Historic Buildings Team News
CgMs Events News
CgMs are pleased to announce that in association with Property Week, we are co sponsors of a major planning conference entitled "Planning for Prosperity" in association with Bircham Dyson Bell. The Conference is to be held on 15 October at the Grange Hotel St Paul's, Godliman Street, London, EC4V 5AJ.
Key speakers include Richard McCarthy, Director General for Housing and Planning at Communities and Local Government, Bob Neill MP, Shadow Minister for Local Government and Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, and Sue Willcox, head of Town Planning at Sainsbury's.
For details about the conference programme and how to make a booking, please click here.
If you wish to contact CgMs about the conference please contact Mike Straw.
Historic Buildings
Our Historic Buildings team are currently advising on the following notable instructions:
3000 Person WWII Air Raid Shelter Found
In 2007 the CgMs Historic Building recording team at CgMs were instructed by the Lee Valley Estates redevelopment team to investigate buried structures at the Ferry Lane site in Tottenham Hale. An initial assessment revealed the survival of a 3000 person buried air-raid shelter that had been sealed and forgotten since 1955. The entire network, extending to 2.5km has now been fully recorded and analysed pursuant to the discharge of a planning condition. The shelters, built by the Harris Lebus Furniture factory and opened in August 1939, have sparked great local interest and specialist interest, leading to CgMs staff giving lectures on the findings. The findings are to be reported on in June 2009 as consideration now turns to suitable publication of this remarkable discovery.
Mynydd Y Betws Wind Farm
The Director of the Historic Buildings team has recently acted as an expert heritage witness at an Inquiry regarding the proposed wind farm on land at Mynydd Y Betws, Carmarthenshire. The application was approved with the Inspector concluding, on the evidence given by CgMs, that the development would not directly affect any heritage assets and would not be significantly harmful to their setting.
Toft Hill Wind Farm
The Director of the Historic Buildings team has provided heritage advice to npower renewables with regard to their proposed wind farm at Toft Hill, County Durham. This involved assessing the affect of the development on the cultural heritage around the proposed wind farm as well as the cumulative effect of several other proposed wind farms in the area. Having acted as an expert heritage witness at the Inquiry in May 2009, we are awaiting the Inspector's decision.
Syon House
As a notable example of the skills and experience of our historic buildings recording team, we have been invited to lecture on Standing Building Recording at Birkbeck College and run the week long course at the prestigious London home to the Duke of Northumberland. This year marks the 4th year of the successful course which is open to the general public interested in understanding how to analyse and record our built heritage. The course runs in parallel with the Birkbeck training excavation of the former Syon Abbey.
Oriel College, University of Oxford
In June 2009 experts from CgMs' Planning and Historic Building's section gave evidence at a public inquiry concerning the erection of three, two and a half storey buildings within a sensitive part of the Bartlemas Conservation Area, Cowley Road, Oxford. The College has owned the land since the 14th century. The focus of the conservation area is two, grade II* and a grade I listed building. In the Middle Ages these formed the nucleus of a hospital for sufferers of leprosy. Oxford City Council claimed the proposed buildings would adversely affect the setting of one of the listed buildings and neither preserve nor enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area. There was sizeable objection from local residents, local historic societies and English Heritage, but the application was recommended for approval. The Inspector's decision is awaited.
For further information on these instructions please contact Jonathan Edis, Nicholas Doggett or Danielle Morgan
