Draft Bradford District Local Plan - Preferred Options (Regulation 18) February 2021

Object

Representation ID: 29055

Received: 29/03/2021

Respondent: Historic England

NPPF paragraph 134d identifies that one of the five purposes of the Green Belt is to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns. The Green Belt Selective Review Part One Methodology Paper: Green Belt Parcels and Purposes (2019) sets out how the Council has considered this purpose when reviewing Green Belt boundaries, and identifies those settlements which are defined as historic towns for the purpose of the review. The first part of Policy SP5 should be amended to acknowledge the importance of this Green Belt purpose.

Criterion A, amend to read:
“A. The extent of Green Belt within the District is identified on the Policies Map and has a valuable role in supporting urban regeneration and transformation, keeping settlements separate, concentrating development, conserving the countryside, and preserving the setting and special character of historic towns.”

Support

Representation ID: 29056

Received: 29/03/2021

Respondent: Historic England

We welcome and support the intention of this policy to:
- Create a distinctive offer – using the Districts unique
architecture, heritage and cultural assets to create
compelling investment propositions and an environment
for growth;
- Encourage economic enterprises which develop or
enhance the viability of tourism, culture and leisure based
activities, and the built and natural environment; and
- Encourage the conversion of vacant buildings, including
mill buildings, to support local economic growth having
regard to their heritage, location and other key
constraints.
This reflects Bradford’s latest Economic Strategy which
identifies ‘using our unique architecture, heritage and
cultural assets to create compelling investment propositions and an environment for growth’ as one of four key opportunities for unlocking economic growth in the District. The District’s historic mills are identified as being one of the catalysts for growth.

Support

Representation ID: 29057

Received: 29/03/2021

Respondent: Historic England

Given the embodied energy in existing buildings and the
additional energy that would be expended were these
buildings to be demolished and their resultant demolition
waste removed, the reuse and adaptation of existing
buildings is, in the vast majority of cases, the most
sustainable option (quite apart from the fact that many of
these buildings are historic and contribute to the distinct
identity of the places where they are located).
Bradford has a huge amount of underused and vacant
floorspace across the District. In its historic mills alone, it is estimated that there are some 243,078 square metres
(2,616,469 square feet) that is vacant or under-used. The
conversion of these buildings, therefore, would not only help to sustain the historic environment of the District, but also to provide dwellings, offices and business accommodation in by one of the most sustainable means.

Support

Representation ID: 29058

Received: 29/03/2021

Respondent: Historic England

We support this Policy. Green and blue infrastructure has a role to play in conserving and enhancing the historic environment. It can be used to improve the setting of heritage assets and to improve access to it, likewise heritage assets can contribute to the quality of green spaces by helping to create a sense of place and a tangible link with local history. Many landscapes, parks and open space themselves have heritage interest. Several elements of Bradford’s Green Infrastructure network are either designated heritage assets in their own right or contribute to the setting of its historic buildings and structures. The protection and effective management of this resource will not only help to safeguard many elements which contribute to the distinctive character of Bradford but also to deliver the plan’s Strategic Objective for its historic environment.

We welcome the identification of landscapes and cultural heritage assets as a feature of the Districts green and blue infrastructure network, and the links provide to related policies dealing with the conservation and enhancement of the historic environment.

Support

Representation ID: 29059

Received: 29/03/2021

Respondent: Historic England

Bradford is a major supplier of high-quality building stone.
Consequently, we welcome this Policy which will help to
ensure that a steady supply of building stone is available for
the repair of historic buildings in Bradford and elsewhere
and for new development in sensitive areas. We also support the high quality restoration and aftercare of mineral sites.

Support

Representation ID: 29060

Received: 29/03/2021

Respondent: Historic England

We support this Policy which should help to ensure that those elements which contribute to the distinctive local character of the various areas of the District are retained and reinforced. We particularly welcome the intention of this policy to create high quality places, with proposals required to understand the place and its wider context and create places with a local identify reflecting the District’s varied and distinctive character, topography and features.

NPPF paragraph 127 provides that planning policies and decisions should, amongst other considerations, ensure that developments are sympathetic to local character and history, including the surrounding built environment and landscape setting.

Object

Representation ID: 29061

Received: 29/03/2021

Respondent: Historic England

The historic environment, in contributing to local character and distinctiveness and thereby a sense of place and identify, can also have a positive influence on peoples wellbeing. This point, and the contribution that attractive and well-designed places can have on peoples health and wellbeing, needs to be acknowledged in the Policy.
Criterion B.1, add the following additional condition:
‘Creating attractive and locally distinctive places to live which contribute towards strengthening community pride and identify in line with Policies SP14, EN4, DS1
and DS3.’

Support

Representation ID: 29062

Received: 29/03/2021

Respondent: Historic England

We welcome the acknowledgement that growth in transport must not come at a disproportionate expense to the built, natural and historic environments, and that transport projects should take every opportunity to improve outcomes for the environment including through improving the human and experiential environment through application of good design principles and sensitive integration of buildings, historical and cultural sites, points of interest, and art.

Support

Representation ID: 29063

Received: 29/03/2021

Respondent: Historic England

We support this Policy which seeks to improve access by sustainable modes of transport to the main tourist destinations of the District. We particularly welcome the intention that planning and development decisions and transport policies support sustainable access to tourist destinations, heritage and cultural assets and leisure uses, and especially that areas of cultural and heritage
significance should not be adversely affected by the impact of transport, in particular additional trips arising from development.

Object

Representation ID: 29065

Received: 29/03/2021

Respondent: Historic England

The design, layout and proximity of parking facilities has the potential to cause as much harm to the significance of heritage assets, including their setting, as new built
structures. As such, we would request that a small change is made to the policy to acknowledge this point.
Criterion B.b, amend to read:
‘is designed in consideration of the street scene, local character and historic environment,’