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NTWANDLE VALLEY

CONSERVATION AREA

COLLIERS WOOD

1

Amended Draft, revisedfollowing public consultation.

New text shownand deleted text shownstruck through.

underlined

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND

STRUCTURE OF THE DOCUMENT

LOCATIONAND EXTENT

MAP OF THE CONSERVATIONAREA

SEQUENCE OF HISTORIC MAPSANDAERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS

ORIGINSAND DEVELOPMENT OF THEAREA

AGE OF BUILDINGS MAP

LAND USE

BUILDINGS

DISTINCTIVEAND TRADITIONAL MATERIALSAND LOCAL DETAILS

PLOT WIDTHSAND BUILDING HEIGHTS

OPEN SPACES

NEGATIVE FEATURES

STREETAUDIT

CONSERVATIONAREAPROPOSALSAND POLICY

SPECIAL GUIDANCE

NEED FORADDITIONAL PLANNING CONTROLS

REVIEW OF THE CONSERVATIONAREABOUNDARY

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3

3

4

4

CHARACTERAPPRAISAL

4

5

7

8

9

10

20

22

23

27

28

29

33

33

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QUALITY OF OPEN SPACESAND FORM OF ENCLOSURE 23

WANDLE PARK 23

URBAN SPACES 25

BOUNDARY TREATMENTSAND PRIVATE SPACES 26

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INTRODUCTION

The designation of conservation areasis a legislative duty of local authorities.These areas comprise "areas ofspecial architectural or historicinterest, the character or appearanceof which it is desirable to preserve orenhance". Local authorities also havea duty to from time to time to reviewwhether any further designations aren e e d e d . T h e Wa n d l e Va l l e yConservation Area was originallydesignated by the Counci inNovember 1990 and was extended inApril 2000.

The Government's Planning PolicyGuidance Note 15: Planning and theHistoric Environment (PPG 15)a d v i s e s l o c a l a u t h o r i t i e s t op e r i o d i c a l l y r e v i e w e x i s t i n gconse rva t i on a reas and the i rboundaries. PPG 15 also adviseslocal authorities to define and record,as clearly as possible, the specialarchitectural or historic interest thatjustifies each conservation area'sdesignation, through an assessmentof the elements that contribute to anarea's character.

This Character Assessment for theWandle Valley Conservation Area hasbeen prepared by the Council's Designand Conservation Team in accordancewith Guidelines issued by EnglishHeritage and Planning Policy GuidanceNote 15.

that have their own specific historicalbackground and/or defining features.

The character assessment for theWandle Valley Conservation Area hastherefore been structured to comprise ageneral appraisal document coveringthe whole of the conservation areasupported by a series of more detailedappraisals of each of the individual sub-areas.

. The appraisal is notintended to be comprehensive and theomission of any particular building,feature or space should not be taken toimply that it is of no interest.

BACKGROUND

S T R U C T U R E O F T H EDOCUMENT

Character assessments are useful toolsthat not only set out the specificcharacteristics for which an area hasbeen designated as a conservationarea, but also help the Council to assessthe impact of development proposals onthe character or appearance of aconservation area. They also provide auseful framework within which propertyowners and developers can work whendesigning new development or planningalterat ions to bui ldings, within

conservation areas, by setting out anddescribing the special context to whichany new development will need torelate.

Because of its size and linear nature theWandle Valley conservation area, whilsthaving a unifying theme linked to itshistory, development and links to theRiver Wandle, does vary in characteralong its length. The area has, thereforebeen sub-divided into a series of smallerdiscernible sub areas which have theirown special identities and which formrecognisable zones or groups ofbuildings within the area as a whole and

This appraisal covers Sub Area 2:Colliers Wood and should be read inconjunction with the whole areacharacter appraisal

WANDLE VALLEY CONSERVATION AREACHARACTER ASSESSMENT

SUB-AREA 2: COLLIERS WOOD

3

The Colliers Wood sub-area coversareas fronting Merton and ColliersWood High Streets and extends to thenorth to cover Wandle Park and theMill building former Connolly’sLeather factory. To the east it extendsto include Singlegate School, Colliers

Wood Underground Station and theRoyal Standard Public House. To thewest it extends to just beyond thefootbridge over the Wandle thatconnects Merton High Street to theSavacentre Store and the WandleTrail.

LOCATION AND EXTENT OF THE SUB- AREA

4

SEQUENCE OF MAPSANDAERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS

1865

1890

1920

1930

5

1950

1971

1976

1988

1991

2004

6

This area has formed a particular focusfor riverside industry from at least themedieval period onwards, with severalcorn mills being located along thisstretch of the river during that period.

This type of industry was supplanted inthe post-medieval period by textileworking, intially cloth fulling, and calicobleaching and subsequently textileprinting particularly at the works ofArthur

ORIGINSAND DEVELOPMENT OF THEAREA

Surviving fabric from 1865 Ordnance Survey map. Listed buildings shown red, locallylisted buildings blue.

7

Sub Area 2: Colliers Wood - Age of Buildings Map

1950-2000

1900-1949

1850-1899

1800-1849

1750-1799

Conservation Area Statutory Local

8

Liberty and of William Morris. Flourmilling continued at the Merton Mill untilthe 1st World War.

It is also the site of a historic rivercrossing over the Wandle. The ColliersWood High Street, roughly follows thealignment of the Roman Road, StaneStreet. The village was at one timeknown as “Singlegate” named after a tollbooth located at the Surrey Iron Railwaycrossing.

The river here flows through an artificialchannel that once formed the tail race toa copper mill and later a paper and boardmill, Merton Board Mills, that used to belocated on the river to west of the modernSavacenter. The 'Pickle Ditch' whichflows to the east of the Savacentreprobably follows the original river coursein Saxon Times.

The north-west corner of Wandle Parkonce formed part of the grounds ofWandlebank House to which WandleLodge, a 19th Century building, providesa surviving link.

Former residents of Wandlebank Houseincluded the owner of the corn mill,James Perry (1756 - 1821) a supporterof the Whigs and who was editor of theLondon Gazette for eight years. He leftthe Gazette in 1789 and with his partnerJames Gray purchased the MorningChronicle which he edited until his death.Perry ’s views and support forparliamentary reform brought him intofrequent conflict with the authorities andhe faced a number of charges includingseditious libel, libeling the House ofLords and criticising King George III. Heand Gray were sentenced in 1798 tothree months in Newgate Prison afterbeing found guilty in the House of Lordscase. Later contributors to the MorningChronicle included Charles Dickens whowrote a number of short stories from1834 under the pen name “Boz”Dickens. These were so popular thatthey were published as a collection titled“Sketches by Boz” in 1836.

Later residents include the artist HarryPollard Ashby (1809 - 1892) and his son-in-law Robert Bloomfield Fenwick (1835-1897) who married his daughter AliceIsabelAshby on 27th July 1867, who wasinstrumental in the founding and buildingofAll Saints Church. Ashby and Fenwickare commemorated by a drinkingfountain located in Wandle Park justsouth of the footbridge from WandleBank.

The house eventually became WandlePark House after it and the grounds werepu rchased by the Wimb ledonCorporation for a public park, control ofwhich was vested in the National Trust.The Park was opened im 1907 andextended in 1910 to include the “MillPond Garden”. The building was usedfor a time as a Child Welfare Clinic butwas eventually demolished. Thegrounds were landscaped with the

in the 1930san open air swimming pool wasconstructed in the park to the rear ofMillers Mead.

The main thoroughfare, the A24comprising Merton and Colliers WoodHigh Streets, that r

“Stane Street”,provides the focus to this particular sub-area which has a much morecommercial character than other parts ofthe conservation area. The area used tobe known as “Single Gate”, named afterthe tollgate that used to be located at thejunction of Christchurch Road andColliers Wood High Street and fromwh ich S ing le Ga te Schoo l i nChristchurch Road gets its name. T

.

The development of the area wasoriginally influenced by the proximity ofMerton Priory to the south and the routeof historic Roman Road, Stane Streetroughly on the alignment of High Street

MillPond retained as a lake and

oughly follow theroute of the Roman Road

hecrossing point of the Surrey Iron Railwaywas located slightly further to the north

LAND USE

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Colliers Wood and Merton High Streetwhich forms the southern boundary ofthis sub-area. The area would haveprimarily been agricultural with earlymaps indicating the presence of marketgardens and orchards. Along the riverearly milling operations developed andby 1768 Connolly’s ill was inexistence along with a copper mill on thesouth side of Merton High Street on thewest bank of the Wandle.

As population levels increased rows ofsmall dwellings and cottages wereconstructed and along Colliers Woodand Merton High Street rows of shopsappeared, interspersed with larger plotswith detached villas including AbbeyLodge and Wandlebank House.Increased suburbanisation throughoutthe 19th Century resulted in the sites ofthe larger houses being parcelled up forresidential development. However thesite of Wandlebank House was savedfrom development and acquired by thelocal authority for use as a public parkwhich survives to the present day.

The sub-area includes a number ofstatutory listed and locally listedbuildings as well as other buildings ofhistoric interest including a parade ofpart timber framed shops at Nos 4-8Merton High Street, and a survivingsection of an early 19th Century terraceand adjoining locally listed public housecomprising 182 - 192 High Street,Colliers Wood.

Buildings within the conservation areacan be divided into six distinct typescomprising: -

1. The surviving 18th Century industrialConnolly’s mill building in WandleBank:

corn m

The Wandle and the industries that itsuppor ted comb ined w i th thecommercialising influence of the highstreets continued to inform thedevelopment of the area until thepresent day. In recent years theindustrial land uses have been in declineand have gradually disappeared, but themain Connolly’s Mill building survivesand has been converted into residentialuse. Many of the former millworkerscottages along Wandle Bank have alsosurvived. Today the sub-area is mainlydominated by Wandle Park and mixeduse mainly retail and residentialdevelopment including the bus garageand a number of public Houses alongthe north side of the two High Streets.The 20th century brought furtherdevelopment to the area and theintroduction of the underground railwayproviding easy access to the centre ofLondon was a further spur for

d e v e l o p m e n t . C o l l i e r s W o o dUnderground station dating from 1926 islocated on the south side of ColliersWood High Street at its junction withChristchurch Road and marks the site ofthe former toll gate and cottage occupiesthe site of a former fire station.At the endof the 19th Century a smithy alsooccupied part of the site.

The east side of Christchurch Road isalso predominently mixed use retail andresidential development with residentialstreets behind. Singlegate School,dating from 1897 is located further southdown Christchurch Road to the south ofSouth Gardens.

BUILDINGS

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Replacing an earlier milluch altered.

building wasoriginally two storeys with aslate pitched roof. During the latterpart of the 1950s an additional floorwas added incorporating a flat roofset behind brick parapets. Thebuilding was converted to residentialuse during the 1990s and thisinvolved the removal of the originalsteel framed wharehouse stylewindows and ci l ls and theirreplacement with

windows which hasdiminished its overall character. Themain contribution to the character ofthis part of the conservation area thisbuilding makes derives from itsindustrial scale and the survivingfeatures from its former industrial use,particularly the arches over theformer door openings along theWandle Bank frontage.

2. Small

:

These

uilt ofyellow stockbrick they areo f t w ostoreys with

slate hipped, roofs. In the case of 9 to13 these are set behind a parapet.The significance of these cottagesderives from t

prominentchimney stacks, finely ga ged brickarches over the window openingsand semi-circular brick arches to thedoor openings and the ground floorfront windows to 16 and 17 WandleBank. The windows are traditionaltimber framed, double-hung sashwindows divided into small paneswith slim glazing bars. The doorshave decorative fan lights set into the

arched openings and Nos 10 and11 Wandle Bank have their fanlights set into square headedopenings with a projecting timbercanopy with a dentil cornice. Thedoors are timber with recessedpanels and the doors to Nos 10and 11 Wandle Bank havepanelled pilasters. Some cottageshave had their slate roof coveringsreplaced with less appropriateconcrete pantiles. Many havebeen extended to the rear and 16and 17 have had new brick porchextensions added to the flankswalls.

this buildinghas been m Built ofyellow stock bricks the

probably

domestic styletimber sash

terraces of early to mid19thCentury former millworker cottagesin Wandle Bank, punctuated bynarrow gaps

terraces, or pairs of semi-detached statutory listed cottagesare survivingm i l l w o r k e rcottages ando c c u p ynarrow plotsa l o n gWandle Bankt h e m a i na p p r o a c hroad to thef r o m e rConnollet ’smill. B

he composition of theterraced facades with individualhouses forming part of a larger unit,the detailed architectural treatmentof the elevations, their proportions,the character of materials used andthe craftsmanship employed.Particular features include

u

9-13 and 16/17 Wandle Bank

11

3. More recent groups and terraces ofhouses, also within Wandle Bank:

This represents

da ted f r om 1977 , wh i ch i scommemorated by a stone plaquelocated on the front of No 1. Whilstfollowing the rhythm of the earlierterraces, and probably the originalbuilding it replaces and some similardetails such as the doors they lack theproportionsof the earlier terraces. Built of yellowstock brick with concrete tile pitchedroofs with gabled ends, the reducedstorey heights and shallow pitch of theroofs give the buildings a squatappearance. The windows comprisemodern, off the peg, timber sashes ofdifferent size and proportions to theearlier terraces. These buildingscontribution to the conservation areais mainly in terms of the form andrhythm of the development ratherthan any architectural quality, theircontribution to this part of theconservation area is thereforeconsidered neutral.

Dating fromuilt of a beige brick with

projecting gables, disproportionatelysmall windows and pitched roofs.These properties have little respect tothe existing character of the area interms of their architectural designand detailing and they have anuneasy relationship with adjacentbuildings particularly the buildingsfronting onto Merton High Street.They are therefore considered tomake a negative contribution to thecharacter and appearance of this partof the conservation area.

4. Indivual houses not forming part of alarger group.

This is a detached house dating formlate 1930s. It has a different characterfrom the earlier Georgian terracesand the surrounding conservationarea with a prominent gable withmock half-timbering. The originalwindows have been replaced with

non traditionalmaterials andi t s r o o fc o v e r i n g sreplaced withc o n c r e t epantiles. Thisbuilding alsom a k e s an e g a t i v econtribution tothis part of theconservat ionarea.

the re-building of anearlier, late 19th Century terrace that

and architectural detailing

the 1990s this smallterrace is b

1- 7 Wandle Bank (Wandle Terrace)

Millers Mead

Nos 1a - 1d Wandle Bank

14 Wandle Bank

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Located on the site of a formerlaundry this late 19th Centurybuilding is of differing character toother residential development withinthis part of the conservation areabeing of an Italianate style.Originally a short terrace of threeproperties 1-3 Millers Mead thebuilding was divided into flats in1981. The building is two storeyswith a shallow hipped slate roof. Thebuilding has been rendered andpainted and had double hung sashwindows sub divided into smallpanes with narrow glazing bars.

inBaltic Close

omprising: -

5. M o r e m o d e r n r e s i d e n t i a ldevelopments including flats to therear of Millers Mead, Oslo Court

and new flats adjacent tothe former Connolly’s mill building.

Oslo Court is a Local Authorityhousing development dating from1937. An attract ive locat ionoverlooking Wandle Park thebuilding is of little architectural merit.The original casement windows werereplaced in 2002.

The flats behind Millers Mead werebuilt as part of a mixed developmentin 1981 which included theconversion of Millers Mead and theerection of the office building sinceconverted into the Holiday InnExpress. Again the buildings have agood location with views overWandle Park but architecturally areconsidered to be neutral to the

character and appearance of thispart of the conservation area.

The new block of flats to the east andsouth of the former Connolly’s Millbuilding were built during the 1990sin a style reflecting the industrialcharacter of the original mill. Built ofyellow stock brick, with somerendered areas the block is threestoreys incorporating car parkingwithin the ground floor undercroft.The windows are replica sashwindows of a similar domesticcharacter as the mill conversion andits contribution to the character of thesub area is by virtue of its overalls c a l e a n d p r o p o r t i o n scomplementing the industrialcharacter of the old mill complex.

6. Terraces of shops with flats or officesabove, located in Merton and ColliersWood High Streets and the east sideof the northern end of ChristchurchRoad, c

13

The remnants of one of the earliestparade of shops within the sub-area.Originally a terrace of 7 properties itwas reduced to the west to make wayfor Merton Bus Garage during the1920s and No 2 to the east, whichhoused the local post office whichopened in 1840, was also demolishedduring the1940s/50s.

The buildings are two storey withadditional accommodation within anasymmetrical mansard roof set behinda parapet to the front. The building is ofpart timber-framed construction,thefront elevation is brick which hasbeen rendered over and the rear hasweatherboarding fixed to a timberframe. The ground floors are arrangedas shops which originally projectedforward of the front elevation withoffices and flats above. Refurbishmentin the 1990s after a long period duringwhich the buildings were allowed todeteriorate converted the upper floorsto residential use. The original smallpaned sash windows were replacedwith modern sashes and the dormerwindows were altered when thebuilding was re-roofed. The buildinghowever retains it original roof form,although largely replaced and makes asigni f icant contr ibut ion to theconservation area and represents animportant remnant of the history ofColliers Wood. The advertisinghoardingfixed to the flank wall to No 4detracts from the special character ofthe building and if possible it should beremoved.

A late 19th Century terrace of shopswith flats above, two storeys in heightwith a slate hipped roof to eaves withprojecting party wall parapets. Builtof yellow stock bricks the terrace hasa variety of different shop fronts atground floor level. The upper floorwindows are timber double hungsash windows with stone cills andexposed stone l intels. Mainarchitectural features includesurviving features of the originalshop front surrounds, includingretractable blind boxes, projectingcorbels and pilasters. Not of greatsignificance architecturally theircontribution to the conservation areais in terms of the scale andproportions in relation to thetownscape and there contribution tothe enclosure of the space betweenthe Savacentre and the north side ofMerton High Street as a foil to theopen aspect of the south side ofMerton High Street with the RiverWandle running alongside.

4-8 Merton High Street 22-30Merton High Street

182-192 Colliers Wood High Street

14

Located adjacent to the site of the oldtoll gate this is another late 18th/early19th Century parade of shops withflats and offices above. Three storeyswith shop frontages projectingforward of the front elevation theterrace has an asymmetrical pitchedroof. The roof is set behind a parapetat the front and slopes down to therear. Built of brick the facades havebeen painted over, obscuring someof the original details. It is possiblethe upper floor was added at a laterstage and some record drawingsshow a pair of pediments to theparapets. The original windows havebeen replaced and the shopfronts arealso non-original and few originalfeatures such as corbells andcornices survive. The building are ofhistoric significance and even thoughsome of the original detailing hasbeen lost they contribute positively tothe character and appearance of theconservation area in terms of therebuil t form, scale, scale andproportions.

wo storey

2-24 Christchurch Road.

A parade of shops dating from theopening of the underground. Nos 2 to24 are contemporary with theUnderground Station development.Built of a brown brick with a flat roofbehind a parapet they comprise aparade of t shops withpurpose built flats above. Although

architecturally of little interestrecords suggest that they wereoriginally designed with art deco styleshop fronts. Recently refurbishedafter a period of dereliction resultingin the replacement of the originalCrittall windows. The uses theycontain are important to the vitalityand viability of the commercial centreof Coll iers Wood and whilstarchitecturally they contribute little tothe conservation area they enclosethe space in front of the undergroundstation contributing to the townscapeof the sub area.

An other early 20th Century parade ofshops contemporary with but ofdifferent style to the adjacent parade,2-24 Christchurch Road. Built ofyellow stock brick, two storeys highwith a large hipped roof set behind aparapet. Shops to ground floor with arange of different style non tradtionalshop front and flats above withsquare opening with replacementwindows, also of differing styles. Thecontribution to the conservation areais in terms of enclosing the space tothe south and west of theunderground station and the shops atground floor level contribute to theeconomic vitality and viability of thea r e a a r o u n d t h e s t a t i o n .Architecturally the building is of littlemerit and contributes little to theconservation in terms of its design.

26-34 Christchurch Road

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7. Buildings associated with the earlierhistoric houses of the area:

A former Lodge bui lding toWandlebank House, the locally listedWandle Lodge dates from the late18th Century. The building is twostoreys with the upper floorcontained within the roof space andfronts onto Wandle Park. Built ofyellow stock bricks with red brickdetailing around the lancet window tothe west elevation and a pitchedslate roof. The building wasempty and had been allowed todeteriorate and has recently beenrenovated and extended by newowners. The Park elevation of theoriginal building was symmetricalwith a central porch with a pitchedroof, projecting cantilevered baywindows to each side, two

prominent chimney stacks The newtwo storey side extension has beenset back to emphasise the originalelevation. The west elevation has adistinctive lancet window and therear elevation fronting onto BygroveRoad is fairly simple with a curvedcorner to the west elevation andsmall casement windows, one with asegmental brick arch over. The roofslopes down to first floor level with apair of narrow dormer windows.Whilst the renovation of the buildinghas resulted in the slate roof beingreplaced in artificila slates and theintroduction of more modern timber

windows. The overall character ofthe building has been retained and itis considered to make a positivecontribution to the character andappearance of the conservationarea.

7. Public Houses and Hotel

This part of the conservation area,adjacent to the A24 is also thelocation of a number of public housesa number of which are of note. Manyoriginally developed as road housesalong the main road to London.

Located on the site of an earlierPublic House the current buildingdates from the 1930s and is set backfrom the road, behind the alignmentof the original building, with acourtyard area to front. Two storeyswith an additional floor within thehipped roof, the building is built of ared brick with the ground floorprojecting forward of the mainelevation. It has a hipped tiled roof

largecomposite square-headed timbercasement windows. Main featuresinclude the mozaic panels displayingthe pub’s name and ceramicplaques illustrated in relief withrepresentations of Kings Heads.With evidence of art deco influencesthe building does make a positivecontribution to the character andappearance of the conservation

Wandle Lodge

Kings Head, 18 Merton High Street

gabled

pitchedroof dormer windows and a pair of

toeaves with dormers and

16

area. The pub itself closed in 2004and the building is to be convertedinto office accommodation for theadjacent bus garage. The originalhanging pub sign is also of interest.

Dating from the , thisdetached 2 storey building dividedinto parts comprising the main twostorey element with a gabled pitchedslate roof to eaves with its ridgeparallel to the street and a slightlysubordinate two storey element tothe east with a hipped tiled roof. It ispossible that this was a later additionbut constructed shortly after the mainbuilding was completed as mapevidence shows it to have beencompleted in the early 19th Century.The building is constructed fromyellow stock brick, with timber, sashand casement windows and agabled, shallow pitch slate roof. Themain features of interest include thegable and eaves detailing to the mainpart of the building including thebracket supports, the projectingtimber bay and oriel windows to thefront elevation at the first floor level,the large central round headed nicheon the front façade, which containsthe emblem of the public house, andthe leaded glass in the ground floorwindows, which are typical of somepublic houses. The design of theproperty is distinctly different to most

other buildings in the sub area,h a v i n g a m o r e I t a l i a n a t eappearance.

Developed from the re-use of anexisting commercial building in 1998this represents a successful exampleof adapting existing buildings to newuses as a sustainable alternative toredevelopment. The design is of noparticular architectural merit and thearea in front is dominated by hardlandscaping and car parking. Therewould be scope to improve therelationship to the street possiblewith imaginative extension andcreation of external seating areas.

Former

A late 19th Century public house,located on the corner of High StreetColliers Wood and Baltic Close. Builtof yellow stock brick with red brickstring courses and detailing aroundwindows with double-hung sliding

Royal Six Bells, 222 High StreetColliers Wood

Holiday Inn Express, 200 HighStreet, Colliers Wood

Victory Public House, 198High Street, Colliers Wood

mid 19 centuryth

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sash windows divided into smallpanes with slender glazing bars and atiled pitched roof with two gableseach with a decorative terra cottapanels above the first floor windows.Features include the decorativeaprons in soft red brick beneath thefirst floor windows the finely gaugedflat arches over the first floor windowsalso in a soft red brick and thedetailing of the pub frontage includingtimber pilasters and cornice featureover the fascia.

This early 19th Century public houseis a two storey building, with a doublepitched “London roof” with a centralvalley gutter set behind a brickpa rape t . The bu i l d ing i s acontinuation of the neighbouringbuilding at 182 High Street forming ashort terrace. The building retains itoriginal style upper floor windowscomprising double hung sliding sashwindows, with the sashes divided intosmall panes with narrow glazing barshowever the ground floor elevationhas been altered, probably onconjunction with a pub refurbishmentand has non original casementwindows. Built of brick the buildinghas been rendered and paintedobscuring details of the windowarches. The front elevation does,however, retain its projecting stringcourse detail to the base of theparapet. On the right hand north-

east) side there is a single storeywing with a lean to hipped roof. Thefront façade of this wing has anornate “ Royal Standard” mouldedcrest set into a prominent curvedgable feature at first floor level.A raresurvival of the original fabric ofColliers Wood High Street that retainsid original Georgian styling in spite ofthe alterations to the ground floorelevation, this building is of botharchitectural and historic significanceto this part of the conservation area.

8. Community Buildings

Typical of development of outerLondon areas the main communitybuildings, comprising schools andchurches, rise above the overall levelof the surrounding residentialdevelopment as beacons indicatingthe importance attached to thesebuildings when they were first built.Within the area there is SinglegateSchool and to the south of theconservation area in ChristchurchRoad is Christchurch.

Grade II Listed and designed by H PBurke-Downing this is a formerMitcham Board School dating from1897. The building has an exuberantGothic style with its prominent squarestair tower cumulating in a pyramidalroof with timber louvres and pinnacle,half-timbering to its gables, stonedressings, gothic tracery and steeply

The Royal Standard Public House,180 High Street, Colliers Wood

Singlegate School

18

pitched slate roof with tall decorativechimney stacks. Significant featuresinclude classrooms arranged withpaired bays under high gables.Thesite boundary has railings setbetween brick piers with stonebanding with stone cappings toppedwith stone spheres. Listed for itsremarkably eclectic design thismakes a significant contribution tothe character and appearance of thispart of the conservation area.

Although notw i t h i n t h econservat iona r e a t h i si m p o r t a n tb u i l d i n g i ssignificant ast h e m o s tp r o m i n e n tr e l i g i o u sbuilding withinthe area. Thebuilding, whichis locally listedis designed in a modest butattractively rural Gothic style byArchitects Messrs F. J and H.Francis.

Built in 1874, the church isconstructed in load-bearing yellowLondon stock bricks with Bath stonedressings to the windows andbuttresses. The main roofs arefinished in Welsh slate and the spireis covered in shingles.

Christchurch, Christchurch Road

At the south west corner of thechurch is a tower housing the bellsand bell ringing chamber, above thisis a spire. The ring of six bells in thetower date from 1884.

The building was damaged by aflying bomb during the second WorldWar and the roof and ceiling to thenave was reconstructed, usingsalvaged timbers, and a new east

window was built at this time. A newsouth porch was also built on thefoundations of the old and windowswere salvaged from the church hall.Windows were re-glazed and thestained glass in the chancel and westw i n d o w i s d a t e d 1 9 5 3 i ncommemoration of the year therestoration was completed.

9. Commercial Bui ldings, mainlyassociated with public transportinfrastructure

Colliers Wood Underground Station isone of a number of Northern Linestations designed by Charles Holdenin connection with the 1926 extensionto the City and South LondonUnderground Railway, now theNorthern Line. Listed Grade II thestat ion incorporates Holden’shallmark stripped Classical designfeaturing a symmetrical Portlandstone main facade, a large tripartiteclerestory window incorporating theLondon Underground roundel instained glass and cantileveredcanopy with the station signage inenamel supporting two further LondonUnderground roundels. The Stationhas a tall ticket hall naturally lit by anart deco style metal framed lanternlight, and wide entrance on the cornerof Christchurch Road and ColliersWood High Street. Internal features

C o l l i e r s W o o d L o n d o nUnderground Station

19

include the distinctive enamelled metaltiling and art-deco light fixturesparticularly associated with theescalators. The building was recentlyrefurbished by London Undergroundand it makes a significant contribution tothis part of the conservation area.

The original garage, located to the westof the original Kings Head pub datedfrom the early 20th Century, this wasreplaced by a larger garage involvingdemolition of part of the terrace of which2-8 Merton High Street survive, in the1920s. The main significance of theGarage is the large span steel roofstructure and the brick building frontingonto Wandle Bank providing a sideentrance to the garage. This two storeybuilding built of red brick with double-hung sash windows and fine detailingincluding stone banding and prominent

keystones seti n t o f i n e l ygauged archeso v e r t h ew i n d o w sm a k e s ap o s i t i v econtribution tothe charactera n dappearance oft h econservationarea. The front

elevation comprises a projectingbay forming the garage entrancewith a prominent Dutch gable andlarge circular headed compositesash window with a fine brick archwith Portland stone detailing over.To the left of this bay is a two storeyrange with a pitched roof set behinda sculpted brick parapet with aPortland stone cornice. Othersignificant features include theprojecting stone lintel over thegarage entrance extending thewidth of the gable bay and thequality of detailing and generalstandard of workmanship in itsconstruction. The modern twostorey extension to the north, with astrong horizontal emphasis is of littlearchitectural note and makes littlecontribution to the character andappearance of this part of theconservation area.

Merton Bus Garage, Merton HighStreet and Wandle Bank

Within this sub area the mostpredominent building materialscomprise yellow London stock bricks insome cases with softer red brickdetailing particularly to the windowarches. Some buildings within this subarea have been rendered. Earlierdomestic buildings have somedistinctive Georgian details such assash windows and decorative fanlightsover the main entrance doors.

DISTINCTIVE AND TRADITIONALBUILDING MATERIALS ANDLOCAL DETAILS

20

Examples of earlier constructionmethods and materials survive at therear of 2-8 Merton High Street whichretains its

. Althoughreplaced and repaired over time this is asurviving example of traditional buildingthat would have once been fairlycommon to the region.

Roofs are predominantly pitched, andeither finished in slate or plain clay tiles,mainly hipped but with some gables.Some of the earlier domestic buildingshave traditional double pitched Londonroofs with central valley gutters whichwas a more economical way to spanroofs with using shorter timbers.

Windows are predominantly doublehung sash windows most of which havea vertical emphasis to window openingproportions.

The early non residential industrialdevelopment is also constructed ofyellow stock brick whilst later non

residential architecture incorporatesmore ornate detailing indicating theirsuperior status. Particularly the busgarage building in Wandle Bank andSinglegate School include finer detailingincluding the use of Portland stonedressings and details such askeystones. Examples of more Gothicstyle buildings such as SinglegateSchool and Christchurch south of theconservation area also include timberdetailing in the form of louvres, halftimbering, cupolas and pinnacles.

Whilst not a typical material within theconservation there is an example of theuse of Portland stone, apart from theoccasional stone detailing, in ColliersWood Underground station. This has itsown distinctive classical stylingcharacteristic of Charles Holden’sdesigns for many stations along theNorthern Line. This distinguishes it fromadjacent development emphasising thesignificance of the development of theu n d e r g r o u n d r a i l w a y t o t h edevelopment and prosperity of ColliersWood.

feather edged boardingdetailing to the rear elevation

21

PLOT WIDTHS AND BUILDINGHEIGHTSThis part of the conservation areadivides into three distinct areas.

A. The commercial, predominantlyretail development along

uilding plots comprisingterraces of shops interrupted bylarger commercial buildings eitherbuilt up to the back of pavement lineor slightly set back with small privateareas in front,

B. Traditional terraces of cottagesbroken by narrow gaps andinterspersed with indiv idual

detached and semi detached pairsof houses in Wandle Bank set withinnarrow individual plot, set back backfrom the street with small frontgarden areas;

C. Wandle Lodge, detached lodgebuilding and set into the parklandsetting of Wandle Park, single storeywith its upper floor within the roofspace.

D. Larger more recent residentialbuildings mainly in more substantialthree and four storey blocks setback behind the historic fabricfronting Colliers Wood and MertonHigh Streets adjacent to the formerConnolly’s Mill, overlooking WandlePark.

ColliersWood and Merton High Streets andChristchurch Road comprisingnarrow b

Are

aE

Area A

Area D

Area CA

rea

DA

rea

B

22

E. Offices associated with Merton BusGarage, two storeys with a largefloor plate fronting onto WandleBank

The narrow plot widths, interspersedwith larger plots and surviving WandlePark give a picture of a cyclicaldevelopment of the area starting withannexation of agricultural land for largeestates, subsequently sub-divided formore intensive development which havethen in places been combined to getherto form larger plots for more majordevelopment. This cycle has informedthe pattern and grain of developmentwithin this sub area resulting in adistinctive rhythm to the street frontages.

The majority of buildings are two storeyin height, some with additionalaccommodation within the roofincorporating dormer windows, usuallyset behind brick parapets. Buildingswhich extend above the overall height ofdevelopment within the area aregenerally important industrial, culturaland religious buildings, such as theformer millbuilding in Wandle Bank andSinglegate School.

Some more recent developments arealso extend aboven the prevalentbuilding height, including Oslo Courtwhich is four storeys, the new flatsbehind Millers Mead which is threestoreys and the former office building,which is now the Holiday Inn Expresswhich is also of three storeys.Building

I m m e d i a t e l y a d j a c e n t t o t h econservation area opposite theunderground station is the “Brown andRoot” Tower a multi-storey officedevelopment that is a prominent, abd tomany unsightly feature within the area.The Priory retail park development alsoimmediately adjacent to this part of theconservation area comprises a numberof randomly distributed retail sheds thathave little regard to the grain, scale,height and proportions of developmentwithin the surrounding area. The

Savacentre development adjacent toPriory Park is located on the site ofMerton Priory. The scale of this buildingmay be commensurate with theprominence the Priory would haveenjoyed before its demolition thearchitectural design and articulation ofthe building pays littlle respect to thesite’s historic significance.

The most significant open spacescontributing to the character andappearance of this part of theconservation area comprise WandlePark and areas around the Wandle onthe south side of Merton High Street.There are also a number of incidentalspaces that have the scope to contibuteto the urban qual ity of the area.

Wandle Park lies alongside the riverWandle, an area rich in early industrialhistory, and is of informal designconsisting of grass, an informal networkof paths, many trees particularly besidethe river as well as a number of wetlandfeatures introduced when the originalconcrete river channels were removedand more informal natural banksintroduced. Originally forming part of thegrounds to Wandlebank House ownedfrom 1791-1821 by James Perry whoowned the Mer ton Corn Mi l l .

OPEN SPACES

Q

W

uality of open spaces and formof enclosure

andle Park

23

Wandlebank House and grounds werepurchased by Wimbledon Corporationfor a public park and vested in theNational Trust. It opened on 11 July 1907and a Grade II listed three-sided stonedrinking fountain at the southern end ofthe park commemorates the openingand each side has a plaque withinscriptions, one being: 'This garden isgiven for the enjoyment of the people ofWimbledon and Merton in memory ofJohn Feeney of Birmingham andBerkswell, one who loved nature and hisfellow men'. It is now surrounded by abroken circle of planting, part of re-Iandscaping works within the park byMerton Groundwork Trust in recentyears.

In 1910 the Mill Pond Garden was addedto the park, purchased by publicsubscription and presented to theNational Trust. The pond dates from thelate 18th Century and was originally,created as a reservoir for the MertonCorn Mill however it eventually silted upand was infilled between the wars.

During the 1930s an open air swimmingpool was introduced to the east of theMill Pond however this appears to havebeen short lived and is shown filled in bythe 1950s.

24

Also in the park is a C19th stone drinkingfountain, close to the footbridge linkingthe Park to Wandle Bank which waserected through private subscription inmemory of Robert Bloomfield Fenwick(1835-1897), an artist who had lived atWandlebank House from 1867 to1895and who was instrumental in thefounding and building ofthe nearby AllSaints Parish Church. The fountain alsocommemorates Harry

; it formerlyhad medallions of heads, now missing,as is a feature at the top. The re-designof Wandle Park through MertonGroundwork Trust was supported withSRB funding and funds from theEnvironment Agency, London Boroughof Merton, The Heritage of London Trust,English Heritage, local businessConnolly's Leatherworks and theEuropean LIFE Budget. The works havetransformed the park's wetland featuresalong the river, and incorporated designinput from schools and local residents.The improvement works included the re-design of the gates and railings at thesouth entrance, new paths as well asworks connected with the river.

The character of the part of Merton HighSt ree t t ha t runs th rough theconservation area is influenced by t

djacent Merton priory sub area. This

has the Wandle running through, paralleland immediately adjacent to MertonHigh Street. O

joined from the south by thePickle which runs along the east side ofthe surviving section of Priory precinctwall. This space, juxtaposed withWandle Park contrasts with the moreenclosed parts of the High street toeither side of the conservation arearelieving the canyon effect of the mainparts of the busy high streets. TheSavacentre development provided forthe opening up of the once culvertedriver and the banks landscaped to agood standard around the main storebuilding which has contributed to thecharacter of the area

.

The penetration of these two openspaces, right up to the main high streetsallows the two spaces to merge atWandle Bank to create an openness tothe conservation area contrasting withthe more enclosed urban areasadjacent.

his father in-lawPollard Ashby (1809 - 1892)

hearea to the south of Merton High Streetbetween the Savacentre and the HighStreet and which forms part of thea

pposite Wandle Bank theWandle is

The tree screen along thesouth bank of the river provides awelcome green interlude and alsoprovides some screening of theSavacentre building

.

and provides animportant habitat supporting a diversebird population including herons andkingfishers

and pleasantseating areas have been provided fromwhich the river and surrounding habitatcan be observed

25

Urban Spaces

Boundary Treatments andPrivate Spaces

The main urban space within theconservation area is the space in front ofthe Underground Station at the junctionof Christchurch Road and High StreetColliers Wood. For people arriving in thearea by underground this is the maingateway to the area. The space isenclosed by the station and adjacentparades of shops along the east side ofChristchurch Road, the “Brown andRoot” office tower to the south and 180 -192 High Street Colliers Wood to thewest. The space is distinctly urban withhard landscaping augmented by softerlandscaping and tree planting at thebase of the Brown and Root tower. Thearea in front of the underground stationhas recently been re-paved in largeformat paving slabs replacing somemodern block paving. This sets a

standard for future paving in the vicinity,particularly around the Brown and Rootbuilding. The area would benefit formremoval of pedestrian barriers andhopefully the area around the towerbuilding can be incorporated to make afar more consolidated public space.

The areas along Colliers Wood andMerton High Streets are punctuated bythe occasional gaps between buildingand incidental spaces such as adjacentto 30 Merton High Street. These relievethe hard edge of the high streetfrontages and provide opportunities foractivities such as seating areasassociated with cafes.

The new boundary railings and piers toWandle Park provide a means ofenclosure to the Park whilst maintainingviews into and out of the park and make apositive contribution to the character ofthe conservation area.

Properties on the west side of HighStreet, Colliers Wood and along WandleBank are set back slightly from the backof pavement line. In the High Streetthese spaces form the interface betweenthe street and the buildings. Boundariesto these spaces tend to be ill defined andthe spaces neglected, there is anopportunity to improve these spaces,and in the case of the local pubs and theHoliday Inn possibly create sitting out

26

areas to contribute to activity thusimproving the vitality of the street scene.

The spaces in front of the cottages inWandle Bank form small garden areasset behind better defined boundariesmainly comprising low brick walls withhedges behind, metal railings andgates.

The planting within these garden areascontributes to a softer street frontagegiving Wandle Bank a more suburbancharacter in contrast to the more urbanfeel of the High streets.

Singlegate School is also set back fromthe street and the site is enclosed by it’soriginal boundary wall and piers withmore recent railing infills. The frontgarden area contains a number ofsignificant streets which also contributeto the character and appearance of theconservation area.

Main negative factors are the less thansympathetic developments that haveoccurred to the south of the sub area,between and including the Savacentreand the Brown and Root Tower. Some ofthe landscaping, particularly to theperimeter of the Priory Parkwarehouse development is also ofquestionable quality and poorly detailed.

Some of the less appropr iatereplacement shopfronts also detractfrom the area. Some of the more recenthousing developments, particularly 1a -1d Wandle Bank and their relationship toadjacent buildings giving a crampedappearance also detracts from theprevailing character of the sub area.

There is also a vacant site screened byadvertising hoardings adjacent to 192High Street Colliers Wood. In its currentstate it has a negative impact on thecharacter and appearance of theconservation area. This does howeverrepresent an opportunity for a newdevelopment which should be of a highquality design to address the openspace at the front of the undergroundstation.

retail

NEGATIVE FACTORS

27

The advertising hoarding attached to 4Merton High Stree is also a negativefeature within this part of theconservation area

Some of the 20th Century shoppingparades between the undergroundstation and Singlegate School are oflimited architectural merit and have anumber of unsympathetic alterations.

There are few examples of any survivinghistoric street furniture within this part ofthe conservation area. There are some

original large format granite kerbs inBaltic Close and there is a largequadrant set at the junction with HighStreet, Colliers Wood, although this hasbeen set into more modern block paving.

There would have originally been adefined gutter probably formed withrows of granite setts, however the roadshave been resurfaced numerous timesraising the road level in relation to thekerbs and the gutter details have eitherbeen buried by successive layers of roadsurface or removed. Colliers Wood and

Merton High Streetsh a v e a m i x o ft r a d i t i o n a l a n dconcrete kerbs an aplethora of differentpaving from blockpav ing , moderns m a l l f o r m a tconcrete slabs withblock paving insertsand plain tarmac.

STREETAUDIT

28

Wandle Bank also has some smallerformat granite kerbs and the footwaysare paved in concrete and tarmac. Thefootways are very narrow and have beensacrificed in places to parking due to thenarrowness of the road. The whole area

needs a comprehensive re-design,possibly along “Home Zone” principleswith defined area for parking and safeand clear access for pedestrians.

Street furniture in the area is generallymodern and utilitarian. No historic streetfurniture survives, apart from the railingsalong the Wandle on the south side ofMerton High Street and in Wandle Bank.There is scope for a street furniturep o l i c y p o s s i b l y i n v o l v i n g t h ecommissioning of quality, speciallydesigned street furniture which couldcomplement and help define thecharacter of the area.

Some new street furniture that has beenintroduced including cycle stands atColliers Wood Underground Station andsome new park furniture in Wandle Parkincluding benches.

Street Furniture

CONSERVATIONAREAPROPOSALSAND POLICY

The policies and proposals set out in thisdocument are intended to preserve orenhance the character and appearanceof the conservation area and assist inm a n a g i n g c h a n g e w i t h o u tcompromising the historic environment.The preservation and enhancement ofthe historic integrity of the conservationarea as a whole is a core objective of thedocument. These policies and proposalsseek to preserve the best historic,landscape/townscape and architecturalfeatures that contribute to essentialcharacter and historic interest withoutstifling change. It will also form the basisfor resolving problems such as the

existing street environment, ad hocapproach to the design of shop frontsand inappropriate alterations. It isintended that these policies andproposals should provide a framework toguide future development in the arealikely to impact on the conservation areaparticularly in relation to the ColliersWood “Area for Intensification”

In order to secure good qualitydevelopment that enhances thecharacter of the conservation area andaddress problems, appropriate methodsand standards for new development andfor alterations are proposed.

29

The policies and proposals contained inthis document accord with;

Government Planning Policy Notes;

and

Merton's Unitary Development Plan

(UDP) and emerg ing Loca lDevelopment Framework (LDF).

•

•

The statutory development planapplying to Colliers Wood Sub-Area isthe London Borough of Merton UnitaryDevelopment Plan, adopted in October2003. This plan will eventually bereplaced by the emerging LocalD e v e l o p m e n t F r a m e w o r k a n dsupporting Action Plans and associatedplanning documents.

The relevant policies within the adoptedUnitary Development Plan are:

1. In relation to Conservation Areas -polices

,and

.

2. In relation to Archaeology - Policies

, and

3. In relation to New Buildings andExtensions - Policies

, ,

,

4. In relation to Streetscape - Policy

In terms of the application of thosepolicies to this part of the ConservationArea the following supplemental policesare proposed to secure goodmanagement and to help achieve the

object ives of preservat ion andenhancement of the character andappearance of the conservation area.

These policies are informed by theCharacter Appraisal and aim to take itforward as a positive plan for this part ofthe conservation area.

With respect to development proposalsthe following supplementary policy isproposed.

BE.1 Conservation Areas,New Development, Change of Use,Alterations and Extensions BE.2:Conservation Areas DemolitionBE.3 Development Adjacent to aConservationArea

BE.13: Archaeological Protectionand Preservation BE.14Archaeological Evaluation.

BE.15: NewBuildings and Extensions; Daylight,Sunlight, Privacy, Visual Intrusionand Noise BE.16: Urban DesignB E . 2 2 : D e s i g n o f N e wDevelopment Pol icy BE.23:Alterations and Extensions toBuildings

BE.33: Street Furniture andMaterials.

P O L I C Y W V . C W 1 : N E WDEVELOPMENT, CHANGE OF USE,ALTERATIONSAND EXTENSIONS.

WITHIN THIS PART OF THE CONSERVATIONA R E A , P R O P O S A L S F O R N E WDEVELOPMENT, ALTERATIONS OREXTENSIONS OR FOR THE CHANGE OF USEOF LAND OR BUILDINGS WILL BEREQUIRED TO PRESERVE OR ENHANCETHE CHARACTER OR APPEARANCE OF THESUB-AREA.

PROPOSALS WILL BE EXPECTED TO:

(i) RESPECT OR COMPLEMENT THEDESIGN, SCALE, FORM, LAYOUT ANDMATERIALS OF SURVIVING HISTORICBUILDINGS AS IDENTIFIED IN THEAPPRAISAL

(ii) RESPECT THE HISTORIC STREETPATTERN OR OTHER FEATURESCONTRIBUTING TO THE CHARACTER,HISTORIC VALUE OR THE PATTERN OFDEVELOPMENT IN THEAREA

(iii) HAVE REGARD TO VIEWS WITHIN ANDOUT OF THE AREA, PARTICULARLYTOWARDS AND ACROSS WANDLEPARK,ALONG THE RIVER WANDLEANDTHE PICKLE

(iv) DEVELOPMENT ALONG COLLIERSWOOD AND MERTON HIGH STREETSSHOULD BE DESIGNED TO CREATE ACOHERENT EDGE TO THE STREET ANDMAINTAIN THE RHYTHM OF THEEXISTING SHOPFRONTS.

V) PROVIDE ACTIVE FRONTAGES TOCOLLIERS WOOD AND MERTON HIGHSTREETS.

VI) ENSURE THAT THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY,TRAFFIC, PARKING SERVICES ORN O I S E G E N E R AT E D B Y T H EDEVELOPMENT WOULD NOT DETRACT

30

With respect to development proposalsinvolving demolition of buildings thefollowing supplementary policy will betaken into consideration.

With respect to development adjacent tothe conservation that would have animpact on the conservation area’scharacter or setting, the followingsupplementary policy is proposed.

The terrace of shops comprising 4-8Merton High Street have been identifiedas making a positive contribution to thecharacter and appearance of theconservation area are considered tomerit inclusion on the Council’s non-statutory local list and the followingsupplemental policy is proposed.

In terms of Urban Design the followingsupplementary policy objective hasbeen proposed.

POLICY WV.CW2: DEMOLITIONS.

TOTAL OR SUBSTANTIAL DEMOLITION OFUNLISTED BUILDINGS THAT HAVE BEENIDENTIFIED AS MAKING A POSITIVECONTRIBUTION TO THE CHARACTER ORAPPEARANCE OF THIS PART OF THECONSERVATION AREA WILL NOT BEPERMITTED.

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS INVOLVINGDEMOLITION OF OTHER BUILDINGS WITHINTHIS PART OF THE CONSERVATION AREAWILL BE CONSIDERED ON THE MERITS OFTHE PROPOSED REPLACEMENT BUILDING.R E D E V E L O P M E N T P R O P O S A L SINVOLVING DEMOLITION WILL BEEXPECTED TO PRESERVE OR ENHANCETHE CHARACTER AND APPEARANCE OFTHE CONSERVATIONAREA.

A CONDITION WILL BE IMPOSED ON APLANNING PERMISSION GRANTED, TOENSURE THAT DEMOLITION SHALL NOTTAKE PLACE UNTIL A CONTRACT FOR THECARRYING OUT OF THE DEVELOPMENTWORKS HAS BEEN MADE.

F R O M T H E C H A R A C T E R O RAPPEARANCE OF THEAREA

DESIGN STATEMENTS MAY BE REQUIREDIN SUPPORT OF PROPOSALS TODEMONSTRATE HOW THE ABOVECRITERIA WILL BE ADDRESSED AND HOWTHE PROPOSALS WILL CONTRIBUTE TOTHE SPECIAL CHARACTER OF THEAREA.

HISTORIC PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENTWITHIN AND AROUND THE CONSERVATIONAREA AND PRESERVE OR ENHANCE ITSSETTING AND NOT DETRACT FROM VIEWSINTO OR OUT OF THEAREA.

DESIGN STATEMENTS WILL BE REQUIREDI N S U P P O R T O F P R O P O S A L S TODEMONSTRATE HOW THE DEVELOPMENTWILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE CHARACTERAND SETTING OF THE ADJACENTCONSERVATIONAREA

POLICY WV.CW3: DEVELOPMENTADJACENT TO THE CONSERVATIONAREA

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS ADJACENTTO THIS PART OF THE CONSERVATIONAREA, PARTICULARLY OPPOSITE THEUNDERGROUND STATION WILL BEEXPECTED TO HAVE REGARD TO THE

POLICY WV.CW4: LOCAL LIST

PROPOSALS TO ALTER, EXTEND ORCHANGE THE USE OF A LOCALLY LISTEDBUILDING WILL BE EXPECTED TO:-

(I) BE SYMPATHETIC TO THE DESIGN,SCALE, PROPORTIONS, CHARACTERAND DETAILING OF THE ORIGINALBUILDING;

(II) RESPECT ITS SETTING;AND

(III) PRESERVE THE LOCAL HISTORICINTEREST OF THE BUILDING.

ADEQUATE ARRANGEMENTS SHOULD BEMADE FOR THE RECORDING OF ANYHISTORIC FABRIC OF THE BUILDING,INCLUDING REMNANTS OF OUTBUILDINGSAND EXTENSIONS, THAT WOULD BEDESTROYED OR SIGNIFICANTLY ALTEREDOR DAMAGED IN THE COURSE OF THEWORKS.

POLICY WV.CW5: URBAN DESIGN

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS WILL BEEXPECTED TO ACHIEVE URBAN DESIGNOBJECTIVES FOR THE CONSERVATIONAREABY:

(i) RESPONDING TO AND REINFORCINGLOCALLY DISTINCTIVE PATTERNS OF

31

Any highway works will be expected toc o m p l y w i t h t h e f o l l o w i n gsupplementary policy

The Colliers Wood Sub-Area is ofparticular archaeological significancefalling within the Wandle ValleyAlluvium, Wandle Colliers Wood andStane Street Archaeological PriorityZones. Development proposalsinvolving excavation in the area willneed to have regard to the followingpolicies.

DEVELOPMENT AND LANDSCAPE ASIDENTIFIED IN THE CHARACTERAPPRAISAL.

(ii) CREATING A NEW URBAN SPACE INF R O N T O F C O L L I E R S W O O DUNDERGROUND STATIONS AS AFOCUS TO THEAREA.

(iii) PROMOTE LEGIBILITY TO HELPPEOPLE FIND THEIR WAYAROUND.

(iv) INCORPORATE DESIGN AND LAYOUTFEATURES THAT CAN RESPOND TOCHANGING SOCIAL, TECHNOLOGICALAND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS.

(v) CREATING VIABLE PLACES THATOFFER VARIETY AND CHOICE ANDRESPONDS TO LOCAL NEEDS.

URBAN DESIGN STATEMENTS WILL BEREQUIRED IN SUPPORT OF NEWD E V E L O P M E N T P R O P O S A L S T ODEMONSTRATE HOW THE ABOVECRITERIAHAVE BEENADDRESSED.

P O L I C Y W V. C W 6 : S T R E E TFURNITUREAND MATERIALS

MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALSWITHIN AND ADJACENT TO THE COLLIERSWOOD SUB AREA WILL BE EXPECTED TOCONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVEMENTS TO THESTREET ENVIRONMENT.

IN PARTICULAR THE PROVISION OFAPPROPRIATE, CO-ORDINATED, WELLDESIGNED STREET FURNITURE THAT ISSITED SO AS TO AVOID VISUAL CLUTTERAND TO ALLOW CLEAR AND SAFEPASSAGE FOR PEOPLE WITH SENSORYAND MOBILITY DIFFICULTIES WILL BESOUGHT.

WHEN IMPLEMENTING ENVIRONMENTALIMPROVEMENTS THE COUNCIL WILLENDEAVOUR TO:

(i) R E - I N T R O D U C E T R A D I T I O N A LMATERIALS AND DETAILS ORA P P R O P R I AT E A LT E R N AT I V E SINCLUDING LARGE FORMAT YORKSTONE OR CONCRETE PAVING SLABSAND LARGE FORMAT GRANITE KERBSTO MATCH EXISTING KERBS IN BALTICCLOSE;

(ii) RETAIN AND RE-USE SURVIVINGGRANITE KERBS;

(iii) REMOVE ALL REDUNDANT STREETFURNITURE, PEDESTIAN BARRIERSAND SIGNAGE AND, AS PART OF APLANNED REPLACEMENT, TO INSTALLM O R E A P P R O P R I AT E S T R E E TFURNITURE;

(iv) PROVIDE MORE STREET TREESPARTICULARLY WITHIN THE AREAB E T W E E N C O L L I E R S W O O DUNDERGROUND STATION AND THE“BROWN AND ROOT TOWER” AND TOREINFORCE EXISTING PLANTINGALONG THE RIVER WANDLE, THEPICKLE AND IN ANY AREAS WHERETHEYARE LACKING.

THE COUNCIL WILL EXPECT CHANGES INTHE STREET ENVIRONMENT TO COMPLYWITH THE GUIDANCE CONTAINED IN ITSG O O D P R A C T I C E O N S T R E E TMANAGEMENTAND DESIGN.

P O L I C Y W V . C W 7 :ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROTECTIONAND PRESERVATION

THE COUNCIL WILL EXPECT EARLYCONSULTATION WHERE DEVELOPMENT ISP R O P O S E D W I T H I N T H EARCHAEOLOGICAL PRIORITY ZONES ANDM AY R E Q U I R E A P R E L I M I N A R YA R C H A E O L O G I C A L A S S E S S M E N TBEFORE PROPOSALSARE CONSIDERED.

THE COUNCIL WILL SEEK PRESERVATION,IN SITU, OF ANY LOCALLY SIGNIFICANTARCHAEOLOGICAL REMAINS, THROUGHTHE DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF THEP R O P O S E D D E V E L O P M E N T ,PARTICULARLY FOUNDATIONS ANDB E L O W G R O U N D S E RV I C E S A N DDRAINAGE.

ONLY, WHERE REMAINS CANNOT BEPRESERVED IN SITU, WILL THE COUNCILCONSIDER PRESERVATION BY RECORDBEFORE DEVELOPMENT BEGINS. THISSHOULD BE THROUGH AN APPROPRIATE

32

SPECIAL GUIDANCE

NEED FOR ADDIT IONALPLANNING CONTROL

The character appraisal has identifiedareas that would benefit from additionalguidance. This should include: -

Key objectives of the brief/frameworkwill be to achieve an appropriate form ofmixed-use development that maintainsand enhances the public space to thewest of the Station and integrates with

the historic character of the area. Keyrequirements will include: -

1. Buildings of a form and scale thatreinforces the character of ColliersWood and respect the settimng ofthe Grade II Listed undergroundstation.

2. Buildings designed of a high qualityw i t h a c t i v e u s e s f r o n t i n gChristchurch Road.

3. Use of good quality materials thatreflect and complement but notnecessarily copy the palette ofhistoric materials that survive withinthe area.

Alterations such as the installation ofreplacement doors, windows andporches, the removal of originalboundary treatments, can be carried outas “Permitted Development”.

They may appear insignificant asindividual alterations, but the cumulativeeffect together with the removal of otherarchitectural details such as chimneys,and ridge tiles have a negative effect onthe character of the conservation area.

In order to prevent erosion of thecharacter, it is intended to remove somepermitted development rights by meansof placing an Article 4(2) Direction onunlisted properties in Wandle Bank.

An Article 4 (2) Direction applies toresidential properties only and removespermitted development rights from thefront and significant elevations ofdwellinghouses.

Under article 5 of the Town and CountryP l a n n i n g ( G e n e r a l P e r m i t t e dDevelopment Order) 1995, directionsunder article 4 bring certain categoriesof permitted development withinplanning control, requiring planningpermission to be obtained for minordevelopments. The planning fee iswaived in these circumstances.

Ashop front design guidance note

A street design policy document to

provide a framework for a unifiedapproach to streetscape within theconservation area, ideally linked toan Urban Design Strategy for thewhole of the Colliers Wood urbanarea.

Linked to the street design polocy

document a set of design proposalsfor Wandle Bank to rationalisep a r k i n g / v e h i c u l a rcirculation/pederstrian movement tocreate an attractive area tocomplement the character andappearance of the conservation areaand possibly incorporate additionallinks to Wandle Park.

Guidance to inform the development

of the vacant site at 194 High StreetColliers Wood.

There would be scope for a planning

brief or development framework toinform potential re-development ofexisting properties to the south ofColliers Wood Underground Stationto meet the GLA’s aspirationsregard ing in tens i f i ca t ion o fdevelopment within the ColliersWood area.

•

•

•

•

•

PROGRAMME OF ARCHAEOLOGICALW O R K B Y A R E C O G N I S E DARCHAEOLOGICAL ORGANISATION, INACCORDANCE WITH A PROJECT DESIGNAPPROVED BY THE COUNCIL. SUCHPROVISION SHALL ALSO INCLUDE THESUBSEQUENT PUBLICATION OF THERESULTS.

33

The alterations suggested to be broughtunder planning control through themaking of an Article 4(2) Direction are: -

i) The enlargement, improvement orother alteration of a dwellinghouse.

(this would be intended to ensureretention or re-instatement oftraditionally detailed windows anddoors).

ii) T h e e n l a r g e m e n t o f adwellinghouse consisting of anaddition or alteration to its roof.

iii) The erection or construction of aporch outside any external door.

iv) The erection, alteration or removalof a chimney

v) The erect ion, const ruct ion,maintenance, improvement oralteration of a gate, fence, wall orother means of enclosure.

vi) The formation of a means of accessto a highway.

vii) The painting of the exterior of anybuilding.

(This is intended to prevent paintbeing applied to facing brickworkand ensure that render and exteriorpaintwork is painted with colourswhich will preserve or enhance thecharacter of the conservation areaand .)

The existing conservation areaboundary is fairly tightly drawn aroundthe most significant buildings within thearea. With respect to adjacent areas, theterrace of housing to the north of and onthe west side of Wandle Bank has beenconsidered for potential inclusion withinthe conservation area. However these

properties comprise a Victorian terraceof houses of a style which is fairlycommonplace across London and it isnot considered that the are sufficientlydist inguished archi tectural ly orhistorically to merit inclusion on thesegrounds. They do contribute to theenclosure of the conservation area interms of their relationship with WandlePark which could contribute to thecharacter of the Park. There are,however existing policies in relation todevelopment adjacent to conservationareas to ensure that such developmenteither preserves or enhances thecharacter or appearance of theconservation area.

Christchurch in Christchurch Road is asignificant building within the area notincluded within the conservation area, itis however separated from theconservation area by buildings of littlearchitectural or historic merit and thesewould need to be included as well to linkC h r i s t c h u r c h t o t h e e x i s t i n gconservation area. The optionsavailable are as follows: -

1. Extend the conservation area up toand including Christchurch and theproperties between Christchurchand the existing conservation areaand either: -

2. Retain the existing conservation areaboundary unaltered

It is suggested that this be a matter for tobe decided following public consultationo n t h e a p p r a i s a l a n d i t srecommendations.

Part 1: Development within thecurtilage of a dwellinghouse.

Part 2: Minor operations.

make an article 4(2) Direction to

cover the properties betweenChristchurch and SinglegateSchool; or

develop a design/development

brief to inform an appropriate formof future development of theseproperties in connection with theC o l l i e r s W o o d a r e a o fintensification.

R E V I E W O F T H EC O N S E R V A T I O N A R E ABOUNDARY

•

•

34

ADDITIONAL READING, REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Records of Merton Priory edited by Major Alfred Heales of 1898 and TheEnvirons of London Vol. 1 by Revd Daniel Lysons of 1796.

"Latin Texts concerning Gilbert Founder of the Priory", in Studio Monastica, xii (1970)241-271 - M.LColker

'Reminiscences of Old Merton - Chamberlain - 1925

AHistory of Merton and Morden - Evelyn Jowett MA(Oxon) - 1951

Merton Priory - Penny Bruce, Simon Mason - MoLAS publications 1993

TheArchaeology of Greater London - Museum of London 2000

ABrief History of Merton - John Precedo

Derek Bayliss, Retracing the First Public Railway (2nd edn., 1985)

History and Heroes of Old Merton - Kathleen Denbigh 1975

Interim report by Judie English & John Leveson Gower, Sussex ArchaeologicalSociety Newsletter No. 47, pp. 456 -7, Dec 1985

Archaeological reports by Museum of London Archaeology Service and otherArchaeological Organisations copies of which are held in the Merton Local StudiesCentre at Morden Library

Eric Montague - Historical notes on Mitcham and Colliers Wood

- Mitcham Histories - No 4: Lower Mitcham- Trouble at Mill (Textile Printing at Liberty Print Works and Merton Printers Ltd)- Daughter Houses of Merton Priory- The Bridges and Roads of Mitcham- Copper Milling on the Wandle- Phipps Bridge, Phipps Mill and Bunce’s Meadow- The Railways of Merton- AHistory of Lord nelson’s Merton Place- The Patent Steam Washing Factory at Phipp’s Bridge, Mitcham- Morden Hall- TheAmery Mills of Merton Priory, the Copper Mills and the Board Mills- The Ravensbury Mills- Ravensbury Manor House and Park- Some Memories of Merton- The Historic River Wandle

- No 1The Merton Section- No 2 Phipps Bridge to Morden Hall- No 3 Ravensbury to Mill Green

Merton Historical Society Publications

35

- Town Trails- No 6 Mitcham, Ravensbury- No 8 Morden Town Centre and Morden Hall- No 9 Wandle Park to MertonAbbey MillsLocal History Notes- No3 Stane Street in Upper Morden- No 8 Liberty Print Works - Wartime Reminiscences- No 12 The Parish of Merton 1844 - The TitheApportionment Map- No 13 Morden in 1838 - The TitheApprtionment Map- No 15 Recollections of an Edwardian Childhood in Colliers WoodStudies in Merton History- Archaeology of Mitcham- Textile Bleaching & Printing in Mitcham & Merton 1590-1870

Merton Priory Trust web Site

Wandle Industrial Museum Web Site

Croydon Online History:

London Borough of Croydon History web pages

The Croydon Caving Club website has some Historic Notes on the Surrey IronRailway byAllan Ockenden.

http://www.mertonpriory.org

http://www.curator.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/common.htg/frameb.htm

http://www.croydononline.org/History/

http://www.croydon.gov.uk/leisure/artsentertainmentculture/culture/localhistoryheritage/

There are a number of web sites containing historical informationrelevant to the Wandle Valley

All Maps are produced in this document are subject to CrownCopyright.All rights reserved.

London Borough of Merton 100019259. 2005

36

APPENDIX A:LIST OF BUILDINGS OF SPECIAL ARCHITECTURAL

OR HISTORIC INTEREST STATUTORY GRADE II

Colliers Wood Underground Station - Corner of Christchurch Road and High Street,Colliers Wood.

Singlegate School and gatepiers, Christchurch Road

Drinking Fountain in Wandle Park, Merton High Street, Colliers Wood.

Nos 16 and 17 Wandle Bank, London SW19

Nos 9-13 (consecutive) Wandle Bank, London, SW19

37

APPENDIX B:NON-STATUTORY LIST OF BUILDINGS OF HISTORIC

OR ARCHITECTURAL INTEREST

Connolly’s Mill, Wandle Bank, Colliers Wood, SW19

Lodge, Wandle Park, Colliers Wood, SW19

Stone Drinking fountain, near footbridge, Wandle Park, Colliers Wood, SW19

180-182 High Street (Royal Standard), Colliers Wood, SW19

220 High Street (Millers Mead), Colliers Wood, SW19

222 High Street (former Royal Six Bells), Colliers Wood, SW19

18 Merton High Street (Former Kings Head), Colliers Wood, SW19

4-8 Merton High Street, Colliers Wood, SW19

38

Wandle Valley Conservation AreaCharacter Appraisal

Colliers Wood Sub Area

Post - Consultation Draft

February 2007