Application by Fortitudo to build home within sight of Christchurch Priory, off Church Lane, is refused
PLANS to build a new home a few hundred feet from Christchurch Priory have been thrown out after concerns about its impact on potential archaeological remains.
Fortitudo wanted to erect a one-and-a-half-storey two-bedroom detached house on land off Church Lane, within the town’s conservation area.
But according to a report by Dorset Council’s senior archaeologist Steve Wallis, the development lies within the area enclosed by the Saxon defences, and is “relatively close to the Priory and Castle”. In such a location, he said, it is likely that archaeological remains survive on the site and “would be impacted” by the development. These remains would likely be from Saxon, Medieval and post-Medieval periods, he said.
He added the “application does not seem to have addressed the archaeological implications of the proposed development” and the site should be evaluated “in order that an informed planning decision can be made on this application”.
In a design and access statement, Fortitudo says the view of the tower of the Priory is visible from the site and will be retained.
Despite being near a pre-Conquest monastery, early Christian cemetery, Augustinian priory and a motte-and-bailey castle, the site is “not considered to form any particularly significant contribution to the setting”, the developer said.
It added that the new home would be “subservient in scale” to other buildings in the street and would “preserve and enhance the character of the conservation area”.
It would be built in red brick and tiles with dormer windows and the house would be an “infill development.” According to Fortitudo, the latest housing need assessment identifies that 35% of the need is for two-bedroom homes, and the new house would make “an important contribution” to increase housing supply in Christchurch.
The application received six objections from residents with one saying it would be “a serious overdevelopment in a conservation area within a historic part of central Christchurch. The proposed siting of the house is directly adjacent to the side of the carriageway which has no pedestrian walkway. “The car parking to the side will have no sight lines for any vehicle exiting, potentially more dangerous due to the Church Lane being narrow,” they said.
Another said: “I am very concerned. Where will the workmen park while carrying out these works? Where will the materials to build the house be stored and how will they be unloaded in such a narrow one-way street? Concrete lorries and muck away lorries loading and unloading will cause traffic congestion.
“I'm worried about the noise and disturbance this new development will cause, let alone the neighbouring properties losing the privacy and light. I feel this is a complete overdevelopment of a very small site.”
One neighbour commented: “I have lived in Church Lane all my life and think it is extremely unnecessary to build a new house on such a small/difficult accessible plot. These cottages in Church Lane are listed, and a new house will not be in-keeping with the cottages.”
The application was refused on the grounds that it would “result in harm to the character and appearance of the Christchurch Conservation Area and harm to the setting of listed buildings”.
It was also “located within an area of potentially high archaeological significance”, and BCP Council planners felt that “insufficient information has been provided to determine if the application site is likely to have archaeological remains of significance”.
