London Borough of Haringey Conservation Area No. 3 Muswell Hill Conservation Area Character Appraisal This Appraisal was approved and adopted by the Council on 11th February 2008. Updating to incorporate factual and descriptive assessment, additions and corrections is in accordance with English Heritage Guidance on the Review and Updating of Conservation Area Character Appraisals. CONSERVATION AREA CHARACTER APPRAISAL MUSWELL HILL CONSERVATION AREA (No. 3) CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1 Background to the Study 1 General Identity and Character of the Conservation Area 2 Designation and Extension 3 Context of the Conservation Area within the Wider Settlement 4 Topography 4 2. DEFINITION OF SPECIAL INTEREST 4 Sub Areas 5 3. ASSESSING SPECIAL INTEREST 5 Historic Development 5 Archaeology 5 Before 1815 6 1815 – 1896 6 1896 – 1914 8 1914 – 1945 9 1945 – Present Day 10 4. SPATIAL AND CHARACTER ANALYSIS Sub Area 1. The Core Area: Muswell Hill Broadway 11 Overall character and appearance 11 Fortis Green Road 12 Muswell Hill Road 14 Muswell Hill Broadway (north side) 15 Muswell Hill Broadway (south side) 16 Muswell Hill 19 Muswell Hill Broadway (east side) 20 Dukes Avenue 21 The Roundabout 21 Muswell Hill Broadway (north east side) 22 Muswell Hill Broadway (north west side) 24 Summerland Gardens 25 5. SPATIAL AND CHARACTER ANALYSIS Sub Area 2. Fortis Green 25 Overall character and appearance 25 Fortis Green Road 26 Fortis Green (south side) 27 Fortis Green (north side) 28 Twyford Avenue 29 i 6. SPATIAL AND CHARACTER ANALYSIS Sub Area 3. Queens Avenue 30 Overall character and appearance 30 Queens Avenue 30 Princes Avenue 32 Kings Avenue 33 Tetherdown 34 Woodberry Crescent 34 Muswell Hill Broadway 35 7. SPATIAL AND CHARACTER ANALYSIS Sub Area 4. Midhurst Avenue to Hillfield Park 35 Overall character and appearance 35 Grand Avenue 37 Collingwood Avenue 37 Leaside Avenue 38 Fortismere Avenue 38 Birchwood Avenue 38 Firs Avenue 38 Midhurst Avenue 39 Woodside Hospital and Woodside Avenue 39 Muswell Hill Road 40 Church Crescent 41 St James’s Lane 42 Hillfield Park 42 8. SPATIAL AND CHARACTER ANALYSIS Sub Area 5. Tetherdown 44 Overall character and appearance 44 Coppetts Road and Tetherdown (east side) 44 Coppetts Road and Tetherdown (west side) 45 9. SPATIAL AND CHARACTER ANALYSIS Sub Area 6. Page’s Lane 47 Overall character and appearance 47 Page’s Lane 48 Colney Hatch Lane 49 Meadow Drive 51 10. SPATIAL AND CHARACTER ANALYSIS Sub Area 7. Colney Hatch Lane & Wellfield Avenue to The Avenue 51 Overall character and appearance 51 Alexandra Park Road 52 Roads north of Alexandra Park Road 55 Muswell Avenue 55 Windermere Road 56 Grasmere Road 57 Thirlmere Road 57 Muswell Road 58 Roads between Alexandra Park Road and Muswell Road 59 ii Muswell Avenue 59 Coniston Road 60 Curzon Road 61 Cecil Road 62 Cranbourne Road 62 Dukes Avenue 63 Roads between Muswell Road and Dukes Avenue 66 Wellfield Avenue 66 Elms Avenue 66 Methuen Park 67 Donovan Avenue 68 Palace Court Gardens 68 Rosebery Road 69 Parkham Way 69 Grove Avenue 70 Lansdowne Road 70 The Avenue 70 11. PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK 72 National 72 Regional 74 Local 75 Supplementary 78 12. AUDIT 80 Introduction 80 STATUTORY LISTED BUILDINGS 80 LOCAL LISTED BUILDINGS OF MERIT 81 POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION BUILDINGS 82 SHOPFRONTS OF MERIT 87 ELEMENTS OF STREETSCAPE INTEREST 88 DETRACTORS 90 13. CHALLENGES, PRESSURES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT 92 Design Considerations 92 Traffic Management 92 Streetscape & Public Realm Improvements 92 14. DEVELOPMENT CONTROL ISSUES 93 Shopfronts 93 Residential Areas 93 • Forecourt Parking and Vehicular Crossovers 94 • Original Features 94 • Brickwork and Stonework, Painting, Render and Cladding 94 • Dormer Windows 94 Future Change 95 Opportunity Sites 95 iii 15. CONSERVATION AREA BOUNDARY REVIEW 96 Introduction 96 Test 1 Boundary 96 Test 2 Architectural Quality and Historic Relevance 96 Test 3 Townscape Quality 97 Review 97 Boundary Changes 97 16. POTENTIAL FOR ARTICLE 4 DIRECTIONS 98 Introduction 98 Current Permitted Development Issues 98 Impacts on the Character and Appearance of Muswell Hill 99 Recommendations 100 17. BIBLIOGRAPHY 101 18. PLANS 103 1 Conservation Area Boundary and Built Heritage Appraisal iv 1. INTRODUCTION Background to the Study 1.1 Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 states:- "Every local planning authority shall from time to time determine which parts of their area are areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance, and shall designate those areas as conservation areas." 1.2 The Borough has 28 such areas designated over 36 years, of which Muswell Hill Conservation Area is one. 1.3 Under Section 71 of the Act, once an area has been designated:- "It shall be the duty of a local planning authority from time to time to formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of any parts of their area which are conservation areas." 1.4 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 has reformed the planning system by introducing Local Development Frameworks (LDF) which will replace Unitary Development Plans (UDPs). As part of the transition the UDP policies are automatically saved for three years or more while the new LDF system is being completed. 1.5 To meet Government requirements the Council is producing documents to protect its conservation areas in stages. The first stage is this Appraisal, which aims to give a clear assessment of the special interest, character, and appearance that justified the designation of the area as a Conservation Area. It is intended that each Appraisal will provide a sound basis, defensible on appeal, for the development plan policies and development control decisions, and for the guidance of residents and developers. An Appraisal was approved and adopted by the Council’s Planning Committee on 11th February 2008 following public consultation and now supports the UDP and LDF. This version was last updated in August 2008. The second stage will be the production and adoption of a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) on Conservation Area Design Guidance as part of the Council’s evolving Local Development Framework (LDF). The third stage will be the production and adoption of Proposed Management Strategies for the conservation areas that will also support the SPD. 1.6 The designation of an area as a Conservation Area has other benefits beyond the protection of buildings and the design of the area. It enables other policies such as biodiversity and smarter streets to be developed for the conservation area, and acts as a focus for the formation and development of Residents Associations and Neighbourhood Watch. 1.7 So, in line with the guidance given by both the Government and English Heritage, this Appraisal will aim to define the character of the conservation area on the basis of an analysis of all or some of the following criteria: - • current and past land use; 1 • social and economic background; • orientation; • archaeological and historic sites; • geological and topographical mapping; • density and types of building; • place names and earliest references; • communication types and patterns; • comprehensive and selective historic mapping; • aerial photographs; • documentary sources; • historic environment record (HER) data; • characterisation and extensive urban studies (EUS); • statutory and non-statutory designations. 1.8 The aims of this Appraisal are therefore to:- • set out the special architectural and historic interest of the Muswell Hill Conservation Area and clearly describe the special character and appearance that it is desirable to preserve or enhance; • identify through an audit of the built heritage of the area, buildings and other elements that positively contribute to its character; • identify elements and buildings that detract from the character of the area and any sites where an opportunity to enhance the character of an area may exist; • examine the existing boundaries of the conservation area and consider the potential for other areas to be included; • Identify areas subject to pressure for change that would be adverse to the character and appearance of the area as a result of permitted development and identify any areas where the removal of permitted development rights would safeguard the essential character and appearance of the area. 1.9 It should be noted that the Appraisal does not represent an exhaustive record of every building, feature or space within the conservation area and an omission should not be taken to imply that an element is of no interest. General Identity and Character of the Conservation Area 1.10 The character and appearance of an area depends on a variety of factors. Its appearance derives from its physical and visual characteristics (i.e. materials, heights of buildings, types and relationship of built form), whereas its character includes other less tangible effects relating to the experience of an area. This may include levels and types of activity, patterns of, or prevailing, land uses, noise and even smells. The character of an area may also differ according to the day of the week or time of day. 1.11 This assessment of the character and appearance of the area is based on the present day situation. The intrinsic interest of an area, therefore, reflects both the combined effect of subsequent developments that replaced the earlier fabric and the original remaining buildings, street pattern and open space. 2 1.12 Muswell Hill is an essentially Edwardian suburb that developed around a once rural village settlement on high ground on one of the main routes into and out of London. It has a considerable consistency of character and appearance that derives from the development of the majority of buildings and laying out of the streets over a period of less than 20 years (1896-1913). 1.13 There is a presumption, set out in PPG 15, to retain buildings that make a positive contribution to the character of conservation areas. The role of buildings and spaces as positive, neutral or negative elements within the conservation is set out in greater detail in the following section. Buildings that are considered to be examples of high quality modern or distinctive design can also be judged as making a positive contribution to the character of an area. Detractors are elements of the townscape that are considered to be so significantly out of scale or character with their surroundings that their replacement, with something of a more appropriate scale and massing or detailed architectural treatment, would benefit the character and appearance of the area. Detractors may also include gaps in frontages that disrupt the prevailing street pattern. Elements that are neutral broadly conform to the overriding scale, form, materials and elevation characteristics of their context. The integrity and nature of the context are consequently influential in making this judgement. Designation and Extension 1.14 Muswell Hill was first designated a Conservation Area on 1 March 1974. Designation sought to protect the area’s generally unspoilt character and noted that with the exception of the demand for the conversion of houses into flats, pressure for development was moderate. The boundary covered the central shopping area at Broadway and extended to Page’s Lane in the north and to Hillfield Park in the south. The eastern and western boundaries respectively were defined by Elms Avenue and Birchwood Avenue/Twyford Avenue. The description contained in the report recommending designation identified an area that has developed as a “remarkably well-preserved example of an early Edwardian shopping centre”. The report further added that the architectural interest of the residential streets lies mainly in “the continuity of the development and detailing of gables, windows, porches and similar features”. This quality of detailing “contributes a great deal to the street scene” but it was acknowledged that it is these features that are “particularly subject to erosion over the years”. 1.15 The importance of the vistas created by the topography of the area is also noted. However the report concludes that there is “considerable visual intrusion caused by shopfronts, fascias and signs which are unsympathetic to the unity of the shopping facades”. 1.16 The conservation area was extended on 16 September 1991 to include several roads towards the north east and west that reinforce the Edwardian character of the of the core area. The report also recognised that “to extend this area further into areas of more varied styles and of less architectural merit could lead to a severe dilution of the Conservation Area 3 as a whole, particularly on appeals following refusal of applications for development.” 1.17 The conservation area boundary was further extended on 11th February 2008 by the addition of five small areas; at Midhurst Avenue; the frontage of Fortismere School, Tetherdown; Eastwood Road and Burlington Road; Colney Hatch Lane, Barnard Hill and Goodwyn’s Vale; and Alexandra Park Road. Context of the Conservation Area within the Wider Settlement 1.18 The Muswell Hill Conservation Area (No. 3) is located in the north west corner of the Borough, approximately 9km north of the River Thames on an area of high ground to the north of Highgate and Crouch End. The current boundary of the Conservation Area is shown on Plan 1. It shares part of its south east boundary with the adjoining Alexandra Palace & Park Conservation Area (No. 13). To the west is the Fortis Green Conservation Area (No. 4) and to the south east the Rookfield Conservation Area (No. 7). Topography 1.19 The overall topographical characteristics of the area show the relatively elevated nature of the centre of Muswell Hill and the ridge of high land extending west (along which Fortis Green runs). This area of high ground also extends a little way to the south along Muswell Hill Road. These locations are in excess of 100m AOD. The land falls away to the north, east and south providing the long views along streets and between buildings that are characteristic of the area. The gradient of the falls to the east of Muswell Hill Broadway, between St James Lane and Muswell Hill is the steepest with gentler gradients to the north and south. 2. DEFINITION OF SPECIAL INTEREST 2.1 Within Haringey, Muswell Hill is a notable and well-preserved example of an Edwardian suburb of considerable consistency and quality. The distinctive three and four storey red brick Edwardian parades of shops and apartments, and their hard streetscape that form the heart of the area, provide a vibrant focus that contrasts with the mature planted front gardens and substantial trees within the quieter residential streets that surround it. There are differences in the grain, scale and density of development across the conservation area, the highest density being along the streets within the central area, Muswell Hill Broadway and Fortis Green Road that radiate from the traffic island. Most of the streets are laid out in a modified grid pattern that follows, or is perpendicular to, the contours of the site. The surrounding residential areas have a mixture of two and three storey red brick semi-detached and terraced buildings. The majority of the buildings are either statutory or local listed and have a variety of elaborate details in stone, stucco and pargetted plaster, all of which add to the high quality of the architecture and character of the conservation area. 4 2.2 The pattern of development over time, and the influence of factors such as land ownership boundaries, has inevitably resulted in some buildings and spaces differing from the overriding character of the area. In addition, where changes in character occur between buildings in adjoining, but different, sub-areas their contribution to both areas is important in views between them. Sub Areas 2.3 The conservation area can be split into sub-areas for the purposes of the Appraisal in order to distinguish areas of similar character and similar periods of development. The following seven sub areas have been identified, and are shown on Plan 1:- 1. The Core Area: Muswell Hill Broadway (including the commercial part of Fortis Green Road) 2. Fortis Green (including Spring Lane and part of Twyford Avenue) 3. Queens Avenue (including Princes Avenue; Kings Avenue and Woodberry Crescent) 4. Midhurst Avenue to Hillfield Park (including Collingwood Avenue, Leaside Avenue; Fortismere Avenue; Birchwood Avenue; Firs Avenue; Church Crescent and part of Muswell Hill Road) 5. Tetherdown (including Eastwood Road, Burlington Road and part of Page’s Lane) 6. Page’s Lane (including part of Colney Hatch Lane) 7. Colney Hatch Lane & Wellfield Avenue to The Avenue (including Barnard Hill, Dukes Avenue; Donovan Avenue; Elms Avenue; and Grove Avenue; Lansdown Road; Rosebery Road; Muswell Road; Coniston Road; Curzon Road; Cranbourne Road; Cecil Road; Alexandra Park Road; Windermere Road; Grasmere Road and Thirlmere Road; and Methuen Park) 3. ASSESSING SPECIAL INTEREST Historic Development 3.1 The following section provides a brief overview of the social and historical development of the area and is based on historic maps and the sources acknowledged within the Bibliography. An understanding of how and why the area has evolved helps the understanding of its present day character and appearance. Archaeology 3.2 Muswell Hill Village is identified as an Area of Archaeological Importance (AAI) in the Council’s UDP. It marks the convergence of several medieval roads associated with the settlement. Its history indicates that there is considerable likelihood that archaeological remains will be found in this area. 5