modest architectural interest. Nevertheless,<br />
although many of the properties have unsympathetic painted or<br />
rendered facades as well as modern windows and roofs, as a<br />
consistent group they make a modestly positive contribution to the<br />
street scene in a part of the conservation area, which with the exception<br />
52
of the Barclay’s bank building, is essentially architecturally modest. .<br />
The Haringey Conservation Area Appraisal considers the terraces<br />
provide the street with a degree of uniformity. However, in my opinion<br />
the overall width of Broad Lane , the Common, and Ashmount Road is<br />
so considerable and the impact of the roads with the quantity traffic so<br />
great that the modest two storey terraces are incapable of relating to<br />
each other, or together making a significant contribution to the<br />
character and appearance of the conservation area as a<br />
whole.(Photographs 13- 16)<br />
12.4.10Buildings on Broad Lane east of the junction with Talbot Road are<br />
quite remote from the site under consideration and so are not<br />
considered here in detail. They are however described in the Haringey<br />
Conservation Area Assessment.<br />
12.4.11Broad Lane is flanked on its south side by “Page Green Common”, a<br />
local open space which includes a large drum shaped ventilation shaft<br />
to the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> underground station and is surrounded by a<br />
number of mature deciduous trees. It has previously been known as<br />
<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Common after a circle of <strong>Seven</strong> Elms which were shown<br />
on the Earl of Dorset’s Survey dated 1619 (Appendix 2.1) and were<br />
reputedly planted by seven sisters in the C14. These trees no longer<br />
exist and the width of Broad Lane has encroached on the Green which,<br />
in my opinion, now adds to the sense of open-ness and distance<br />
between buildings whilst making a disappointingly small beneficial<br />
impact on the appearance and character of this part of the conservation<br />
area which to me feels dominated by roads.<br />
12.4.12The widths, character, appearance and divisive nature of the roads<br />
themselves contribute a major element in the character nature and<br />
significance of the conservation area locally in the vicinity of the<br />
junction of Broad Lane and the High Road. It results in the street<br />
enclosing buildings on opposite sides of roads and especially at<br />
junctions being so far apart and separated by such an expanse of<br />
53
unrelieved characterless tarmacadum and with so much intervening<br />
and distracting street furniture such as barriers and highway style lamp<br />
posts that the buildings have difficulty in achieving that sense of spatial<br />
enclosure that creates that sense of place and destination with local<br />
distinctiveness that feels comfortable to the pedestrian. (Photographs<br />
14, 16, 17, 18, 19 20) Inevitably it is the larger taller and/or more<br />
visually stimulating buildings sometimes assisted by trees that contend<br />
most successfully with the scale of the High Road and Broad Street<br />
and create some sense of enclosure when viewed across the highway,<br />
sometimes regardless of the actual quality of the architecture..<br />
(Photographs 5, 6, 9, 10, 14, 20)<br />
12.5.0 The East Side of Tottenham High Road South of Broad Lane<br />
12 5.1 The late twentieth century on the east side of the High Road located<br />
between Ashmount Road and Earlesmead Road is not included in the<br />
conservation area and whilst not being architecturally distinguished<br />
does begin to achieve the sense of scale coupled with articulation,<br />
detail rhythm and elevational pattern that draws the eye and just begins<br />
to compete, with reasonable success, with the scale of the road, even<br />
when viewed from the site on the west side of the High Road.<br />
(Photograph 20). It also achieves a five storey height and volume,<br />
along with a degree of detail on the south corner of Broad Lane which<br />
to some extent balances that achieved by the Barclay’s Bank building<br />
on the opposite corner. (Photographs 10 and 14) although even this<br />
finds it difficult to truly contend with the actual width across Broad Lane.<br />
(Photograph 14) Its scale reduces to four storeys as it returns into the<br />
more domestic environment of Earlesmede Road. (Photograph 22)<br />
12.5.2 In this respect the surviving but much altered end of the terrace on the<br />
site at the junction of the High Road and West Green Road also makes<br />
a similar but more limited contribution to the street enclosure when<br />
seen from the east side of High Road by marking one of the street<br />
corners at a major if slightly offset crossroads. It is however only three<br />
54
storeys tall and its character is not maintained along the length of the<br />
terrace. (Photographs 17, 18 and 19)<br />
12.5.3 Earlesmede Road is not in the conservation area but does form a<br />
limited part of its setting and does provide an enclosed perspective<br />
view towards part of the existing High Road-facing terrace on the site.<br />
The two storey terraces bounding Earlesmede Road buildings are<br />
modest but pleasant with single storey bays windows and sometimes<br />
with gabled dormer windows on the north side and the more vertical<br />
rhythm of two storey canted bay windows on the south side.<br />
(Photographs 22 and 23) The scale of the buildings is appropriate to<br />
the width of the road and creates a comfortable sense of enclosed<br />
space. The horizontal line of the much altered High Road terrace on the<br />
site closes the view at the west end of Earlesmead Road, if in a<br />
somewhat undistinguished manner. (Photographs 24 and 25)<br />
12.5.4 The grouping of two buildings on the east side of the High Road<br />
between Earlesmede Road and Pembroke Road is of greater<br />
architectural interest. To the north at 206 to 212 High Road, is a<br />
terrace of four two storey mid Victorian houses over semi basements<br />
which adds a degree of height. They are set back from the High road<br />
itself behind what was in 1896 a wide tree planted verge continuing that<br />
still existing between Page Green Terrace and the High Road which<br />
would have created an equally attractive enclave off the busy road.<br />
That has now been replaced by an access road parallel to the High<br />
Road from which it is separated only by a pavement and is accessible<br />
from the west end of Pembroke Road. Although lacking sufficient height<br />
to compete with the dominating visual impact of the total width of roads,<br />
this is partly compensated for by the scale of the secondary access<br />
road and its visual enclosure to the north by the building north of<br />
Earlesmede Road, (Photograph 29) and by their intensity of detail.<br />
(Photograph 27) They are built from red brick with a low parapet with<br />
strongly contrasting painted stone or stucco detailing. The roofs are<br />
slated and have the traditional raised party walls but no chimneys.<br />
55
There is some variety in the detailing and especially for the end<br />
properties, the southern one of which was shown as a bank on the<br />
1896 OS Plan . However the terrace is primarily characterised by front<br />
doors recessed into a porch and approached by a flight of stucco<br />
balustraded steps, over which is a single sash window at first floor<br />
level, and by three two storey canted bay windows with brick mullions<br />
and steep, finial capped, slated hipped roofs. The brick mullions to bay<br />
windows have simple stylised stucco capitals connected by stucco<br />
band courses whilst similarly simplified stucco bases are visually<br />
connected by stucco sills. The porches to front doors have plain brick<br />
pilasters also capped with stylised capitals and scrolled brackets<br />
supporting stylised entablatures to front doors have simple stylised<br />
stucco capitals. The detailing combines to create a strong pattern,<br />
rhythm and sense of local character. Front gardens enclosed by brick<br />
walls are now somewhat neglected whilst that to the southern-most<br />
house has been sadly replaced by a hard standing.<br />
12.5.5 This sense of very local character and place is further enhanced by the<br />
adjacent “Christ Apostolic Church”. The building is two storeys high<br />
and quite small in size but its castellated turreted form and highly<br />
detailed design with Art Deco influences in its recessed central section<br />
along with the use of a dark red brick contrasting with white stucco<br />
detailing in an area generally characterised by yellow London stock<br />
results in it making a positive <strong>statement</strong> and achieving a prominence<br />
that belies its small size, especially when seen from the pavement on<br />
the east side of the High Road. It gains visual strength too from the<br />
relationship in terms of brick and stucco with its neighbouring terrace<br />
to the north as already described, (Photographs 27-30) The church<br />
building, which was originally constructed as a Salvation Army Citadel,<br />
is adjoined to the north by a single storey hall with a stepped gable.<br />
(Photograph 28) It is recessed further back than the adjacent terrace<br />
from the High Road which does create the sense of a small forecourt<br />
which as with the terrace to the north was originally shielded from the<br />
main highway by a wide verge planted with trees which would have<br />
56
created an attractive enclosed enclave detached from the business of<br />
the High Road. Sadly that is no longer the cases and the setting for this<br />
pleasing small building is somewhat bleak. Inevitably its positive impact<br />
is reduced when seen from across the width of the High Road from its<br />
western pavements. Nevertheless it does make a positive contribution<br />
to the character, appearance and significance of the street-scene and<br />
the conservation area as a whole and is appropriately locally listed. It<br />
also helps frame the view, from Pembroke Road into the High Street, at<br />
a point where is begins to feel more verdant from trees bounding the<br />
road which forms an attractive foreground for a view towards the site at<br />
its junction between <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road and the High Street.<br />
(Photograph 33). In my assessment the attractive quality and<br />
architectural interest of these buildings is very different from the much<br />
altered and rundown character of the buildings facing them on the site<br />
on the opposite side of the High Road. (Photographs 31 and 32). Apex<br />
House with its clock tower, and the Wards shop building on the site,<br />
can be seen flanking the entrance to <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road from the end<br />
of Pembroke Road with the view framed by the church. (Photograph<br />
33)<br />
12.5.6 To the south of the church, the junction between Pembroke Road and<br />
Page Green Terrace is beautifully defined by No. 200 High Road.<br />
Including a semi basement this grand late 19 th century house is four<br />
storeys high and designed in an interpretation of the Venetian<br />
Classical Manner. (Photograph 30 and 37) It is constructed from an<br />
elegant warm grey brick with highly decorated elevations under a<br />
moulded and bracketed parapet cornice. The ground floor has<br />
elaborately decorated stucco canted bay windows and a distyle<br />
entrance porch entrance porch arched on all three elevations. The<br />
windows on the upper floors are paired above the ground floor bay<br />
windows but single elsewhere and all have stucco semicircular<br />
arched heads springing from moulded stucco string courses or from<br />
the foliate capitals if stucco columnets between paired or canted bay<br />
windows. It maintains a characteristic of the conservation area,<br />
57
already observed, of the most substantial and sometimes the most<br />
high quality buildings generally being located to define street corners.<br />
12.5.7 This imposing but gentle house is adjoined to the south by Nos.184 to<br />
198 , a more restrained terrace of abutting three storey houses of<br />
slightly varying heights nearly every one of which is individually<br />
designed in the late Victorian interpretation of the domestic classical<br />
style. (Photographs 37-39) They include a variety of detailing such as<br />
one or two storey canted bays and square two storey bays with<br />
tripartite and mullioned windows under hipped roofs, otherwise most<br />
have plain undecorated sash window apertures at the upper levels with<br />
painted lintels which are sometimes plain, sometimes with key stones<br />
and sometimes segmentally arched. Several have had the brickwork<br />
painted. No 198 has a parapet but most have eaves with gutters and<br />
downpipes. The property as the southern end of the terrace has a<br />
Mansard Roof with attic windows in addition to its principal three<br />
storeys. Many have had unfortunate alterations which detract from their<br />
integrity and appearance and therefore from their contribution to the<br />
appearance, character and significance of the conservation area as a<br />
whole. Nevertheless I agree with the Haringey Conservation Area<br />
Character Appraisal that they do maintain the scale, character and<br />
rhythm of the conservation area and make a positive contribution to<br />
the street scene. They therefore also make a positive contribution to the<br />
overall character local distinctiveness and significance of the<br />
conservation area. The terrace is also enhanced by its setting facing a<br />
secondary access road parallel to the High Road but separated from it<br />
by a wide verge planted with trees. Propertes further to the south<br />
maintain a similar character and appearance but are too far from the<br />
site to consider in detail.<br />
12.6.0 The West Side of Tottenham High Road South of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
Road.<br />
58
12.6.1 The buildings and their landscaping enclosing the High Road for its<br />
entire length within the conservation area south of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road<br />
are excluded from the Designated Conservation Area. The road itself,<br />
however, is included and its appearance, character and significance as<br />
an element in the conservation area are very substantially dependant<br />
on the buildings and townscape that enclose it on both sides.<br />
12.6.2 Tottenham High Road within the conservation area south of the junction<br />
with <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road is wide and busy with two traffic lanes in each<br />
direction. However, for this length it is not a dual carriageway with a<br />
central reservation, or a central barrier, therefore it is less visually<br />
divisive then north of the junction. Moreover, beyond the width of the<br />
pavement the road is tree lined on both sides providing a hint of its<br />
more verdant rural or semi-rural suburban history (See 1864 OS Plan<br />
Appendix 2.4) a fragment of which survived when the area was built up<br />
with terraces of Victorian terraces of Houses. (See 1896 OS Plan<br />
Appendix 2.7) and with a scale just sufficient to create a sense of<br />
enclosure and streetscape for the roadway. (Photographs 42, 46 and<br />
47)<br />
12.6.3 The existing layout of apartment buildings on Tottenham High Road<br />
south of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road is quite different from that of the early<br />
nineteenth century semi rural villa or the layout of terraced line streets<br />
that had subsequently existed since the middle of the nineteenth<br />
century. However, it still maintains the character of substantial buildings<br />
enclosing the streetscape, although they are now set back slightly from<br />
the pavement boundary wall. (Photographs 42-46) This has allowed the<br />
planting of the row of now quite substantial trees between the<br />
development and the pavement which contributes successfully to the<br />
character and quality of the conservation area. It also relates to and<br />
empathises with the historic set back of buildings bounding the High<br />
Road north of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road and so with the tree planting does<br />
59
successfully reinforce an important element of the local character and<br />
distinctiveness in an urban environment.<br />
12.6.4 The three storey brick built apartment buildings comprise blocks of<br />
modest length which reflect and respect the form of the Victorian<br />
terraces that preceded them. The horizontal axis of the fenestration is<br />
typical of the mid to late twentieth century and creates a strong<br />
disciplined pattern and repetitive horizontal rhythm, below a distinctly<br />
horizontal eaves line that typifies many nineteenth century terraces in<br />
vernacular interpretations domestic classical style including those in<br />
and adjacent to the conservation area. (Photograph 44) The overall<br />
street south of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road façade also adopts a degree of<br />
variety with buildings of differing forms, heights and detailing<br />
reminiscent of indigenous development rather than the more regular<br />
planned terraces that characterise some of the grander and more<br />
formal parts of London. Appropriately, however, the late twentieth<br />
century buildings do not in any way attempt to copy the Victorian<br />
interpretation of the vernacular domestic classical style. They adopt<br />
heights and proportions compatible with twentieth century needs and<br />
sustainability constraints along with horizontal window patterns<br />
appropriate to the preference for wide fixed lights and casement<br />
windows rather than sash windows whilst still respecting the more<br />
abstract characteristics of form with an overall dominance of<br />
horizontality, patterns and rhythms that characterise much of the<br />
nineteenth century domestic architecture in and adjacent to the<br />
conservation area. The blocks are built from bricks that respect the<br />
colour of buildings in the area. Equally importantly however, the overall<br />
street façade also adopts a degree of variety with buildings of differing<br />
forms, heights and detailing reminiscent of indigenous development<br />
rather than the more regular planned terraces that characterise some of<br />
the grander and more formal parts of London. As with the bank building<br />
on the opposite side of the High Street at the junction with Broad Lane<br />
which has a different scale and proportions to the domestic buildings on<br />
the High Road and Broad Lane, Apex House on the corner with <strong>Seven</strong><br />
60
<strong>Sisters</strong> Road clearly fulfils the different requirements of a commercial<br />
building and also has a different scale and proportions from the<br />
domestic buildings on the High Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road. It adopts<br />
a more vertical fenestration pattern and rhythm which along with it<br />
campanile like clock tower contributes the sense of verticality to an<br />
otherwise classically proportioned building complete with porticoes on<br />
is two principal elevations. (Photographs 33 and 48 - 53) Like the<br />
buildings previously on the site is set back from the High Road but in<br />
this case is canted at an angle to it in order to address <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
Road “straight on”. The combination of buildings along the road<br />
‘echoes’ the variety in the overall form of the High Road enclosing<br />
façades extending north of West Green Road within the conservation<br />
area and then as far as the old Jewish Hospital and beyond.<br />
(Photographs 60, 74, 94, 95-100 and 1). None of the buildings is<br />
remarkable or of significantly high architectural merit, but they are<br />
pleasant, and appropriately respect the general architectural quality of<br />
the overall location. The also maintain the transient nature of the area’s<br />
character which has been developing and changing, sometimes<br />
dramatically and sometimes more gradually continuously over nearly<br />
two centuries to reflect continuously changing social, retail, commercial<br />
and transport condition, requirements and aspirations. In this respect<br />
they form an ongoing part of the areas historical and architectural<br />
development and significance. In my opinion though their contribution<br />
to the appearance, character, local distinctiveness and significance of<br />
the conservation area is neutral.<br />
12.7.0 The West Side of Tottenham High Road North of West Green Road<br />
12.7.1 The character and appearance of this enclosure of Tottenham High<br />
Road is substantially established by two Victorian terraces comprising<br />
the longer terrace at Nos. 267- 287 (Photographs 95 to 97) and the<br />
short terrace at 289-293. (Photograph 98) They were both built<br />
61
subsequent to publication of the 1874 OS plan but before that of 1896.<br />
They are both three storeys high and constructed from yellow London<br />
Stock bricks under slate roofs which have with typical Model Bye Law<br />
raised party walls between each dwelling and a strong rhythm of<br />
substantial chimney stacks between alternate houses articulating the<br />
skyline. The dwellings are paired forming a slow irregular rhythm of<br />
adjacent front doors recessed in linked stuccoed aedicules with<br />
columned pilasters with debased Corinthian capitals supporting flat<br />
arches with corniced entablatures on which are paired sash windows at<br />
first floor level, flanked by the rhythm of larger scaled white painted<br />
stucco canted bay windows at ground and first floor levels with plain<br />
sashes and columned pilasters decorating the canted mullions capped<br />
by slated hipped roofs, which are more widely paired with their abutting<br />
neighbours. The second floor level includes shorter single sash<br />
windows which do not relate to the location or rhythm of the<br />
fenestration below. Window heads at all levels have stepped and<br />
splayed stucco flat-arched heads. The intended rhythm and pattern of<br />
the longer terrace is compromised at its southern end (Photograph 96)<br />
by the fact that two dwellings have been painted white whilst some<br />
windows have had the addition of totally incongruous glazing bars. The<br />
terrace at 289-293 north of Pelham Road appears (Photograph 98)<br />
slightly more staccato and more heavily detailed partly because, as is<br />
apparent from study of the 1896 and 1913 OS plans, (Appendices 2.7<br />
and 2.8) that the terrace has subsequently been shortened from five to<br />
three dwellings. The terrace is first shown shortened on the 1936 OS<br />
plan, presumably to enable the extension of the adjacent Home for<br />
Incurable Jews. The shortened length inevitably destroyed any sense of<br />
rhythm. Whilst pleasant the detail of both terraces is somewhat fussy<br />
and clearly mass produced and the style is typical of numerous<br />
Victorian terraces throughout London. They have no special<br />
architectural or historic interest, but the local listing is undoubtedly<br />
justifiable. The two terraces comprise a substantial proportion of the<br />
<strong>heritage</strong> architecture that contributes to the appearance, character and<br />
62
significance of the conservation area along this segment of Tottenham<br />
High Road.<br />
12.7.2 Both of these terraces are set back from the road behind a wide but<br />
soul-less and characterless boulevard like pavement dotted with the<br />
remnants of the rows of trees which formed the “grove” on the 1810<br />
Turnpike Road plan (Appendix 2.3) and fronted the villa of the same<br />
name on the 1876 OS Plan. This wide pavement now provides a<br />
superb opportunity for a characterful pavement with appropriate seating<br />
and more imaginative planting that will reduce the impact and<br />
excessively open width of the busy highway. (Photographs 95-98) This<br />
would create an attractive pedestrian refuge in front of the pleasant<br />
terraced housing whilst creating a synergy with the tree lined forefront<br />
to the modern blocks of apartments at Sealcolecourt south of <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Road and the admittedly wider green area fronting the terrace of<br />
abutting houses further south on the opposite side of the road at Page<br />
Green Terrace.<br />
12.7.3 No. 289 High Road was built to the design of local architects H.H.<br />
Collins and Marcus Collins as the Home for Incurable Jews, between<br />
1897 and 1901, and is a late example of the Picturesque Style with<br />
Jacobean, Dutch and Queen Anne influences.(Photographs 99 and<br />
100) Its southern projecting wing, nearly matching its northern<br />
predecessor, was first illustrated on the 1936 OS Plan. Although<br />
located in the adjacent Tottenham Green Conservation Area and not in<br />
the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Conservation Area, its proximity and character<br />
determines that it does contribute to its appearance character and<br />
significance and is therefore considered within my Statement. It has<br />
been converted to residential apartments during the last quarter of the<br />
twentieth century and is now known as Sycamore Gardens. It is<br />
primarily three storeys and built from dark red-brown brick. Its quite<br />
complicated and richly decorated form includes a central five bay<br />
symmetrical pavilion with a narrow break front central bay with narrow<br />
recessed flanking bays and is terminated by wide end bays featuring<br />
63
semicircular bay windows at first and second storeys. All five bays are<br />
capped by curvaceous or stepped Jacobean/Dutch style gables. The<br />
central pavilion is flanked on either end by wide slightly recessed two<br />
storey wings with break-front projecting fenestrated chimney stacks<br />
which extend up through large stepped Dutch gables and the whole<br />
elevation with its medley of Dutch gables in differing styles and heights<br />
is flanked by substantial projecting wings each terminated by<br />
asymmetrical pairs of stepped gables the larger of which feature large<br />
two storey bow window with brick mullions. The much flatter side<br />
elevations have coped brick parapets over brick cornices broken by<br />
substantial chimney stacks and a wide slightly projecting central break-<br />
front projection with its Jacobean style gable decorated with plinths and<br />
ball finials. (photograph 100) It is Locally Listed. The three dimensional<br />
articulated form of the building partly surrounded by a group of mature<br />
London Plane trees and fronted by a brick wall with iron railings<br />
contrasts makes an important contribution to the street scene on the<br />
High Road within the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong>/Page Green Conservation Area<br />
and contrasts with the more regular horizontal facade and repetitive<br />
rhythm of the terraces of houses to its south which are also locally<br />
listed.<br />
12.7.4 Very differently the long terrace already described at Nos. 267- 287<br />
Tottenham High Road is terminated at its south end by two abutting<br />
dwellings at 263 and 265 High Road. These are of similar but much<br />
simpler design to the remainder of the terrace. Neither of the two<br />
abutting houses features the two storey canted bay windows that<br />
characterise the remainder of the terrace but has a regular pattern and<br />
rhythm of sash windows which match in detail those on the remainder<br />
of the terrace. These two dwellings are now low grade shops and, as<br />
noted in Haringey’s Conservation Area Appraisal, “ include unattractive<br />
modern shopfronts and open forecourts” which extend into the width of<br />
the broad pavement, “and are surrounded by a clutter of canopies and<br />
signage.”<br />
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12.7.5 To the south of this group of terraced buildings No 261 High Road,<br />
included in the Conservation Area, is the noticeably taller three storey<br />
hipped roof return-end of the terrace whose primary elevation faces<br />
onto South Green Road. It is entirely separated from the terrace<br />
already referred to at 267- 287 High Road and extends east towards<br />
the High Road beyond their façade to the extremity of their front<br />
gardens. It is also built from yellow London Stock brick with white<br />
painted stucco dressings comprising quoins and deep lintels to<br />
windows at first and second floor levels. At first floor level the stucco<br />
lintels have flat arched soffits, and drip moulds. The Haringey<br />
Conservation Area Appraisal notes of 261 High Road “It is of<br />
architectural interest, making a positive contribution to this part of the<br />
conservation area despite its unattractive modern projecting shopfront<br />
at ground floor level.” The building returns in the same manner for<br />
seven bays along West Green Road where it contributes to the setting<br />
character and appearance of the Conservation Area and also forms<br />
part of the setting for the Wards Corner site.<br />
� Consideration of the nature, appearance, character and relative<br />
<strong>heritage</strong> significance of the site and its buildings and its visual<br />
relationship and impact on the appearance character and <strong>heritage</strong><br />
significance of the Conservation Area as a whole and on the nearby<br />
Statutory Listed Building.<br />
13.0.0 ASSESSMENT OF THE EXISTING BUILDINGS ON THE SITE<br />
13.1.0 The Conservation Area and the buildings already described form the<br />
context for site and its buildings. I will now consider the nature,<br />
appearance, character and relative <strong>heritage</strong> significance of the site and<br />
its buildings and its visual relationship and impact on the appearance<br />
character and <strong>heritage</strong> significance of the Conservation Area as a<br />
whole and on the nearby Statutory Listed Building.<br />
65
13.1.1 The buildings on the site address all four of its surrounding roads. Each<br />
road façade has evolved characteristics appropriate to its street-scene<br />
context in the street scene and these will be separately considered. As<br />
already noted the interior of the site is currently substantially divided by<br />
a north-south service road and court accessed from Suffield Road.<br />
13.1.01Not all the buildings on the site are within the Conservation Area. I will<br />
commence by considering the terrace facing east onto the High Road<br />
as this makes the principal impact on the Conservation Area<br />
13.2.0 Consideration of the Buildings on the Site as Originally Designed<br />
that Directly Address the High Road.<br />
13.2.1 When the site was originally redeveloped in the 1880s there was a long<br />
terrace facing onto Tottenham High Road that extending from <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Road at the south end, into which it returned slightly, to West<br />
Green Road..<br />
13.2.2 It is clear from comparing the existing terrace on the site facing the<br />
High Road with early OS Plans and more especially early photographs<br />
that substantial and fundamental changes have occurred affecting most<br />
of its length. It is therefore to consider the appearance and character of<br />
the terrace as originally designed in order to assess and compare is<br />
significance as currently existing. The 1896 OS Plan illustrates the<br />
terrace with individual front gardens similar to those still existing on the<br />
terrace north of West Green Road, suggesting that the terrace was<br />
designed for similar residential occupation. Photographs take not long<br />
afterwards, however clearly indicate that the ground floors by that date<br />
were certainly used as shops.<br />
13.2.3 Photographs thought to date from towards the end of the nineteenth<br />
century (Appendix 3 Historic photographs 1-3) along with consideration<br />
of photographs dated from about 1902 and 1914 reveal that the terrace<br />
was originally uniform in design with differences only at either end in<br />
66
order to address the corners onto <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road and West Green<br />
Road respectively.<br />
13.2.4 The building comprised a terrace of small two bay houses and was two<br />
storeys high, built from reddish brown brick under a steeply pitched<br />
slate roof which included one substantial dormer window for each<br />
dwelling. Each dwelling was defined at roof level by Model Bye Law<br />
party walls projecting up above roof level and by chimney stacks<br />
spanning the ridge at the apex of alternating party walls creating a<br />
strongly articulated rhythm at the roofline. The early photographs<br />
indicate that façade to each dwelling included a first floor brick built<br />
canted bay window with canted brick mullions at the angles. The bays<br />
extended up to eaves level. It is not possible to be definitive owing to<br />
the quality of the images but the central window appears to be a single<br />
pane lower sash but with the top sash subdivided by glazing bars into<br />
twelve smaller panes. The side canted sashes are narrower but of<br />
similar design The window heads appear to be flat arches with<br />
brickwork over including a continuous drip mould or string course at<br />
the base of a simplified entablature extending up a substantial total<br />
distance to a second string course and cornice at eaves level that both<br />
extend along the full length of the building . The bay windows alternate<br />
with single sashes of a similar design which clearly include flat arched<br />
heads with what appear to be drip moulds above slightly splayed<br />
soldier brick lintels. As above the canted bay windows there is a<br />
substantial height of brickwork extending up to what appears to be a<br />
plain brick band course forming the base to a short and simplified<br />
entablature capped by a small cornice or gutter. The steeply pitched<br />
roof above appears to have been slate and included one substantial<br />
and somewhat ungainly over-wide triple-light dormer window with each<br />
light divided by glazing bars into small panes, and capped by a hipped<br />
roof, for each dwelling, located on the roof slope directly above each<br />
canted bay. Each dwelling was also defined at roof level by Model Bye<br />
Law party walls projecting up above roof level and by chimney stacks<br />
spanning the ridge at the apex of alternating party walls creating a<br />
67
strongly articulated rhythm at the roofline. Certainly by the date of the<br />
photographs, the ground floors were shops with typical Victorian<br />
shopfronts projecting out from the main façade to just beyond the<br />
projection of the canted bays above and divided at the party walls by<br />
projecting pilasters with bracketed capitals flanking facia signs for each<br />
shop.<br />
13.2.5 At the time of a photograph thought to date from 1907 (Appendix 3.<br />
Historic photograph 10) the terrace was terminated at the West Green<br />
Road by a house matching the remainder at first floor level. However,<br />
the first floor brick built canted bay window extended down to include a<br />
similar bay window at “ground” floor level which is located<br />
considerably above external ground level, and then appears to extend<br />
down as a canted brick plinth. The corner of the terrace returning into<br />
West Green Road was shown to include a recessed porch at the raised<br />
ground floor level designed to resemble an open loggia with a single<br />
open archway approached up a brick-balustrade stairway from a front<br />
garden enclosed by a brick wall and facing onto a wide High Road<br />
pavement which is planted with trees. These appear far from fully<br />
grown suggesting they may have been planted at the time the terrace<br />
was constructed. The logia has two semicircular archways overlooking<br />
West Green Road which match that on the front elevation but extend<br />
down only to the top of the brick balustrade. The form of the loggia<br />
projects slightly on both elevations and is contained under a cornice-<br />
like string course, above which is plain naked brickwork on the West<br />
Green Road facade. The remainder of the irregular West Green Road<br />
façade has two sash windows at ground and first floor level and a<br />
series of four small windows for the semi basement. The roof is hipped<br />
as it returns onto West Green Road and includes a dormer window<br />
similar to those on the east elevation but shallower and located further<br />
up the pitch. Its central location is unrelated to the layout of the<br />
elevation below.<br />
68
13.2.6 The southern corner of the terrace returning onto <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road is<br />
also illustrated on a photograph taken in 1902, and was totally different<br />
in design from the northern termination. 1907 (Appendix 3 Historic<br />
photograph 3) The end unit in the terrace facing High Road appears<br />
slightly narrower than the remaining units and like its northern<br />
counterpart does not have a shop front at ground floor level. It has two<br />
bays, with that adjacent to No. having single sash windows at both<br />
ground and first floor levels. The southernmost bay of the principal<br />
façade then includes a much smaller sash window at first floor level<br />
below which is a projecting window with two sashes separated by a<br />
wide brick mullion canted across the corner under a fragmented hipped<br />
roof as it returns into <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road. As at the north end, the<br />
ground floor level and its associated window were shown located well<br />
above external ground level. The southern return elevation included a<br />
hipped slightly projecting wing set back a substantial distance from the<br />
High Road elevation and from which a lower two storey dog-leg canted<br />
wing without a basemen level projected with its parapetted gable end<br />
facing directly onto <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road. A wide stone staircase gave<br />
access to a single two storey high archway in the recessed return of the<br />
dogleg close to its abutment with the principal terrace. The recessed<br />
corner was enclosed by a low brick wall surmounted by a low fence<br />
which appeared to follow the High Road pavement line of the original<br />
front gardens to the principal terrace.<br />
13.2.7 This sense of detail, articulation and scale of the terrace was important<br />
in order to conform to the location at the junction of two busy roads<br />
which by 1894 included horse drawn trams followed later by steam and<br />
then electric trams. Moreover the terrace was fronted by a substantial<br />
paved forecourt lit by street lamps and newly planted with trees.<br />
(Appendix 3 Historic Photographs 10 and 11) The presence of the wide<br />
forecourt appears to have been influenced by the site of the demolished<br />
Suffield Lodge which was set back from the no doubt busy major<br />
highway behind a wide treed verge. Additionally, the High Road itself<br />
was wide and bordered by groves of trees indicating its status as one<br />
69
of the main national highways for horses, carriages, carts and coaches<br />
between London and York and where it had passed through the<br />
previously smart residential area of small county houses and villas. The<br />
historic photographs illustrate that other buildings in the area were of a<br />
similar scale.<br />
13.3.0 Consideration of the Terrace on the Site that Directly Addresses<br />
the High Road as Currently Existing.<br />
13.3.1 It is very evident that the High Road facing terrace has been seriously<br />
altered and its current appearance is very different from its intended<br />
appearance and that known to exist at the end of the nineteenth<br />
century. In order to fulfil the requirements of section 129 and 135 and<br />
bearing in mind section 138 of the NPPF, its current appearance,<br />
character and significance will be assessed along with its contribution<br />
the character, local distinctiveness and significance of the conservation<br />
area as a whole.<br />
13.3.2 At the northern end of the terrace Nos. 257 and 259 have retained their<br />
original appearance only at first floor and roof levels on both High Road<br />
and West Green Road elevations where the only changes has been the<br />
painting white of the drip moulds above the brick lintels to the two<br />
canted bay windows and the dormer windows have been changed to<br />
incongruous and utilitarian plain glazed casements with central<br />
toplights. In my assessment, however, the height of brickwork capping<br />
the bay windows and hipped roof form and Spartan detailing of the<br />
dormers above appears somewhat ungainly. The end house and the<br />
adjacent shop unit illustrated on the 1907 photograph have been<br />
combined into one property, however, and the ground floor elevations<br />
facing both roads have been drastically altered in order to convert the<br />
combined properties into a bank. All of the ground floor detailing<br />
illustrated in the 1907 photograph of the two units (Appendix 3<br />
photograph 10) including the shopfront to 257, and the ground floor<br />
canted bay window facing onto the High Road to No. 259 along with the<br />
70
arched loggia on the corner to West Green Road and the pair of sash<br />
windows also overlooking West Green Road have been removed.<br />
(Photographs 73-75) Furthermore the height of the internal ground floor<br />
level has clearly been reduced to near external ground level and the<br />
ground floor elevations have been totally rebuilt in brickwork matching<br />
that above, and on the east elevation projected out beyond the first<br />
floor canted sash windows, and is capped by a plain fascia and a plain<br />
projecting band course. The flat ground floor elevations below the<br />
fascia now incorporate a series of five over-scaled tall and wide sash<br />
windows facing onto the High Road Elevation and four facing West<br />
Green Road, with the lower sashes blanked out leaving only the upper<br />
sashes only still exposed where they are subdivided by astragals into<br />
six panes. The design is typical of that adopted by banks during the<br />
second quarter of the twentieth century. However, the windows do not<br />
relate in scale or location to those at first floor level and the entrance<br />
door has been awkwardly incorporated into a weak and ungainly splay<br />
where the “newly” projecting ground floor High Road elevation returns<br />
into West Green Road. (Photograph 75). Whilst not unpleasant, and<br />
fitting into the mixed conservation Area Context, this much altered<br />
fragment of a late nineteenth century fragment gives little impression of<br />
the original design and has little architectural interest or significance.<br />
Unlike the remainder of the terrace, however, it had been well<br />
maintained when a bank and consequently appears in much better<br />
order than its abutting neighbours in the terrace. The Haringey<br />
Conservation Area Appraisal dated 2009 states “the ground floor<br />
retains its original bank-front with tall sash windows and splayed corner<br />
entrance doorway” which whilst correct does not, in my opinion,<br />
properly consider or appraise the significance of the change that has<br />
occurred to the building. The Appraisal considers that it makes a<br />
positive contribution to the streetscape “in this part of the conservation<br />
area”, which may well reflect the comparative existing character,<br />
appearance and significance of this particular part of the conservation<br />
area. In my opinion, however, because of its apparent original design<br />
limitations and because of the nature of alterations, it makes only a<br />
71
neutral contribution to the appearance, character and significance of<br />
the conservation area as a whole.<br />
13.3.3 No.255 substantially (Photograph 73) retains the basic form of the<br />
terrace as illustrated in the late nineteenth century photograph and<br />
appears to have been quite well maintained although the dormer<br />
window has been incongruously replaced in the same manner as those<br />
to 257-9, whilst the shop front is entirely utilitarian and poorly designed<br />
and, in my opinion detracts from the appearance and character of the<br />
conservation area. The Haringey Conservation Area Appraisal states<br />
that “No. 255, like Nos. 257 & 259, makes a positive contribution to the<br />
streetscape in this part of the conservation area.” This assessment<br />
certainly takes into account the comparative existing character,<br />
appearance and significance of this particular part of the conservation<br />
area. In my assessment, however, for the same reasons as for 257 and<br />
259 at the upper levels and because of the poor design and condition of<br />
the shop and also because of the derelict state of the neighbouring<br />
properties it makes only a neutral contribution to the appearance,<br />
character and significance of the conservation area as a whole. In my<br />
assessment this fragment of the terrace, the original and intended<br />
appearance has been almost totally destroyed, has also been<br />
considerably altered and as a consequence although modestly pleasant<br />
now has very little architectural interest in its own right and makes only<br />
a small and limited contribution to the character appearance and<br />
significance of the conservation area as a whole. Its demolition<br />
however will provide the opportunity for a development that will<br />
enhance the appearance, character and quality of the conservation<br />
area, and reinforce its local distinctiveness whilst better revealing its<br />
significance.<br />
13.3.4 Nos. 251 and 253, (Photograph 73) as noted in the Haringey<br />
Conservation Area Appraisal, are semi derelict as a result of a fire, and<br />
the roofs have been totally destroyed. They detract from the character,<br />
72
appearance and significance of the conservation area locally and as a<br />
whole. (Photograph 73)<br />
13.3.5 Nos. 247 and 249 (Photographs 71 and 72) like 255 retain the basic<br />
form of the original terrace but unlike No.255 appear to have been very<br />
poorly maintained. The dormer window to No.253 appears neglected<br />
and the first floor windows whilst original appear in bad condition. The<br />
drip moulds over the soldier course lintels are also missing to both the<br />
single sash window and the bay window. The dormer window to No 247<br />
has been boarded up whilst the first floor windows have been altered or<br />
replaced with plain sashes and are in extremely poor condition. The<br />
shop fronts to both appear to have been combined in the past under a<br />
low “pedimented” fascia, and the dividing pilaster is missing. However,<br />
the shop fronts have been subsequently altered again and lack any<br />
sense of design, are extremely utilitarian, and the like the remainder of<br />
the facades are run down, neglected and in poor condition. In my<br />
opinion they detract from the appearance, character and significance of<br />
the conservation area as a whole<br />
13.3.6 The Haringey Appraisal describes 229-245 as “a similar late 19 th<br />
Century two storey red brick terrace, but are unadorned with a uniform<br />
slate roof with raised party wall, no attic floor and a first floor with<br />
simple sashes”. However, this assessment is incomplete and<br />
misleading because as already described after consideration of the late<br />
nineteenth century photographs, (Appendix 3, Photographs 1, 2, 3, 9,<br />
10, 11) the entire terrace was originally designed and built as a unified<br />
whole with the ends differently designed to address the specific returns<br />
into West Green Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road. However, the terrace<br />
as still remaining between 229 and 245 has been dreadfully altered and<br />
its intended appearance, character and scale substantially destroyed.<br />
In addition the return of the original terrace into <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road,<br />
south of 229 was totally rebuilt in about 1909 but that will be separately<br />
considered and assessed. In about 1924, Wards altered the remaining<br />
73
shops in the terrace creating a single space with a large two storey<br />
extension to the rear.<br />
13.3.7 From No 229 to 245, at roof level all of the original dormer windows<br />
have been removed along with all of the chimney stacks that were<br />
originally located at the ridge above alternating party walls.<br />
(Photographs 65, 66, 72) This entire length of the remaining terrace has<br />
been entirely reroofed and the projecting party walls have been rebuilt.<br />
This alone has reduced the height of the building and destroyed its<br />
articulation and the rhythm and pattern of its profile at its eaves line,<br />
roofline, and sky line. Moreover the canted bay windows that provided<br />
similar articulation, pattern and rhythm to the east elevation overlooking<br />
the High Road have also been totally removed completing the<br />
destruction of the façade’s intended appearance and character. The<br />
entire scale, three dimensional form and volume, pattern and rhythm e<br />
of the building along with most of its detailing have been removed. The<br />
brickwork has been rebuilt as a plain flat façade in nearly matching<br />
bricks where the canted bay windows have been removed and the<br />
canted bay windows replaced with single plain sashes that are slightly<br />
wider than those still existing that previously alternated with the canted<br />
bay windows. This results in a flat and characterless façade that bears<br />
no resemblance to that originally designed. The new sash windows<br />
have arches that appear uncomfortably and considerably flatter than<br />
those to the still existing and do not have the drip moulds above the<br />
slightly arched brick soldier coursed lintels creating an unconvincing<br />
and indistinct rhythm which is further compromised by the colour<br />
variation in the patched brickwork. (Photograph 66)<br />
13.3.8 As a consequence the terrace appears squat with a strong, unintended<br />
horizontal axis which is uncharacteristic in the conservation area.<br />
(Photographs 60, 62, 63, 65) Moreover the blandness of the building<br />
with its lack of height, scale, form, articulation, silhouette, pattern,<br />
rhythm, detail and architectural style is totally incapable of addressing<br />
its setting in the conservation area or of creating an adequate<br />
74
containment or enclosure for the sheer scale and width of a dominating<br />
highway. (Photograph 63) It lacks any sense of quality, architecture,<br />
place or local destination. In my opinion the damage to this length of<br />
terrace does seriously detract from its originally designed appearance,<br />
character and significance, and from that of the remainder of the<br />
terrace, despite its dilapidated condition, and prevents it from making a<br />
positive contribution to that of the conservation area. If this length of the<br />
terrace as existing in the conservation area was in the close context of<br />
more distinguished buildings of greater architectural merit, the current<br />
appearance of the terrace would undoubtedly seriously detract from the<br />
appearance and the local distinctiveness of the conservation area.<br />
However it is relatively isolated from such buildings and so its<br />
potentially seriously detrimental impact is slightly reduced.<br />
(Photographs 61, 62) In my opinion this length of the terrace makes no<br />
positive contribution to the appearance character or local<br />
distinctiveness of the conservation area. Seen from its own forecourt<br />
and also from the opposite side of the High Road, its soul-less<br />
character is therefore substantially dominated by the untidy medley of<br />
poor quality shop-fronts and by the untidy scattering of undistinguished<br />
utilitarian street furniture on the forecourt including the bleak and<br />
functional fencing enclosing the two “holes in the ground” with access<br />
steps to the underground station (Photographs 65, 66, 67, 71) When<br />
assessing the length of the terrace from No.229 to No 245, the<br />
Haringey Conservation Area Assessment considers “Their utilitarian<br />
and somewhat run down appearance, together with mostly poorly<br />
designed modern shopfronts has resulted in the buildings making a<br />
neutral contribution to the streetscene.” As noted by Haringey these<br />
two terraces are in the immediate vicinity of the main entrance to the<br />
<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Victoria Line Underground Station. I consider that they<br />
fail to create any sense of destination and so do not contribute to<br />
revealing the character or significance of the conservation area.<br />
13.3.9 This element of the Conservation Area does not contribute positively to<br />
the street scene or to the significance of the designated <strong>heritage</strong> asset<br />
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and as a consequence its proposed demolition will not cause harm to<br />
the significance of a <strong>heritage</strong> asset. On the contrary in my assessment<br />
it now detracts from the character and appearance of the conservation<br />
area and demolition will provide an opportunity for redevelopment<br />
which will enhance and better reveal the Conservation Area and its<br />
significance. The relevant policies of the NPPF will be fully satisfied<br />
13.4.0 Consideration of the 1909 Wards Corner Building at the junction of<br />
Tottenham High Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road as Currently<br />
Existing.<br />
13.4.1 The articulated corner of the terrace at the junction between High Road<br />
and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road was demolished at about 1909 and replaced<br />
by the then contemporary three storey modern shop unit for Wards<br />
Furnishing Store, with a canted corner façade now giving the name<br />
“Wards Corner” to the site. (Photographs 49, 59, 60, 62, 64)<br />
.13.4.2The Haringey Conservation Area Assessment in paragraph 8.7 states<br />
“It has an early example of curtain walling in the form of large picture<br />
windows within a decorative cast iron framework at first and second<br />
floor level. Although the building is currently vacant and in a poor state<br />
of repair it remains of architectural interest and makes a positive<br />
contribution to the streetscene.” It is locally listed.<br />
13.4.3 Bearing this in mind along with the proposal to demolish the building I<br />
have analysed its architectural and historical context, interest and<br />
significance in some detail.<br />
13.4.4 Like many shops offices and warehouses and indeed teashops built in<br />
British cities of the end of the nineteenth century and early twentieth<br />
century its substantially glazed design was clearly influenced by the<br />
external expression of iron framed buildings built during the second half<br />
of the nineteenth century, followed towards the end of the century by<br />
the external expression of early steel skyscrapers in the United States.<br />
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The technological roots of the style lay with the great cast iron and<br />
glass greenhouses of the mid nineteenth century and especially those<br />
designed by Joseph Paxton at Chatsworth and then in 1851 at Crystal<br />
Palace where the framed glass was simply hung across the outside of<br />
the structural frame as a cladding. (Appendix 3 Historic Photograph No.<br />
12) Subsequent to this a Chicago architect/engineer named William Le<br />
Baron Jenney devised a method of steel framing which enabled the<br />
construction of buildings over five storeys high. His eight story “Home<br />
Insurance Company Building” (1884-85) in Chicago was the first to use<br />
steel columns and beams instead of stone and brick. (Appendix 3<br />
Historic photograph 14) The lightweight construction was immediately<br />
adopted and popularised to create increasingly tall buildings with<br />
lightweight cladding supported by the steel framework including stone,<br />
terra cotta and glass, by younger architects of the Chicago School,<br />
most of whom had served their apprenticeships with Jenney, such as<br />
Louis Sullivan, William Holabird and Martin Roche.<br />
13.4.5 Curtain walls first appeared in 1918. While designing the Hallidie<br />
Building in San Francisco, Architect Willis Polk came up with the idea<br />
that a contiguous, non-load-bearing, exterior glass wall could be<br />
constructed at the face of the entire building.<br />
13.4.5 The Wards Corner building built in 1909 therefore is certainly not an<br />
example of curtain walling with non load-bearing cladding hung off a<br />
frame at the face of a building. (Photograph 64 and 66) Here, at Wards<br />
Corner the two large window apertures separated by slender brick piers<br />
on each side of the splayed corner bay at first and second floor levels<br />
were each glazed with a pair of plain glass windows, with arched top<br />
corners, in slender frames, possibly cast iron, including a central<br />
mullion all with squinched top corners. The windows and frames are<br />
traditionally supported within structural apertures and the visual style of<br />
the glazing has clearly been influenced by that at Crystal Palace. (See<br />
Appendix 3 Photograph 12) This was a style using slender mullions,<br />
usually timber and with quadrant arched spandrels at the corners that<br />
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ecame popular for shopfronts and shop facades during the late<br />
Victorian and Edwardian periods. The style was even used during this<br />
period in the Derbyshire mill village of Bamford (Appendix 3 Photograph<br />
13) The severely utilitarian rear elevation seen from Suffield Road<br />
(Photograph 82) reveals that the corner building is also not steel framed<br />
but of traditional masonry construction. This anyway would have been<br />
most unlikely as the first building to use steel framework in Britain was<br />
the Ritz Hotel (1905) although the first true steel framed building was<br />
Selfriges, (1908) negotiations for which, prior to its construction resulted<br />
in a change to the London Building Act in 1909 which allowed the full<br />
benefits of steel framed buildings to be used. From that date the use of<br />
steel framed buildings commenced and accelerated in major cities<br />
throughout the UK with decorative masonry cladding including<br />
limestone, brick, sandstone, terracotta and faience. It is most<br />
improbable that a so modest and small a building, only domestic in<br />
scale, three storeys tall, of irregular shape on plan and utilising<br />
commonplace, simple and standardised detailing influenced by the<br />
Crystal Palace built over sixty years earlier, and infilling a modest<br />
terrace in an unfashionable part of London, with brick enclosing walls<br />
on three sides (Photographs 59, 66, and 82) would have used an<br />
innovative and expensive steel framed construction developed to suite<br />
a standard and large scale grid in order to permit the lightweight<br />
construction of tall buildings with large floor areas clear of walls and<br />
columns. Further evidence of standard masonry construction at Ward’s<br />
Corner is that masonry or brick cladding to steel framing up until the<br />
1930s was generally 150mm thick and infilled between cladding and<br />
steel with mortar to provide fire protection and as an attempt to prevent<br />
moisture penetration and rust damage to the steel. The diminutive scale<br />
of the Wards shop with its slender brick mullions did not accommodate<br />
this standard of construction. Moreover, even though steel framed<br />
construction had to be protected to comply with the London Building<br />
Act, water and moisture easily penetrated, and protection was rarely<br />
successful beyond thirty years resulting in the expansion of corrosion to<br />
steelwork causing serious cracking of brick and masonry cladding,<br />
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unless very carefully maintained. Despite it being vacant and neglected<br />
for over a forty year period, no such cracking to brickwork or masonry is<br />
evident at Ward’s Corner, despite the use of details generally found<br />
vulnerable to water penetration, such as a pediment and string<br />
cornices.<br />
13.4.6 Its design was completely unrelated to that of the building it replaced or<br />
that of the remainder of the terrace or any other existing buildings in the<br />
conservation area.<br />
13.4.7 The floor to ceiling heights of each of the three floors is equivalent to<br />
the already substantial heights of the ground and first floor elevations to<br />
the High Road terrace and these are very slightly taller than the floor to<br />
ceiling heights of the terrace that returns down <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road.<br />
The balustraded roof line above the third storey added both weight and<br />
additional height whilst the horizontal parapet line is modified by the<br />
scrolled gable projecting above parapet height over the more solid<br />
masonry splayed corner of High Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road. This<br />
contrasted with the somewhat drooping profile that previously existed.<br />
(Appendix 3 Historic photographs 1 and 3) The replacement building<br />
added height and an element of unexpected variety as a counterpoint<br />
to the ubiquitous and generally standardised Victorian terraces flanking<br />
it on both sides of the road junction.(Appendix 3 Historic photographs 4,<br />
5, 7 and 8.<br />
13.4.8 The Wards Corner building at 227 High Road and No.725 <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Road still exists but has been substantially altered, has<br />
remained unoccupied for many years despite being marketed, and is<br />
now in a poor state of repair. The balustrade to the rooftop parapet is<br />
missing along with the terminating finial topped piers and the central<br />
scrolled gable over the splayed corner. (Photographs 60, 62, 63, 64<br />
and 66) The large plate glass totally plain glass windows have been<br />
replaced and the windows now include narrow toplights above slightly<br />
over-heavy and coarsely detailed transom. The introduced top lights<br />
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are divided into three by somewhat coarsely detailed and proportioned<br />
mullions. The central toplights are glazed with opening louvered<br />
windows and flanked by fixed lights which significantly compromise the<br />
intended aesthetics of the windows.(Photographs 64 and 66)<br />
13.4.9 Whilst undoubtedly of greater architectural interest than the remains of<br />
terrace facing the High Road, the canted structure at the junction to<br />
<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road has also been substantially altered, and lost<br />
significant elements that contributed to the original design. It was a<br />
relatively commonplace and standardised example of the style and<br />
concept for a retail building, repeated in essence throughout the<br />
country, and did not form part of a related similarly designed group of<br />
building. The visual relationship to the nineteenth century terrace<br />
depended substantially on the scale and articulated form and profile of<br />
the terrace to which it formed a sort of and, in my opinion, a somewhat<br />
uncomfortable, counterpoint. The loss of the parapet and the scrolled<br />
gable has compromised its never special architectural status. In my<br />
opinion it has only a modest and limited architectural interest in the<br />
terms of NPPF and therefore has never made a significant contribution<br />
to the character or significance of the conservation area as a whole.<br />
Moreover, the alterations to both building have severely damaged the<br />
visual relationship between the two. I consider that now neither the<br />
corner building nor the terrace as a whole make a positive contribution<br />
to the character, appearance or significance of the complex of buildings<br />
or to the conservation area as a whole. In my opinion the corner<br />
building now makes only a neutral contribution whilst the terrace at best<br />
makes a neutral contribution, although I am inclined to state that<br />
because of its severely reduced scale and bland plain-ness, it now<br />
actually detracts from the conservation area.<br />
13.4.10 As a consequence, I have concluded that because of its limited<br />
<strong>heritage</strong> value in terms of architectural or historic interest or<br />
significance and because of the harm caused to the conservation area<br />
by the destroyed original and intended appearance of the adjacent<br />
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terrace facing the High Road and the existing demolition of the adjacent<br />
building on <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road, its demolition as a single element in a<br />
context that currently damages the conservation area will not result in<br />
any substantial harm to an undesignated <strong>heritage</strong> asset of measurable<br />
consequence in terms of the NPPF and will not cause any harm to the<br />
significance of a <strong>heritage</strong> asset. On the contrary, in my assessment, the<br />
adjacent east facing terrace now detracts from the character and<br />
appearance of the conservation area and consequently demolition will<br />
provide an opportunity for redevelopment which will enhance and better<br />
reveal the Conservation Area and its significance whilst also securing<br />
its optimum viable use. The relevant policies of the NPPF and the UDP<br />
13.4.11I also understand that despite the fact it has been marketed for much<br />
.<br />
of the time, with a sales board still present, the 1909 canted building on<br />
the corner of High Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road has been empty and<br />
disused since 1972<br />
13.5.0 Consideration of the Existing Buildings on the Site along West<br />
Green Road and their Contribution to the Significance of the<br />
Conservation Area.<br />
13.5.1 The Haringey Conservation Area Appraisal dated 2009 states “Nos. 1A<br />
& B West Green Road, adjoining the rear of Nos. 255 to 259 High Road<br />
are two storey local listed buildings with a full width ground floor<br />
shopfront and an early form of curtain walling on the first floor in the<br />
form of a cast iron framework supporting large plate glass windows<br />
surmounted by a balustraded parapet. The building adds to the<br />
character and appearance of this part of the conservation area.<br />
(Photograph 77) To the south of West Green Road, Nos. 257 & 259<br />
forms the northern end of two adjoining late 19th Century red brick<br />
terraces. It is of two storeys with an attic storey with large hipped<br />
dormers in a hipped slate roof. The first floor has large canted bay<br />
windows with timber sashes and glazing bars. The ground floor retains<br />
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its original bank-front with tall sash windows and splayed corner<br />
entrance doorway.” (Photograph 75)<br />
13.5.2 I have already commented on the alterations that have occurred to Nos.<br />
257 and 259 High Road, its current appearance and significance and<br />
the fact that it formed the return end of a single much altered and not<br />
two adjoining brick terraces. (Photographs 74 and 75)<br />
13.5.3 The design of Nos. 1A and B West Green Road is similar to that of the<br />
canted Wards Corner building although here it has only the ground and<br />
first floor. (Photographs 76 and 77) It has a similar architectural interest<br />
and significance as the Wards corner building which is of very similar<br />
design The ground floor elevation has clearly been much altered and<br />
now comprises two plain and utilitarian shopfronts. However it has<br />
retained its original design of glazing to the first floor along with its<br />
parapet. In this respect it has retained greater architectural integrity and<br />
therefore interest than the Wards Corner building and does contribute<br />
in a small way to the variety of buildings found in the conservation area<br />
and its immediate setting. Nevertheless, its design is derivative,<br />
commonly used for shop fronts throughout Britain, and is not related to<br />
a steel framed skyscraper construction. It has little architectural<br />
significance and remains a small but pleasant, if somewhat run down,<br />
visual incident that, I agree, adds to the character and appearance of<br />
this and somewhat run down particular part of the conservation area,<br />
and especially within its setting on the site. In my opinion it does not<br />
contribute in any meaningful way to the significance or architectural<br />
interest of the conservation area as a whole where its impact is neutral.<br />
13.5.4 The remainder of the West Green Road Elevation now appears to<br />
comprise a terrace that once continued to the junction with Suffield<br />
Road, with Victorian pilastered shop fronts at ground floor level and<br />
canted bays at first floor level that extend up above the eaves line as<br />
canted bay dormer windows creating an articulated second storey.<br />
(Photographs 76, 78, and 79) Only three elements of the terrace have<br />
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survived at No 1 and the pair of units Nos. 9 and 11 at the junction with<br />
Suffield Road. (Photograph 78) The design is pleasant but<br />
unexceptional and typical of innumerable Victorian terraces throughout<br />
the outskirts of London and in towns and cities throughout Britain. It had<br />
no special architectural interest or significance. The terrace has been<br />
interrupted at Nos. 3-7 by a mid twentieth century brick built parade of<br />
three shops of no architectural interest. The street enclosing façade<br />
from 1-11 West Green Road is outside of the Conservation Area but<br />
does form pat of its setting and as recognised by section 128 of the<br />
NPPF can contribute to the significance of any <strong>heritage</strong> asset. In my<br />
assessment this group of buildings has no special architectural interest<br />
and as part of its setting on West Green Road (Photograph 87 – 90)<br />
does not make a meaningful positive contribution to the appearance,<br />
character, local distinctiveness or significance of the conservation area<br />
as a whole. Following detailed assessment, I conclude that demolition<br />
will not harm the significance of the Conservation Area as a whole, and<br />
will provide an opportunity for redevelopment which will enhance and<br />
better reveal the Conservation Area and its significance whilst also<br />
securing its optimum viable use. The relevant policies of the NPPF will<br />
be fully satisfied.<br />
13.6.0 Consideration of the Existing Buildings on the Site along <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Road and their Contribution to the Significance of the<br />
Conservation Area.<br />
13.6.1Only the 1909 Wards Corner Building lies within the Conservation Area<br />
and this has already been considered and assessed.<br />
13.6.2 The building once adjacent to the Wards Corner building at 723 <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Road has been demolished at some stage leaving an untidy<br />
gap in the street enclosure and fully exposing the blind and inevitably<br />
utilitarian brick side façade of the Wards Corner which detracts from the<br />
its architectural and visual interest of the building and indeed the<br />
83
conservation area, when seen from <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road. (Photographs<br />
59 and 60)<br />
13.6.3 The terrace comprising Nos.709 to 721 <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road lies outside<br />
of the conservation area but does form part of its setting and so can<br />
contribute to or detract from its character, local distinctiveness or<br />
significance.(Photographs 58, 60, 62) In my assessment the terrace is<br />
pleasant but totally ordinary and ubiquitous to innumerable streets<br />
throughout London and most industrial towns and cities that developed<br />
or expanded during the Victorian. As with the other buildings close to<br />
the east end of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road (Photographs 54, 56) they have no<br />
distinctive style or sense of place and as part of its setting on <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Road do not contribute positively to the distinctiveness,<br />
character or appearance of the conservation area or to its overall<br />
significance. I consider their contribution to the significance of the<br />
conservation area is to be neutral and their demolition will not damage<br />
the appearance, character of significance of the designated <strong>heritage</strong><br />
asset but will provide an opportunity for redevelopment which will<br />
enhance and better reveal the Conservation Area and its significance<br />
whilst also securing its optimum viable use. The relevant policies of the<br />
NPPF will be fully satisfied<br />
13.7.0 Consideration of the Existing Buildings on the Site along Suffield<br />
Road and their Contribution to the Significance of the<br />
Conservation Area.<br />
13.7.1 Suffield Road is not within the conservation area, does not abut it and<br />
has only a very tenuous visual connection with the conservation area,<br />
primarily with the much altered and damaged rear elevations of the<br />
terrace on the site that faces onto Tottenham High Road. The terrace<br />
on the site facing onto Suffield Road, and that on the west side of the<br />
road (Photographs 57, 84 and 85)) are pleasant but ubiquitous<br />
examples of similar terraces of houses throughout London and the<br />
United Kingdom. It has no impact on the significance of the<br />
conservation area.<br />
84
14.0.0 OVERALL CONCLUSION WITH REGARDS TO THE CHARACTER,<br />
APPEARANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CONSERVATION<br />
AREA AS A WHOLE AND THE CONTRIBUTION MADE BY THE<br />
EXISTING BUILDINGS ON THE SITE<br />
14.1.0 The Conservation Area is specifically related to the historic corridor<br />
created by the High Road, and the delineation and extent of the<br />
conservation area is highly selective and includes nineteenth century<br />
buildings whatever their current architectural or historic value and<br />
significance and omits virtually all contemporary twentieth century<br />
buildings also regardless of their comparative merits and significance.<br />
14.2.0 The NPPF, however, states in section 128 “In determining applications,<br />
local planning authorities should require an applicant to describe the<br />
significance of any <strong>heritage</strong> assets affected, including any contribution<br />
made by their setting.” As already noted, I consider that the twentieth<br />
century buildings enclosing the High Road make an equal contribution,<br />
whether positive, neutral or negative, to its overall appearance,<br />
character, townscape value and significance and therefore to that of the<br />
Conservation Area as a whole.<br />
14.3.0 The character of the conservation area has been substantially<br />
determined by the important impact of transport requirements and<br />
development over two millennia, but the architectural and urban impact<br />
really commenced following the introduction of Turnpike Roads and<br />
was then substantially altered by the development of the railways and<br />
subsequently the underground. The character of the road itself has also<br />
altered in response to transport development ranging from horses, to<br />
carriages and stagecoaches, local public transport on trams and buses<br />
and increasingly during the twentieth century by cars and buses. These<br />
85
changing and developing influences have progressively, and over the<br />
last two centuries increasingly, changed the landscape, the function<br />
and character of the road itself and those adjoining it, the very social<br />
structure of those living and using the area and indeed its architecture,<br />
its housing, its retail facilities, its maintenance and its townscape. This<br />
progressive change has determined the current momentary and<br />
inevitably still changing appearance, character and significance of the<br />
conservation area as a whole.<br />
14.5.0 It has resulted in a conservation area with many different aspects and<br />
which is not now generally characterised by consistency of architectural<br />
or townscape style, appearance or quality, but it is dominated and<br />
seriously damaged by the highway structure and its engineering. In the<br />
vicinity of the site its character is also affected, although to a lesser<br />
extent, by the requirements of the underground railway and the <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Underground Station.<br />
14.6.0 The resulting character and appearance is diverse and includes the<br />
occasional Victorian terrace which is designed as such, terraces of<br />
different abutting Victorian houses many of which have been adversely<br />
altered and also with the ground floors converted to shops abutting the<br />
conservation area and within it, the Victorian terrace of houses facing<br />
the High Road on the site which had also been converted to individual<br />
shops and then very significantly altered when converted to a<br />
department store, terraces which comprise series of abutting individual<br />
houses and short individual terraces of differing appearances within the<br />
classical domestic style, a modern retail supermarket in the brutal mid<br />
twentieth century style, the early nineteenth century bank which is now<br />
Listed Grade II, twentieth century brick built offices, and on the west<br />
side of the High Road south of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road adjoining the<br />
conservation area a three store development of twentieth century<br />
apartments. Other diverse architectural expressions include the<br />
Jacobean Style hospital now converted to apartments and the eclectic<br />
half castellated and half Art Deco form of the Salvation Army Citadel.<br />
86
14.7.0 In terms of three dimensional structure, it is noted that the taller or more<br />
vertical buildings tend to be located at street corners.<br />
14.8.0 I have concluded that none of the buildings on the site, even those<br />
locally listed or considered by Haringey Council to contribute positively<br />
to their immediate context in the conservation area, now has<br />
meaningful architectural or historic interest or significance as an<br />
undesignated <strong>heritage</strong> asset. Consequently, their demolition as a single<br />
elements in a context that in my opinion does not enhance but currently<br />
damages the conservation area, will not result in any substantial harm<br />
to an undesignated <strong>heritage</strong> asset of measurable consequence in<br />
terms of the NPPF and will not cause any harm to the significance of a<br />
designated <strong>heritage</strong> asset as a whole. On the contrary in my<br />
assessment the adjacent east facing terrace and the entrances to the<br />
<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Underground Station now detract from the character and<br />
appearance of the conservation area and comprehensive demolition of<br />
the buildings on the site will provide an opportunity for redevelopment<br />
which will enhance and better reveal the Conservation Area and its<br />
significance whilst also securing its optimum viable use. The relevant<br />
policies of the NPPF will be fully satisfied. In this context I will consider<br />
the proposal.<br />
15.0.0 CONSIDERATION OF THE PROPOSAL<br />
15.1.0 Consideration of the Layout<br />
15.1.1 The layout on the site respects the layout of the Victorian development<br />
in terms of its footprint and with the principal building element fronting<br />
onto the High Road and wrapping around onto both <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
Road and onto West Green Road, with a lower domestic terrace of<br />
apartments to the rear facing onto Suffield Road. In common with the<br />
Victorian development it maintains the wide boulevard-like forecourt<br />
onto the High Road which also characterised the location of Suffield<br />
87
Lodge on the High Road whilst also creating a curved recess in its High<br />
Road façade which harks back to the curved access drive on the<br />
approach to Suffield Lodge.(1876 OS Plan Appendix 1.3)<br />
15.1.2 The retention of the forecourt will retain an important historic spatial<br />
element that has been related to the High Road since it became a<br />
Turnpike in 1810 and was tree planted as a formal verge between the<br />
grounds of Suffield Lodge and the High Road by publication of the 1864<br />
OS Plan. Proposed tree planting close to the edge of the highway on<br />
the site will echo that which in 1864 protected the amenity of Suffield<br />
Lodge and which continued the much more densely planted “Grove”<br />
bordering the High Road north of West Green Road, and also that to<br />
the south of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road. The tree planted verge was still<br />
present after the demolition of Suffield Lodge and the development of<br />
the site with terraced housing, and a small remnant of this planting still<br />
survives to the forecourt of the existing shops on the site. The surviving<br />
tree planting which still creates a protected enclave-like quality to the<br />
access road to Page Green Terrace provides a valuable clue to the<br />
intended setting for buildings bounding the High Road and for the<br />
potential of trees to semi screen the forecourt to the proposed<br />
development at the Wards Corner and to both modify the scale of the<br />
roadway and reduce its intrusive impact.<br />
15.1.3 The proposed recess in the High Road façade will enhance the sense<br />
of enclosure for the forecourt and its separation from the busy High<br />
Road, resembling the spatial quality still created by recessing the<br />
Salvation Army Citadel, now the “Christ Apostolic Church” on the east<br />
side of the High Road.<br />
15.1.4 The proposal maintains the principle of a north-south spine service road<br />
parallel to Suffield Road within the site, with access off the south end of<br />
Suffield Road as was established at some stage between the<br />
publication of the 1896 and 1913 OS Plans at the time that much of the<br />
88
High Road terrace was converted, altered and extended to form the<br />
Wards Store. (See OS Plans Appendices 1.4 and 1.5)<br />
15.1.5 The proposal retains the established principle of small retail shops at<br />
the back edge of footpath on both West Green Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
Road along with larger retail units facing onto the High Road forecourt<br />
The indoor market will be retained and accessed from both <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Road and the forecourt where it returns into <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
Road. They will retain and considerably enhance the vibrancy of the<br />
street facades.<br />
15.1.6 The Access to the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Underground will be retained from the<br />
forecourt but the two utilitarian and uninviting entrances will be<br />
substantially enhanced and enlivened with kiosks. The enhancement of<br />
the retail facilities including the market, and of the forecourt itself, will<br />
create a positive destination from the underground railway which will<br />
reveal the appearance, character and relative significance of the<br />
conservation area as a whole to many more people.<br />
15.2.0 Consideration of the Overall Design Principles of the Proposed<br />
Development<br />
15.2.1 The proposed development adopts a volumetric composition that<br />
utilises height, scale, form, articulation, heights, pattern and rhythm<br />
along with a small palette of materials that acknowledges and respects<br />
the essential history and character of the area, and especially the<br />
conservation area.<br />
15.2.2 In common with the existing buildings in the Conservation Area and<br />
indeed those abutting it in adjoining Tottenham Green Conservation<br />
Area, the scale and design of the development is appropriate to satisfy<br />
its contemporary domestic and retail demands. In this respect it<br />
maintains the common-sense pragmatic approach to building design<br />
which has shaped the conservation area over more than one and a half<br />
89
centuries and so contributes to an important aspect of its character and<br />
significance.<br />
15.2.3 Bearing in mind that the site addresses four roads with differing<br />
characteristics, the proposal adopts a series of abutting building<br />
volumes using different materials in order that each responds to the<br />
character of each road whilst paying special attention to the overall<br />
three dimensional form and the importance of a strong visual volumetric<br />
expression at the corners of the development at the junctions between<br />
the High Road and West Green Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road<br />
respectively.<br />
15.3.0Consideration of the Design as it Addresses Tottenham High Road<br />
and Returns into <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road (Appendix 4 Digital Images<br />
Key Views 1-5)<br />
15.3.1 The High Road elevation includes a concave curved elevation of<br />
structural glazing, two tall storeys given pattern and rhythm by<br />
columnar tree planting against the façade. The glass façade will front a<br />
series of quite large shops at ground floor level and a restaurant/café-<br />
bar at first floor level to create a light and visually lively environment to<br />
enclose the forecourt and overlook the High Road. It will contribute to<br />
achieving a welcoming sense of real destination at the western<br />
entrance to the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Underground Station and contrast with<br />
the depressingly neglected environment currently existing. The height<br />
of the façade with its horizontal roof line will be reminiscent of, but<br />
higher than, that of the existing much altered terrace, whilst the<br />
columnar tree planting against the façade will achieve a<br />
counterbalancing verticality and rhythm which will subtly recall the<br />
rhythm of the now lost two storey bay windows on the existing façade<br />
and also relate the rhythm of bay windows still existing on the<br />
horizontal form of the terraces which are also recessed from the High<br />
Road north of West Green Road.<br />
90
15.3.2 The gentle concave form of the glazed façade will embrace and partly<br />
enclose the forecourt facing the High Road. It will convert it from being<br />
merely an over-wide pavement, a transient linier space intended for<br />
pedestrian movement from on location to another, a space that<br />
currently displays to me very little joy in the location, little sense of the<br />
love of life, or pride in place. It appears bleak, ugly and neglected.<br />
Instead, it will now become a destination, a partly enclosed space for<br />
the pedestrian to linger, with outdoor seating, tables and parasols,<br />
served by attractive shops, restaurants and cafes besides the upgraded<br />
market and perfectly located at an entrance to the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
Underground Railway Station. It will be further enclosed by a screen of<br />
trees and planting, some new and some existing, besides by the<br />
attractive new enclosed access to the Underground Station and a<br />
matching kiosk which will reduce its open-ness to the overwhelming<br />
engineered dominance of the road with its wide expanses of<br />
tarmacadum, traffic, barriers and signage, and create an attractive, well<br />
designed and carefully detailed safe enclave dedicated to the scale and<br />
enjoyment of people whether local residents of the new development or<br />
living nearby, shoppers, or passengers en route to or from the <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Underground Station.<br />
15.3.3 The steps down to the underground station are currently unattractive<br />
and appear a dark and uninviting hole in the ground enclosed by a<br />
utilitarian screen wall with equally basic handrails. It defies rather than<br />
attracts entry. It merely adds to the clutter of unattractive poorly<br />
designed street furniture and the domination of rank upon rank of<br />
pedestrian barriers associated with the road. The well lit entrance,<br />
along with the proposed kiosk, will be enclosed by single storey glazed<br />
enclosures that will adopt and permanently recollect the fenestration<br />
style and pattern of the 1909 Wards corner building and of the similarly<br />
styled building on West Green Road. This will also fulfil one of the<br />
aspirations of the Brief for the site adopted by Haringey Council which<br />
states “The area is run-down and the buildings on the Wards Corner<br />
site in particular, are in need of physical renewal. However, the former<br />
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Wards department store building itself is considered to have some<br />
architectural merit and any development scheme should reflect, and<br />
retain, the architectural features of the store, if at all possible.” The<br />
proposed station entrances, along with the associated kiosks, will<br />
become attractive and positive features that will enhance their location<br />
and add to its sustainability.<br />
15.3.4 This curving lightly glazed transparent curving façade will be terminated<br />
at its southern end on the High Road by the five storey red-brown brick<br />
block that will continue to address and terminate the forecourt context<br />
before wrapping around the obtuse angle onto <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road<br />
where it extends for the full width of the site as far as the junction with<br />
Suffield Road. (Appendix 4. Key Views 1, 2, and 2a) Whilst the height<br />
and form of the building will successfully terminate the High Road<br />
façade and create the “gateway” between the High Road and <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Road in the manner that generally characterises road junctions<br />
in the Conservation Area, its gentle curve as it wraps around the road<br />
junction will readily draw pedestrians around the corner to the ground<br />
floor shops forming part of the development, and beyond, on <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Road. Its increased height and solid form, in sophisticated and<br />
positive contrast to the limpid fragility of the adjoining glazed façade,<br />
will be emphasised by the choice of red brown brick which will relate to<br />
brickwork on a number of buildings in the conservation area including<br />
that of the existing buildings on the site. The robustness of the form is<br />
further accentuated by the subdivision of the façade into distinct bays<br />
identified at ground floor level by substantial brick piers between glazed<br />
shop fronts and also by the fine full height vertical detail that will subtly<br />
separate and define each bay. The bays are generally uniform in width<br />
with two windows to each bay although the actual window type does<br />
include variation. Some bays include two single windows, each within a<br />
standard width masonry aperture alongside a blind recessed brick<br />
panel, whilst other bays each include a glass balustraded balcony<br />
recessed into one of the window apertures. This reflects the slight<br />
variety which now characterises the fenestration in many of the<br />
92
Victorian terraces, or terraces of abutting buildings, in the conservation<br />
area or within its immediate setting. (Photographs 3, 26, 39, 96) The<br />
conservation area is not generally characterised by classical regularity<br />
but by variety and irregularity of fenestration pattern sometimes even<br />
where a rhythm is clearly established.<br />
15.3.5 The block articulates the obtuse angle of the junction between the High<br />
Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road by curving the façade. (Appendix 3 Key<br />
View 2a) Attention is drawn to the curve by widening the two bays on<br />
the curve, and by twinning vertical panels of stacked single pane floor<br />
to ceiling height standard aperture width windows, extending through<br />
the first second and third floor elevations, in the adjacent two bays at<br />
the crest of the curve which suggest a visual relationship with the<br />
curved glass elevation facing the forecourt overlooking the High Road.<br />
These are flanked in each brick bay by a four storey stack of the<br />
standard recessed glass balustraded balconies as adopted elsewhere<br />
on the elevation. The windows on the elevation, whether within<br />
separate masonry apertures on each floor, stacked in association with<br />
balconies or as vertical glazed panels, create in a totally contemporary<br />
manner the rhythm of the vertical pattern of fenestration that typifies<br />
many of the Victorian buildings within or contributing to the setting of<br />
the conservation area. (Photographs 38, 93, 96)<br />
13.3.6 The change in rhythm and the introduction of three storey glazed<br />
window panels as the block curves around the obtuse angle from the<br />
High Road into <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road will form a check in the elevation<br />
and recall the change in the existing terraced façades created by the<br />
existing glazed 1909 façade at Wards Corner.(Photograph 60)<br />
15.3.7 At roof level two storeys of penthouses faced in a glass cladding<br />
system will be set back from the main façade and partly hidden behind<br />
a brick pediment creating a reticent and regressive expression above<br />
the main brick parapet level reminiscent of the contribution made by the<br />
roofs to most Victorian buildings in the conservation area.<br />
93
15.3.8 The block articulating the corner will extend from the High Road along<br />
<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road in a manner reminiscent of the visual weight of<br />
terraces currently extending back along <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road, despite<br />
the current gap in the street enclosure, (Photograph 60) and also along<br />
West Green Road. (Photograph 93)<br />
15.4.0 Consideration of the Design as it Addresses Tottenham High Road<br />
and Returns into West Green Road. (Appendix 4. Digital Images<br />
Key Views 1, 2, 2a, 4, 5, and 6)<br />
15.4.1 A similar five storey block will define the northern end of the High Road<br />
terrace as it returns into West Green Road. (Appendix 4 Key Views 4,<br />
5 and 6) This respects the development brief published by Haringey<br />
council which states with reference to the overall site “On Ward’s<br />
Corner a development of 5-6 storeys in height may be appropriate<br />
stepping down to three storeys on Suffield Road.”<br />
15.4 .2The designs of the facades facing the High Road and West Green<br />
Road will substantially reflect that at the south end of the site, but with<br />
significant differences. This is an entirely asymmetrical composition of<br />
abutting elements of differing but related design and consistent style to<br />
reflect the indigenous and vernacular manner in which the High Road<br />
had clearly developed. The two brick element however, will contain the<br />
curved glass façade and the forecourt overlooking the High Road and<br />
anchor the development and its forecourt as “the place to be”.<br />
15.4.3 The southern-most two bays nearest to the curved glass façade match<br />
the design detailing of the northern bay at the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> end of the<br />
façade. However, the fenestration pattern on each bay is mirrored<br />
about a central narrow bay which features a slightly narrower than<br />
normal window on each floor and also omits the parapet creating a<br />
castellated effect and a discretely symmetrical duality which hints at<br />
94
that of the Salvation Army Citadel on the opposite side of the High<br />
Road. The height of the façade than steps down a storey to comfortably<br />
respect the height of the terrace enclosing the north side of West Green<br />
Road whilst, as across the existing road junction, (Photograph 17 and<br />
associated computer generated image, Key View 4, Appendix 4)<br />
appropriately avoiding any sense of balanced symmetry across the<br />
road junction.<br />
15.4.4 The height, scale and design of the development will make a major<br />
contribution to the streetscape on the High Road at its cross-road like<br />
junctions with West Green Road and Broad Lane and also with <strong>Seven</strong><br />
<strong>Sisters</strong> Road. The existing segment of the Wards Corner building<br />
including the south end of the terrace as existing at the junction of the<br />
High Road appears the lowest of the existing “street gateways” and is<br />
inadequate to compete with the dominance of the High Road. Its<br />
proposed increased scale and style will generate a synergy with the<br />
existing buildings on street corners in the vicinity, including the Grade II<br />
Listed Barclays bank building and also the east end of the existing<br />
three storey terrace and its visible scale on the north side of West<br />
Green Road. The proposal will help counterbalance the domination of<br />
the roads without competing with. or dominating, the group demarking<br />
street corners or any of its buildings. This will be a marriage and not a<br />
competition. (Compare photograph 17 and computer generated image<br />
Key View 4, Appendix 4)<br />
15.4.5 As at the south side of the site, two storey penthouses clad in a<br />
lightweight glazing system will be recessed and partly concealed<br />
behind the parapet and will similarly step down in height as the principal<br />
brick facades step down from five to four storeys. Where the two<br />
storeys of penthouses are located above four storey facades on the<br />
High Road and along West Green Road they will recess in two<br />
substantial steps which will reduce their visual impact from the<br />
surrounding roads and buildings. As elsewhere on the proposed<br />
development, the penthouse storeys will be clad in a reticent and<br />
95
visually regressive sky reflecting lightweight glazing system that will<br />
play a similar visual relationship as the slated roofs on the Victorian<br />
properties.<br />
15.4.6 The disciplined form of the proposed development as seen from the<br />
north along the High Road, will extend, visually complete, and reinforce<br />
the existing stepped and articulated form of the east end of the West<br />
Green Road terrace that visually terminates the Victorian terrace at<br />
Nos. 267- 287 (Photographs 94 to 97) and the short terrace at 289-293.<br />
on the west side of the road. (Photographs 97 and 98) The proposed<br />
stepped parapet line and the stepped form of the penthouses and their<br />
roof-lines will incrementally increase the height, spread and volumetric<br />
complexity of the existing stepped form and add to the sense of<br />
perspective creating a meaningful stop-end to the existing terrace. (See<br />
Appendix 4 Digital Image Key View 5) The visually projecting stop end<br />
will also strengthen the sense of visual containment for the Victorian<br />
terrace and reinforce its horizontality along with appreciation of its<br />
historic detailing and the rhythm and pattern of its fenestration. The<br />
proposal will, to my mind, improve the visual appreciation of one of the<br />
major architectural elements within the Conservation Area.<br />
15.4.7 The increased sense of enclosure provided by the proposed<br />
development also provides a much needed visual reinforcement for the<br />
existing end containment of the wide verge fronting the Victorian<br />
terrace and should provide a welcome catalyst for enhancing its much<br />
depleted tree planting, along with possible additional planting, which<br />
would further improve its environment and reduce the domination of the<br />
highway, and indeed the rather brutal expression of Tesco’s opposite.<br />
15.4.8 The design concept will continue along West Green Road for the width<br />
of the site as far as its return onto Suffield Road.<br />
15.4.9 As at the south end of the High Road and on <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road, the<br />
ground floor will comprise retail units with fully glazed shop-fronts<br />
96
etween the brick piers which define the structural bays on the High<br />
Road and West Green Road which will significantly enhance the quality<br />
and vitality of the street scene, and consequently the sustainability of<br />
the Conservation Area.<br />
15.4.10 The upper levels will all comprise domestic accommodation. Facing<br />
east and overlooking the forecourt area and the High Road the<br />
accommodation will be expressed a mixture of individual windows and<br />
stacked recessed glass balustraded balconies, which will add to the<br />
vitality of the street scene and also result in the moving chiaroscuro<br />
effect of sunlight and shadows. Facing West Green road the expression<br />
will be slightly different with structural bays each incorporating three<br />
storey high vertical panels of floor to ceiling glazing alongside tiers of<br />
window apertures which will reinforce, in a totally contemporary<br />
manner, the regular rhythm and pattern of bay windows alternating with<br />
window apertures on the Victorian terraces that characterise the road in<br />
the vicinity of the site. (Photographs 86-90 and 93) Apartment windows<br />
overlooking the surrounding streets and the High Road forecourt will<br />
create light and vitality during dark evenings and mornings will also add<br />
to the sense of security and wellbeing for pedestrians both of which will<br />
also contribute to the sustainability of the conservation area.<br />
15.4.11As the proposed development approaches Suffield Road, the eastern-<br />
most two bays will reduce in height to three storeys including the retail<br />
ground floor in order to relate comfortably to the two storey terraces<br />
with an additional attic storey of wide gabled attic windows on West<br />
Green Road east of Suffield Road and also to facilitate a naturally and<br />
comfortably articulated step down to the purely domestic scaled three<br />
storey return onto Suffield Road in order to relate to the existing<br />
terrace of artisans’ cottages on its west side and so accord with the<br />
brief for the site as prepared by the Council.<br />
97
15.5.0 Consideration of the Design as it Addresses Suffield Road.<br />
15.5.1 Although Suffield Road is not in the Conservation Area, and does not<br />
immediately abut or overlook it, consideration of the proposal in relation<br />
to its well-being and environment is important in its own right along with<br />
consideration in relation to its overall undesignated Victorian context<br />
and its proximity to the Conservation Area.<br />
15.5.2 The terraced houses on the west side of Suffield Road are small two<br />
storey Victorian cottages, built for artisans, attractive but not of<br />
noteworthy architectural interest or significance. (Photograph 85) They<br />
are typical of innumerable streets throughout the Victorian parts of<br />
London and throughout industrial or Victorian towns, cities and villages<br />
throughout the United Kingdom.<br />
15.5.3 The return onto Suffield Road is cleverly articulated and detailed on<br />
plan and profile in order to reduce the visual scale to that of the<br />
Suffield Road Elevation.<br />
15.5.4 The ground floor brick elevation includes front doors and windows to<br />
maintain the traditional scale and rhythm of a domestic street. At first<br />
and second floor levels the brick façade projects out very slightly and<br />
extends up two additional storeys along with a parapet as a brick<br />
screen fragmented into panels partly masking private terraces that<br />
extends behind it along the full length of zinc clad facades of the first,<br />
second and third storeys of the dwellings recessed behind the screen<br />
wall panels. The brick panels fragment the façade into repetitive<br />
segments which reduce the potential horizontality of the façade and<br />
create a domestically scaled rhythm. Between the panels the floor<br />
structures of the terraces at first second and third floor levels are<br />
exposed and the terraces are edged at each level with glass<br />
balustrades that reveal the zinc clad facades at each level. In addition<br />
the brick screen panels are each punctured by four vertical apertures<br />
through which the first and second floor terraces are similarly exposed<br />
balustrades with glass screens at second floor levels also revealing the<br />
98
zinc clad facades to the recessed dwellings beyond and creating a<br />
secondary pattern and rhythm and a subtle spatial fluidity and<br />
articulation appropriate to the small domestic scale of Suffield Road.<br />
15.5.5 The brick screen creates the major and most evident parapet height<br />
above second floor level which will relate with the two storied terrace on<br />
Suffield Road and behind which the zinc clad third floor is substantially<br />
concealed. The roof is also zinc clad and includes an attic storey with<br />
balconies discretely recessed into the roof slope.<br />
15.5.6 The Suffield Road elevation is a well detailed and imaginative twenty<br />
first century interpretation of the traditional domestic terrace of abutting<br />
buildings or slightly separated buildings and reverses the traditional<br />
rhythm and pattern of projecting bay windows by introducing recesses<br />
into the façade which also introduces a reversed spatial three<br />
dimensionality which is terminated at its south end, at the bend in the<br />
road by the increased scale of the return into seven <strong>Sisters</strong> Road with<br />
the entrance into the enclosed service road approached by curves in<br />
the façade reminiscent of those articulating the returns from the High<br />
Road into both <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road and West Green Lane.<br />
16.0.0 CONCLUSION<br />
16.1.0 Following detailed consideration of the architectural and historical<br />
interest and significance of the elements that comprise the<br />
Conservation Area and its setting, and of the conservation area as a<br />
whole, I have concluded that none of the buildings on the site, even<br />
those locally listed or considered by Haringey Council to contribute<br />
positively to their immediate context in the conservation area, now has<br />
meaningful architectural or historic interest or significance as an<br />
undesignated <strong>heritage</strong> asset. Consequently, their demolition will not<br />
result in any substantial harm to an undesignated <strong>heritage</strong> asset of<br />
measurable consequence in terms of the NPPF and will not cause any<br />
99
harm to the significance of a designated <strong>heritage</strong> asset as a whole. On<br />
the contrary in my assessment the adjacent east facing terrace and the<br />
entrances to the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Underground Station now detract from<br />
the character and appearance of the conservation area and<br />
comprehensive demolition of the buildings on the site will provide an<br />
opportunity for redevelopment which will enhance and better reveal the<br />
Conservation Area and its significance whilst also securing its optimum<br />
viable use.<br />
16.2.0 Whilst undoubtedly of greater architectural interest than the remains of<br />
terrace facing the High Road, the canted structure at the junction to<br />
<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road has also been substantially altered, and lost<br />
significant elements that contributed to the original design. It was a<br />
relatively commonplace and standardised example of the style and<br />
concept for a retail building, repeated in essence throughout the<br />
country, and did not form part of a related similarly designed group of<br />
building.<br />
16.3.0 Properly the proposal confidently reflects the retail and domestic<br />
requirements of the twenty first century whilst the design language<br />
adopts twenty first century building technology whilst fulfilling<br />
contemporary twenty first century requirements, expectations and<br />
aspirations. It maintains the Victorian tradition of confidently adopting<br />
and expressing contemporary design and technology and satisfying the<br />
needs and aspirations of the day and in this respect fully respects the<br />
essential ethos and character of the conservation area which has<br />
developed in response to developing transport technology. It maintains<br />
the 2000 year old tradition of providing domestic and retail<br />
accommodation on a major arterial road which has served worldwide<br />
empires over two millennia.<br />
16.4.0 I have assessed that the proposal and its design in detail and have<br />
concluded that in my opinion it will be appropriate for its location in the<br />
conservation area and will enhance and better reveal the significance of<br />
100
the Conservation Area as a Heritage asset Area whilst also securing its<br />
optimum viable use.It will also counterbalance and reduce the<br />
destructive visual dominance of the highway and in a very positive and<br />
attractive manner will maintain the process of “place shaping” that has<br />
been ongoing for centuries and is still continuing. It will therefore<br />
conform to the requirements of the NPPF and the UDP.<br />
16.5.0 It is hoped therefore that Conservation Area Consent for Demolition,<br />
30 th<br />
and Planning Permission for the proposed development, will be<br />
granted.<br />
April 2012<br />
David W. Lewis<br />
101
APPENDIX 1<br />
CONSERVATION AREA PLAN
SEVEN SISTERS/PAGE GREEN-<br />
CONSERVATION AREA PLAN
APPENDIX 2<br />
HISTORIC MAPS AND PLANS
APPENDIX 2.1<br />
1619 SURVEY PLAN
APPENDIX 2.2<br />
EXTRACT FROM THE 1798<br />
WYBIRD SURVEY PLAN<br />
N
APPENDIX 2.3<br />
EXTRACT FROM THE 1810 SURVEY PLAN<br />
OF TURNPIKE ROADS BY WILLIAM KNIGHT.<br />
N
APPENDIX 2.4<br />
EXTRACT FROM THE 1864 OS PLAN<br />
N
APPENDIX 2.5<br />
1876 OS PLAN
APPENDIX 2.6<br />
1876 OS PLAN<br />
DETAIL
APPENDIX 2.7<br />
1896 OS PLAN
APPENDIX 2.8<br />
1913 OS PLAN
APPENDIX 2.9<br />
1936 OS PLAN
APPENDIX 2.10<br />
1967-68 OS PLAN
APPENDIX 2.11<br />
1975 OS PLAN
APPENDIX 2.12<br />
1983-88 OS PLAN
APPENDIX 3<br />
OLD PHOTOGRAPHS
Photograph 1. “Wards Corner” at the junction of the High Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road at<br />
the endofthe nineteenth century,<br />
Photograph 2. Looking north along High Road from the junction along the terrace on the<br />
site from the junction of the High Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road .
Photograph 3. The articulation of the High Road Terrace on the site at the junction with<br />
<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road in the late C19 or first years of the C20.<br />
Photograph 4. The junction of The High Road with <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road after the construction<br />
of the Ward’s corner shop in 1909.
Photograph 5. Early twentieth century photograph (1913) illustrating that the 1909 Ward’s<br />
shop with its parapet and gablet above the splayed corner was slightly larger in scale than<br />
the terrace facing the High Road which still retained its canted bay windows, dormer windows<br />
and chimney stacks creating height, rhythm and articulation.<br />
Photograph 6. The cinema (now demolished and replaced by the Apex Centre) on the<br />
southern corner of the High Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road achieving the greater scale and<br />
articulation which still characterises corner buildings on the High Road in the Conservation<br />
Area.
Photograph 7 The junction between Tottenham High Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road with<br />
the “Corner Cinema” and Ward’ Corner Shop marking the corner and achieving a scale<br />
commensurate with the scale of the roads at the time and sufficient to achieve a sense of<br />
architectural enclosure.<br />
Photograph 8. “The Corner” Cinema and the Wards Corner building on the corner of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
Road and High Road .The buildings including the High Road terrace on the site, with its architectural<br />
detail, have sufficient “presence”, aided by trees on the High Road to south of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road to<br />
relate comfortably to the road and to create a positive sense of “place” and destination.
Photograph 9. The terrace on the site facing the High Road before the canted bay windows,<br />
dormer windows, and chimney stacks were removed and with young tree planting on the<br />
wide forecourt.<br />
Photograph 10. The return of the site onto West Green Road before the remaining two storey<br />
canted bay window on the end house was removed and the end two units were combined<br />
into one, seriously altered, and converted to a bank. The still young tree planting<br />
helps contain the forecourt .
Photograph 11.The forecourt enclosed on the west side by the still intact terrace on the site and<br />
the High Road was sensitively landscaped and tree planted to create a sense of enclosed place,<br />
and continuity with the “Grove” of trees on the roadside north of West Green Road. The overall<br />
context on the site relates to the taller Barclays Bank building opposite resulting in an asymmetrical<br />
composition and properly relates to the scale of the road as then existing.<br />
Photograph 12 .<br />
Crystal Palace,1850 , by Joseph<br />
Paxton<br />
Photograph 13 .<br />
Edwardian two storey shop-front<br />
applied to the gable end of a barn<br />
like building in the Victorian mill village<br />
of Bamford in Derbyshire. The<br />
timber shopfront design is a vernacular<br />
interpretation of the glazing<br />
at Crystal Palace,.
Photograph 14.<br />
The Home Insurance Building Chicago Illinois<br />
The first steel framed building eight storeys high<br />
was built in 1884.,and enlarged in 1891<br />
Architect William Le Baron Jenney.<br />
Photograph courtesy of the Frances Loeb Library,<br />
Graduate School ofDesign, Harvard University
APPENDIX 4<br />
KEY VIEWS 1- 6.<br />
BASELINE PHOTOGRAPHS<br />
AND<br />
DIGITAL IMMAGES OF PROPSAL<br />
IN CONSERVATION AREA CONTEXT
APPENDIX 4. Verified Key Views of the Proposed Development<br />
Prepared by Cityscape Digital Ltd.<br />
Key View 1 Baseline View on which digital Key View No 1 is based. Trees on both sides of the High<br />
Road south of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road do contribute to road enclosure which mitigates its width and domination.<br />
The horizontal form of the two storey terrace on the site and the small size of the Ward’s corner<br />
building make very little impact on the appearance, character, townscape, or significance of the Conservation<br />
area allowing the road to dominate their environment.<br />
Key View.1. Digital Image. Verified View looking north along High Road towards the proposed development<br />
from the East pavement alongside Page Green Terrace. Compare with the baseline view above with<br />
the existing buildings on the site.
APPENDIX 4<br />
Key View 2 Baseline View on which Key View 2 is based. View across the High Road which illustrates its<br />
width and domination, especially in the vicinity of the site where it is exacerbated by major road junctions<br />
to its north and south. The small scale of the corner building on the site along with the bland two storey<br />
horizontality of the terrace overlooking the High Road, with its original chimney stacks, dormer windows<br />
and canter bay windows stripped away and replaced with poor quality shop fronts wholly fails to address<br />
the scale of the highway or make any meaningful contribution to the streetscape or the appearance,<br />
character, quality or significance of the Conservation Area.<br />
Key View.2. Digital Image. Verified view looking north west towards the proposed development facing<br />
the High Road and returning onto <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road from the High Road east pavement.
APPENDIX 4<br />
Key View 2a Baseline view on which digital image 2a is based. View across the High Road past the clock<br />
tower at Apex House towards the site, revealing the terrace on <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road, the gap in the street<br />
enclosure, the small scale of the Wards Shop, the domination of tarmacadum, and the bland horizontality<br />
of the much altered terrace overlooking High Road.<br />
Key View.2a. Digital Image. Non-verified based on key view 2 looking north west past Apex House towards<br />
the proposed development facing the High Road and <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road from the High Road east<br />
pavement. Compare with the baseline photograph above illustrating the same view with the existing buildings<br />
on the site.
APPENDIX 4<br />
Key View 3. Baseline Photograph on which key view 3 is based. View west between the nicely detailed<br />
yellow Stock Brick terraced houses on Earlsmead Road where the scale and detail of the terraced<br />
houses relate comfortably to the width of the road with stucco canted bay windows under extended<br />
porch roofs supported on chunky cantilevered brackets and twinned first floor windows with<br />
stucco quoin dressings. This contrasts with the Spartan terrace on the site on the west side of the<br />
High Road which closes the view. This has been stripped of all architectural detail and character and<br />
is clearly not capable of making a similar contribution the character and appearance of the High Road.<br />
Key View.3. Digital Image. Verified view of the proposal terminating the view at the west end of Earlsmead<br />
Road .Compare with the baseline view above.
APPENDIX 4<br />
Key View 4. Baseline View on which Key View 4 is based. View west along Broad Lane showing the remaining<br />
width of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Common on the left, isolated by steel barriers along the central reservation,<br />
with the C20 office development marking the road junction to the High Road.<br />
Key View 4. Digital Image. Verified View towards the proposed development on the corner of the High<br />
Road and West Green Road seen from Broad Lane. Compare with baseline photograph above illustrating<br />
the same view with the existing buildings on the site.
APPENDIX 4<br />
Key View 5 Baseline View on which Key View 5 is Based. View south along the High Road with the long<br />
Victorian terrace at No. 267-287 set back from the opposite west side of the road, with the site visible<br />
beyond the junction to West Green Lane.<br />
Kew View 5 Digital Image. Verified view towards the proposed development on the corner of the High<br />
Road and West Green Road seen from the east pavement of the High Road north of the site outside of<br />
Tesco’s. Compare with baseline photograph above illustrating the buildings on site as existing.
APPENDIX 4<br />
Key View 6. Baseline View on which Key View 6 is based. Photograph looking east along West Green<br />
Road with the site on the right beyond the junction with Suffield Road.<br />
Key View 6. Digital Image. Verified View looking east along West Green Road from the north pavement<br />
towards the proposed development on the corner of West Green Road and the High Road and West<br />
Green Road. Compare with the baseline photograph above illustrating the same view with the existing<br />
buildings on the site..
PHOTOGRAPHS
TOTTENHAM HIGH ROAD EAST SIDE, NORTH BROAD STREET<br />
Photograph 1. View north along the High Road<br />
outside of the <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Conservation Area<br />
Photograph 3.250-256 High Road adjacent to<br />
Tescos, are just outside of the Conservation Area<br />
under consideration.<br />
Photograph 5. The Tesco building attempts a relationship<br />
with the Grade II Listed Barclays Bank<br />
building with its height and rhythm.<br />
Photograph 7. View south along the High Road<br />
with Tesco’s on the left.<br />
Photograph 2. North of the Conservation Area<br />
abutting two and three dwellings of varying design<br />
in the vernacular domestic classical style.<br />
Photograph 4.The brutal, unrelenting horizontal<br />
form and the design of the Tesco’s building detracts<br />
from the character of the Conservation Area.<br />
Photograph 6. The sudden jump in scale between<br />
almost abutting modest domestic buildings and<br />
Tesco’s is contrary to the character of the High Road.<br />
Photograph 8. The Grade II Listed Barclays Bank<br />
has a scale that just about manages to compete<br />
with the domination of the highway.
Photograph 11 The Barclays Bank building returns<br />
into the smaller scale of the domestic terrace<br />
on Broad Lane where the scale of the road<br />
still dominates.<br />
Photograph 9.<br />
View north along the High<br />
Road across the Junction of<br />
Broad Lane illustrating the<br />
domination of the roadways<br />
and the importance of the<br />
scale and design of the Barclays<br />
Bank building to achieve<br />
some sense of road enclosure<br />
and framing to the junction.<br />
Photograph 10.<br />
The clutter of street furniture<br />
and barriers increases the divisive<br />
nature of the road. The<br />
Barclays Bank building has<br />
sufficient presence to compete<br />
when seen in the near distance.<br />
However it struggles<br />
and only just manages to compete<br />
with the increased width<br />
of Broad Lane when seen from<br />
further afield.<br />
TOTTENHAM HIGH ROAD EAST SIDE, NORTH BROAD STREET<br />
Photograph 12. The bland projection of Tesco’s<br />
onto Broad Lane detracts the street character and<br />
leaves a gap in the street enclosure.
Photograph 13<br />
Nos. 9 to 35 Broad Lane comprise<br />
a terrace of relatively uniform<br />
two storey dwellings, which<br />
are constructed of red brick and<br />
have canted bay windows at<br />
ground and first floor level with<br />
stucco detailing, capped with<br />
steeply pitched pantile hipped<br />
roofs..<br />
Photograph 14<br />
The twentieth century office<br />
development at the junction of<br />
Ashmount Road and the High<br />
Road balances the scale and<br />
form of the Barclays Bank<br />
building. Between then, the<br />
two buildings struggle, but just<br />
succeed in framing the junction<br />
between the High Road and<br />
Broad Lane.<br />
TOTTENHAM HIGH ROAD EAST SIDE, VIEW INTO BROAD STREET<br />
Photograph 15. View east along Broad Lane Photograph 16 View across the wide expanse of<br />
Broad Lane to terraced housing and the late C20<br />
office development on the south side.
TOTTENHAM HIGH ROAD EAST SIDE, NORTH BROAD STREET<br />
Photograph 17 View west along Broad Lane showing the remaining width of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Common on<br />
the left, isolated by steel barriers along the central reservation, with the C20 office development marking<br />
the road junction to the High Road.<br />
Photograph 18. The much damaged terrace on<br />
the site seen from across the considerable width<br />
of the High Road.<br />
Photograph 20. The C20 office development seen<br />
from the site across the High Road is approaching<br />
a size and scale with sufficient articulation,<br />
rhythm and pattern to counterbalance the scale<br />
and character of High Road.<br />
Photograph 19. The remaining comparatively intact<br />
element at the north end of the terrace on the site<br />
makes a contribution to a local part of the Conservation<br />
Area, but is much altered and lost significance.<br />
Photograph 21. View south along the east pavement<br />
of the High Road with the C20 office building<br />
to the left. As on the site opposite, the steps<br />
to the underground station are a negative element<br />
in the Conservation Area.
Photograph 22. View east along Earlsmead Road<br />
showing the contrast between the scale and style<br />
of its terrraced houses and the C20 office development<br />
on the High Road.<br />
Photograph 24<br />
Photograph 23. Terraced houses on the south side<br />
of Earlsmead Road<br />
Photographs 24 and 25. View west between the<br />
nicely detailed yellow Stock Brick terraced houses<br />
on Earlsmead Road where the scale and detail of<br />
the terraced houses relate comfortably to the width<br />
of the road with stucco canted bay windows under<br />
extended porch roofs supported on chunky cantilevered<br />
brackets and twinned first floor windows with<br />
stucco quoin dressings. This contrasts with the<br />
Spartan terrace on the site on the west side of the<br />
High Road which closes the view. This has been<br />
stripped of all architectural detail and character and<br />
is clearly not capable of making a similar contribution<br />
the character and appearance of the High<br />
Road.<br />
Photograph 25<br />
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SITE , EARLSMEAD ROAD AND<br />
TOTTENHAM HIGH ROAD EAST SIDE
Photograph 26. View north along the eastern<br />
pavement on the High Road from the corner with<br />
Earlesmead Road. Whilst not architecturally distinguished<br />
the C20office building does include<br />
scale, materials, pattern , rhythm, and detail<br />
which make a worthwhile contribution to the appearance<br />
and character of the Conservation Area<br />
and helps contain and counterbalance the dominating<br />
scale of the roadway.<br />
TOTTENHAM HIGH ROAD EAST SIDE, SOUTH OF BROAD LANE<br />
Photograph 27. Terrace of houses south of Earlsmead<br />
Road includes variety of detail, articulation<br />
and scale missing from the terrace on site opposite.<br />
Photograph 29, View north along the High Road<br />
from the east pavement .<br />
Photograph 28. Christ Apostolic Church built as the<br />
Salvation Army Citadel is set back and achieves<br />
considerable presence by assured design<br />
Photograph 30. The church benefits from its visual<br />
grouping with its neighbours to form an attractive<br />
enclave partly protected by trees off the High Road.<br />
Photographs 31 and 32 The damaged buildings on the site lacking detail, profile, pattern, rhythm and articulation<br />
contrast with the quality of the intact buildings on the opposite side of the High Road. (Photographs 29and 30)
Photograph 33 View from Pembroke Road past the Apostolic Church to Apex House and the Wards<br />
Corner Site.<br />
Photograph 34. View east along Pembroke Road<br />
from the access road to Page Green Terrace with<br />
contrasting architectural styles and scales.<br />
Photograph 35. Terraced houses on the north<br />
side of Pembroke Road<br />
TOTTENHAM HIGH ROAD EAST<br />
SIDE, SOUTH OF BROAD LANE<br />
Photograph 36. Modest terraced houses on the<br />
south side of Pembroke Road.
TOTTENHAM HIGH ROAD EAST SIDE, VIEWS AT PAGE GREEN<br />
Photograph 37. The junction between Pembroke Road and Page Green is beautifully defined by the<br />
Victorian interpretation of the classical Venetian Palazzo at No. 200 High Road.<br />
Photograph 38. Abutting houses in slightly different<br />
interpretations of the vernacular domestic classical<br />
style at Page Green Terrace.<br />
Photograph 40. View south along the pavement<br />
at the east side of High Road with the wide tree<br />
planted verge and hedge separating it from Page<br />
Green creating a protected enclave.<br />
Photograph 39. View south along Page Green, which<br />
is parallel to the High Road and protected from it by<br />
trees on a wide verge creating a quieter enclave<br />
Photograph 41. Trees on both sides of the High<br />
Road east of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road create a sense<br />
of more suburban enclosure to the road and reduce<br />
its dominating impact.
Photograph 42. Southof <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road,<br />
trees bounding the road soften its character.<br />
Photograph 44. Late C20 apartments at Seacole<br />
Court fronted by trees successfully enclose a less<br />
dominating part of the High Road.<br />
Photograph 46. View south along the High Road,<br />
south of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road.<br />
Photograph 43. The scale of apartment blocks at<br />
Sealcole Court is sufficient to enclose and counterbalance<br />
this less dominating part of the High Road.<br />
Photograph 45. Some architectural variety is included<br />
at Seacole Court maintaining a characteristic<br />
of the Conservation Area.<br />
Photograph 47 View south along the High Road,<br />
south of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road.<br />
Photograph 48. Apex House appropriately increases<br />
the scale of building to maintain the tradition<br />
of locating the larger buildings on street corners.<br />
TOTTENHAM HIGH ROAD WEST SIDE, SOUTH OF SEVEN SISTERS<br />
ROAD
Photograph 49. View from near Page Green Terrace<br />
to <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road where the Ward’s building is<br />
too small to counteract the scale of the highway.<br />
Photograph 51. Apex House on the south side of<br />
<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road maintains the vertical pattern<br />
and rhythm of fenestration on its façade.<br />
Photograph 53. View west along <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
Road past the C20 interpretation of classical formality<br />
at Apex House to C20 housing beyond.<br />
Photograph 55. Mid C20 flats on the south side of<br />
<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road.<br />
Photograph 50. View west from the pavement alongside<br />
Page Green Terrace to Apex House and C20<br />
housing outside of the Conservation Area.<br />
Photograph 52. Apex House on the south side of<br />
<strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road with C20 housing beyond,<br />
all excluded from the conservation area.<br />
Photograph 54. View west along <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong><br />
Road towards a mid C20 terrace of flats, seen<br />
from the corner of Suffield Road.<br />
SEVEN SISTERS ROAD,<br />
SOUTH SIDE
Photograph 56. Terrace of houses with ground<br />
floor shops west of Suffield Road.<br />
Photograph 58. View West towards the High<br />
Road from <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road with the site on<br />
the left and the Wards shop at the junction.<br />
SEVEN SISTERS ROAD, NORTH SIDE<br />
Photograph 57. View from <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road<br />
towards the terrace of houses on the east side of<br />
Suffield Road.<br />
Photograph 59. A gap in the street enclosure on<br />
site west of the Victorian terrace reveals the brick<br />
flank wall and narrow width of the Wards Shop.<br />
Photograph 60 View across the High Road past the clock tower at Apex House towards the site, revealing<br />
the terrace on <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road, the gap in the street enclosure, the small scale of the Wards Shop, the<br />
domination of tarmacadum, and the bland horizontality of the much altered terrace overlooking High Road.
Photograph 61 Trees on both sides of the High<br />
Road south of <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road do contribute<br />
to a sense of road enclosure which mitigates its<br />
width and domination.<br />
THE SITE SEEN FROM THE WEST<br />
SIDE OF HIGH ROAD SOUTH OF<br />
SEVEN SISTERS ROAD<br />
Photograph 62. View across the High Road which illustrates its width and domination, especially in the vicinity<br />
of the site where it is exacerbated by major road junctions to its north and south. The small scale of the<br />
corner building on the site along with the bland two storey horizontality of the terrace overlooking the High<br />
Road, with its original chimney stacks, dormer windows and canter bay windows stripped away and replaced<br />
with poor quality shop fronts wholly fails to address the scale of the highway or make any meaningful contribution<br />
to the streetscape or the appearance, character, quality or significance of the Conservation Area.
Photograph 63. The full length of the much altered terrace on the site overlooking the High Road revealing<br />
its resulting inadequate height, articulation and detail contrary to the character of the Conservation Aea.<br />
Photograph 64. The 1909 Wards Shop which replaced<br />
the end of the original terrace, with fenestration<br />
influenced by that of Crystal Palace.<br />
Photograph 65. The flat and horizontal façade of<br />
the terrace at 229-245 High Road with poor quality<br />
shop fronts.<br />
Photograph 66<br />
Detail illustrating the<br />
façade of the terrace at<br />
229-245 High Road on<br />
the site where the<br />
change in brickwork<br />
colour shows where<br />
two storey canted bay<br />
windows have been<br />
removed and replaced<br />
with single sash windows.<br />
Badly designed,<br />
poor quality ,and badly<br />
maintained shopfronts,<br />
further detract from the<br />
appearance, character<br />
and quality of the Conservation<br />
area, locally<br />
and as a whole.<br />
THE BUILDINGS ON THE SITE FACING THE HIGH ROAD
Photograph 67. The wide forecourt sparsely planted<br />
with trees, with the negative impact of steps down to<br />
the “underground”. Barclays Bank beyond gives scale.<br />
Photograph 69. The interior of the old wards shop<br />
now occupied by market stalls .<br />
Photograph 71. Nos. 247 and 249 the dormer<br />
windows and first floor bays have been altered,<br />
are neglected, and are in poor condition.<br />
Photograph 73. No.251 and 253 are semi derelict<br />
as a result of a fire with roofs totally destroyed. No.<br />
255 retains the terrace form as C19 photographs,<br />
although the dormer and shopfront are replaced.<br />
THE SITE AND ITS BUILDINGS<br />
FACING THE HIGH ROAD<br />
Photograph 68. Stalls in the market occupying<br />
the extended old Wards shop.<br />
Photograph 70 Stalls in the market now occupy<br />
much of the old Wards Shop.<br />
Photograph 72. Nos. 247 and 249 retain dormer<br />
windows. Segmental bays are retained at first floor<br />
but replaced by poor shop fronts at ground floor<br />
Photograph 74. Nos 257 and 259 have been<br />
combined with a bank façade and the original<br />
ground floor elevations shown on the late C19<br />
photograph totally replaced.
Photograph 75. The West Green Road elevation<br />
of 259 High Street with the C19 photograph<br />
gound floor elevation totally replaced.<br />
Photograph 77. Nos. 1a and 1b West Green road<br />
are similar to the Wards Corner shop with first floor<br />
fenestration also influenced by Crystal Palace<br />
Photograph 79. The remaining west end of the<br />
C19 terrace on West Green Road at its return to<br />
Suffield Road.<br />
Photograph 81. Modest terraced houses with<br />
canted bay windows on the west side of Suffield<br />
Road<br />
Photograph 76. The buildings on the site facing<br />
West Green Road have been altered and in part<br />
replaced in a variety of styles since originally built.<br />
Photograph 78. The remainder of the site extending<br />
to Suffield Road where a C20 shop has been<br />
inserted into the C19 terrace.<br />
Photograph 80. The service road into the site off<br />
the north end of Suffield Road .<br />
THE SITE ON EAST GREEN<br />
ROAD AND SUFFIELD ROAD<br />
Photograph 82. View from Suffield Road to the rear<br />
brick built fenestrated elevation and the brick flank<br />
elevation of the small 1909 Wards Corner Shop.
Photograph 83. The south end of Suffield Road<br />
where it bends towards <strong>Seven</strong> <strong>Sisters</strong> Road.<br />
Photograph 85. The terrace on the north side of<br />
Suffield Road.<br />
Photograph 87.Looking east along West Green<br />
Road with the site beyond the junction to Suffield<br />
Road on the right.<br />
Photograph 89. View east along West Green<br />
Road towards the C20 office building at the south<br />
junction to Broad Lane and the High Road.<br />
Photograph 84. Suffield Road looking South.<br />
Photograph 86. The south side of West Green<br />
Road to the west of the junction with Suffield<br />
Road.<br />
Photograph 88. The junction to Houghton Road<br />
with C20 housing beyond, off the north side of<br />
West Green Road opposite the site.<br />
SUFFIELD ROAD AND THE NORTH SIDE OF WEST GREEN ROAD.<br />
Photograph 90. View west along West Green<br />
Road from the junction with Suffield Road.
Photograph 91. The north end of the much altered<br />
terrace on site seen from the east side of<br />
High Road.<br />
Photograph 93. No. 261High Road returning as a<br />
tall three storey terrace on the north side of West<br />
Green Road.<br />
Photograph 95. Untidy extensions and canopies<br />
to shops associated with 261 High Road with the<br />
263-287 terrace beyond, facing a wide pave-<br />
Photograph 97. The sparsely planted and uninspiring<br />
extremely wide pavement between the High<br />
Road and the north end of the 267-287 terrace’<br />
THE SITE VIEWED FROM THE<br />
EAST SIDE OF THE HIGH ROAD.<br />
Photograph 92. The junction off High Road to<br />
West Green Street seen across the High Road<br />
from the junction with Broad Lane.<br />
Photograph 94. The west side of the High Road<br />
north of West Green Road with 263 and 265 High<br />
Road at the end of the long 267-287 terrace.<br />
Photograph 96. The flat faced façade of 263 and<br />
265 High Road, with the more decorative facade of<br />
267-287 with its two storey bay windows beyond.<br />
Photograph 98. The short terrace north of Pelham<br />
Road on the west side of High Road.
THE HIGH ROAD NORTH OF<br />
WEST GREEN ROAD<br />
Photographs 99 and 100. Just outside of the <strong>Seven</strong> Sister’s Conservation Area, the Home for incurable Jews<br />
built between 1897 and 1901 in a Picturesque Jacobean Style contrasts totally with the Victorian interpretation of<br />
the Domestic Classical Style of much of the terraced housing in the Conservation Area.<br />
Photograph 101. View south along the High Road with the long Victorian terrace at No. 267-287 set back<br />
from the opposite west side of the road, with the site visible beyond the junction to West Green Lane.