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Understanding Suttons
Local Distinctiveness:
Characterisation
Report of Studies
Evidence Base
EV
2008
CONTENTS
PAGE
NUMBER
ONE
Introduction
Introduction
Document Background
Policy context
Purpose of this report
1
1
1
2
3
TWO
THREE
6
6
6
FOUR
Archaeological Context
FIVE
12
12
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
SIX
24
SEVEN
Movement
26
EIGHT
28
28
34
43
NINE
50
50
50
51
58
63
64
TEN
66
67
69
71
73
ONE
1.3
1.4
1.5
Introduction
It is proper to seek to promote or reinforce local
distinctiveness
(PPS1, ODPM 2004)
Introduction
1.1 Sutton has long been regarded as a prosperous and
attractive area in which to live. It conveys the image of a
leafy well laid out established arcadia. However the
character of the Borough is more complex than this
simple stereotype.
1.2
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Document Background
1.6 Since 1968 and the designation of Carshalton Village
1.7
1.8
Policy context
1.9 The Council must take account of national and regional
planning policy in developing a new policy approach for
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TWO
2.5
2.6
2.2
2.3
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THREE
Views
3.2
The topography of the Borough affords a number of
long-range views into, across and out of the Borough.
The Townscape/Landscape Appraisal of the Borough
identified the Borough views out from the area, which
were deemed to be of strategic significance, and these
are shown on Maps in Figures 3.2 and 3.3.
3.3
3.4
The views from the north are more limited and largely of
a more local nature towards the Ikea chimneys, the
Croydon skyline and southwards towards the residential
suburbs and tree lined roads.
3.5
3.6
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FOUR
Archaeological context
Introduction
4.1
4.2
UDP Context
4.3
identified below:
Upper Paleolithic / Mesolithic Communities
North Downs Fringe and Springline
Wandle Alluvium
Late Prehistoric Communities
Queen Marys Hospital
Wandle Gravels
Late Iron Age, Roman and Early Angelo-Saxon
Communities
Beddington Roman Villa
Bandon Hill Roman Cemetery
Beddington Anglo-Saxon Cemetery
Stane Street
Mere Bank
Medieval and Later Historic Communities
Wallington
Beddington Carshalton
Sutton
Cheam
Woodcote
Post-Medieval Water Powered Industry
Wandle Mills
Historic Estates, Parks and Gardens the Suburban
Legacy
Carew Manor and Beddington Park
Carshalton House (St. Philomena) and Gardens
Mascal (Carshalton Park House) and Carshalton
Park
Stone Court and the Grove
The Grange, Wallington
Prehistory
Figure 4.1: Archaeological Priority Areas and Scheduled
Ancient Monuments
4.4
4.5
4.6
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4.8
4.9
4.10
4.11
4.12
Saxon
4.13
4.14
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4.16
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5.3
FIVE
5.2
In the late 18th century the Borough was a rural area with
five villages, surrounded by farmland. The River Wandle
flowed through the villages of Beddington, Carshalton
and Wallington. There was only one mill in Beddington,
as the river flowed through Beddington Park, but the
Carshalton and Wallington areas were heavily
industrialised by 18th century standards. The Wandle
River was lined with mills producing flour, leather, snuff,
paper, dyestuffs and other materials. On the river bank
there was a series of textile printing works and bleaching
grounds where cloth was whitened by laying it out in the
sun. A few of the mill buildings have survived, in addition
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5.4
5.5
When the First World War broke out in 1914 much of the
area was still rural with a great deal of farmland.
However, this changed in the inter war period and by
1939 most of the area was developed as private estates
or council housing, and most of the old country houses
were demolished. Some of the grounds of these country
houses became public parks, although others were lost
to development.
5.6
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Beddington
5.8
th
5.11
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Carshalton
5.12
5.13
5.14
5.15
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Cheam
5.16
5.17
5.18
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Hackbridge
5.20
5.21
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Sutton
5.24
5.25
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Wallington
5.27
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Worcester Park
5.30
5.31
5.32
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SIX
6.3
Introduction
6.1
6.2
6.4
Weatherboarding
6.5
Mid Victorian
6.6
SEVEN
Movement
Introduction
7.1
7.2
7.3
Figure 7.1 highlights the road and rail network and the
Public Transport Accessibility Levels (PTALs) in the
Borough. Not surprisingly the highest PTAL levels are
found in and around Sutton Town Centre followed by
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Figure 7.1: Suttons Road and Rail Network and Public Transport Accessibility Levels
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EIGHT
Introduction
8.1
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UNDERSTANDING SUTTONS LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS: CHARACTERISATION REPORT OF STUDIES
8.2
8.3
8.4
8.6
8.7
8.8
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Housing Typologies
8.9
Pre-1915 housing
8.10
8.11
8.12
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Current issues:
Some infill development is discordant as it is not
sympathetic to the context. Such development has
led to varying building lines and the use of different
materials;
The conversion of older large houses to nursing
homes or flats has increased densities and led to
unsympathetic alterations such as obtrusive fire
escapes; loss of front gardens to parking; and
intrusive refuse storage areas;
Extensive on-street and forecourt parking impacts
on the street character leading to loss of hedges
and landscaping that is part of the original
vernacular; and
Backland development has occurred on the large
garden blocks, characteristic of this era.
8.17
8.19
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Current issues:
Whilst the architectural style is often uniform, it
sometimes lacks distinctive character;
Some interwar estates are large, impersonal and
lack identity, which has an impact on legibility;
Front gardens are being used to accommodate offstreet parking, which destroys the pattern of the
street frontage and leaves house fronts open to the
streets when cars are removed;
Too many side extensions can be insensitive and
create a terracing effect between properties; and
In some areas the loss of characteristic boundary
treatments has had a detrimental impact on the
street scene.
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8.23
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Durand Close;
Poor quality and maintenance of the public space
and often a lack of distinction between public and
private realm;
Infill development is often unsympathetic to the
local character; and
Architectural design is often of limited quality.
8.27
8.28
Many of the flats built during the 1970s and 1980s are
characterised by three and four storey blocks set in
grounds that are usually well landscaped or set in
grassland. The earlier developments from this period
are often not responsive to their context and therefore
result in a contrast that is discordant with the area.
More recently, modern flatted development is generally
being built to a higher standard with a greater
understanding of the existing design context and often
with an innovative design concept.
Current issues:
The earlier estates suffer from homogenous
development and lack of a positive identity;
Large estates that do not contribute to creating
mixed communities and mix of uses, for example
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8.30
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Low-density housing
Crown Copyright. All rights reserved.
London Borough of Sutton 100008655X. 2006.
8.32
8.31
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Current issues:
Intensification of plots leading to the loss of visual
gaps and dominant landscaping between buildings;
Whilst architectural style is often not cohesive the
palette of materials is. Often new development
Town Centres
8.35
8.38
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8.41
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8.47
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UNDERSTANDING SUTTONS LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS: CHARACTERISATION REPORT OF STUDIES
8.50
Rosehill
8.51 Rosehill is situated on a major gyratory between the
B278, B2230, A217 and A297 although the primary
shopping area is situated along the southern parade of
Wrythe Lane. This centre serves the St Helier Estate
built for the London County Council between 1928 and
1936.
8.52
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9.4
9.5
Methodology
NINE
9.3
9.2
9.4
9.5
9.6
9.8
Qualitative Assessment
9.7
The qualitative appraisal assessed the character of interwar suburbs, based on the criteria used by the GLA to
define setting, which includes the consideration of:
Accessibility to Metropolitan, District or Local Centre
in terms of easy walking distance;
Type of development, such as flats, terrace, semi,
detached and bungalows;
Heights of buildings;
Dwelling setback and front boundary treatment;
Nature of the street and pavement, including parking
arrangements;
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9.9
9.10
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UNDERSTANDING SUTTONS LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS: CHARACTERISATION REPORT OF STUDIES
9.11
9.12
9.13
9.14
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UNDERSTANDING SUTTONS LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS: CHARACTERISATION REPORT OF STUDIES
9.15
9.16
9.17
9.18
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UNDERSTANDING SUTTONS LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS: CHARACTERISATION REPORT OF STUDIES
9.19
9.20
9.21
9.22
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9.23
9.25
9.26
9.24
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9.27
9.29
9.30
9.28
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9.31
9.32
9.33
9.34
9.35
9.36
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9.38
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25
Number of occurrences
20
15
10
0
1 to
9
10
to
19
20
to
29
30
to
39
40
to
49
50
to
59
60
to
69
70
to
79
80
to
89
90
to
99
100
to
109
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25
Number of occurrences
20
15
Sutton Town Centre
Other District Centres
10
0
1to 9 10 to 20 to 30 to 40 to 50 to 60 to 70 to 80 to 90 to 100 110+
19
29
39
49
59
69
79
89
99
to
109
Units per Hectare
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town centre (mainly lower density 2 storey semidetached and detached housing).
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TEN
11.2
Finally reviews of the Open Space Study should be coordinated with any review of the Landscape Character
and Quality Appraisal.
English Heritage
1 Waterhouse Square, 138-142 Holborn, London EC1N 2ST
Tel: 020 7973 3000
customers@english-heritage.org.uk
www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.2
English Partnerships
110 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 9SA
Tel: 020 7881 1600
Fax: 020 7730 9162
www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/
Contact details
info@urbandesignlondon.com
Further information
LB Sutton Information
Townscape/Landscape Appraisal, January 1998
North Sutton (Angels End) Study Atkins & CB Hillier
Parker (2003)
Sutton Town Centre Urban Design Analysis Urban
Practitioners (2007)
Conservation Areas Appraisals
Planning policy
Planning Policy Statement 1, Delivering Sustainable
Development, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2005
Planning Policy Statement 3, Housing, Office of the Deputy
Prime Minister, 2006
Planning Policy Statement 6, Planning for Town Centres,
ODPM, 2005
The London Plan:Consolidated with Alterations Since 2004,
Greater London Authority, 2008
Good practice guidance
By Design, Urban design in the planning system: towards
better practice. Department of Environment, Trade and the
Regions (DETR) / Commission for Architecture and the Built
Environment (CABE), 2000
By Design, Better places to live: A companion guide to
PPG3, ODPM, 2004
Design and access statements: How to write, read and use
them, CABE, 2006
The Dictionary of Urbanism, Robert Cowan, Streetwise
Press, 2005
Protecting Design Quality in Planning, CABE, 2002
Resource information
Andrew, Martin. Francis Frith's Around Sutton. 2001. Frith
Book Company Ltd. United Kingdom
Barrett, Helena and Phillips, John. 1987. Suburban Style
The British Home, 1840 1960. Guild Publishing. London.
Cluett, Douglas. 1995. Discovering Sutton's Heritage - The
story of five parishes. London Borough of Sutton
Gradidge, Roderick. 1991. The Surry Style. The Surrey
Historic Building Trust. Kingston upon Thames
Jones, E.M. 1998. Images of England: Sutton. Tempus
Publishing Limited. Gloucestershire
London Borough of Sutton. Official Guide. The British
Publishing Company.
London Borough of Sutton District Plan: Living in Sutton - A
Community Profile
McKay W.B and McKay J.K. Mckay Building Construction
Volumes 1 to 4, 1963, Longmans, London
Rookledge, Gordon and Skelton, Andrew. 1999.
Rookledge's architectural identifier of conservation areas:
Sutton edition. Sarema Press (Publishers) Ltd. London
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APPENDIX 1
Area of Special Local Character
Assessment Checklist
Assessment Criteria
Street/Road
QUALITY OF OVERALL CHARACTER
Plot sizes
Frontage widths
Spaces between buildings
Predominant building line
Rear garden sizes
Site coverage
Contemporary Infill development
Amount of visible back land development
Amount of on-street parking (Note restrictions if applicable)
Extent of traffic intrusion
Predominant use
TOWNSCAPE VALUE
ARCHITECTURAL QUALITY
Extent of visible extensions to original buildings
Building types (Show examples with photos)
Predominant characteristics and building materials (General
material and building construction techniques)
Roof forms
Scaling (height ie 1, 2, 2.5, 3 storeys)
Detailing
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Assessment Criteria
Street/Road
Visible changes to property under permitted development (eg
painting of brickwork, removal of boundary walls etc)
HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE
Origins of development
Former uses in area
Listed buildings
Locally listed buildings
Archaeological Significance
Topography (Carried out in survey)
Age of properties (Cross-check with historical maps)
LANDSCAPE CHARACTERISTICS
Quality of front gardens (landscaping & maintenance)
Tree cover (gardens)
Tree cover (streets)
Tree Preservation Order
QUALITY OF OPEN SPACES
CONTRIBUTION OF INCIDENTAL FEATURES
Nature Conservation
Negative factors
Neutral Areas
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APPENDIX 2
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APPENDIX 3
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