1 Morland Gardens planning application – how significant is “significance”?

Guest blog by Philip Grant, in a personal capacity

Back in February, I first wrote about the 1 Morland Gardens planning application (Housing or Heritage? Or both?), under which Brent Council propose to demolish a locally listed Victorian villa in Stonebridge, to build a new adult education college and 65 affordable homes on the site.

2 Morland Gardens (not No. 1) - this is the "twin" Victorian villa. (Photo by Harry Brown)

Because of some defects in the original application, identified from “consultee comments”, a new batch of plans and documents has recently been submitted. Public consultation is now open again on application 20/0345, until Thursday 16 July. One of the new documents is a Heritage Impact Assessment (“HIA”) [see copy below], and this is what raises the important question in my title.

Locally listed buildings are those which have been identified by a Council as “heritage assets”.  “Significance” for planning purposes is defined as: “The value of a heritage asset to this and future generations because of its heritage interest. That interest may be archaeological, architectural, artistic or historic.”

Brent’s planning policies (like national ones, and the London Plan), acknowledge the importance of heritage assets, and set out how they should be protected when there are any proposals affecting them. The policy states: ‘The council will resist significant harm to or loss of heritage assets.’ Anyone considering a development should start with ‘an understanding of the architectural or historic significance of the heritage asset and its wider context.’

 

Brent Council is capable of doing this, as the current application for the locally listed Clock Cottage at Kenton Grange shows. Those plans conserve the old cottage, while building assisted-living flats for disabled people around a courtyard (former stables) behind it. Unfortunately, whoever was giving planning advice, to the Council Officers / Lead Member for the 1 Morland Gardens scheme, either did not understand the policies over heritage assets, or thought they could be ignored (because it was a Council scheme, Planning Committee would “rubber stamp” it?).

When the original application was submitted in February, Brent's planning agents claimed that the locally listed Victorian villa had 'minimal significance', without providing much evidence to support that, and ignoring existing evidence (such as Brent's existing local listing assessment, which gave it a significance score of 8 out of 12). Local historians knew this was nonsense, and launched a campaign to save the building (originally known as “Altamira”)’. Their petition, asking the Council not to demolish the building, achieved 368 signatures.

Cutting from the "Brent & Kilburn Times", 5 March 2020.

I submitted my objection comments in early March, explaining in detail why the application’s assessment of heritage significance was false, and recommending that Planning Officers should advise their Council colleagues to withdraw the application. This appeared to have no effect.

In April, a copy of the comments on the application by Brent's Principal Heritage Officer was obtained. He said that 1 Morland Gardens 'should be considered an important local heritage asset of high significance.' He also pointed out that the applicants (Brent Council) had not provided a proper appraisal of the heritage asset, and the impact of their proposals on it, as required by Brent's own planning policies, and said 'the applicants should seek further advice from a heritage specialist to gather further evidence in support of this application.'

The June 2020 HIA is in response to the Principal Heritage Officer’s comments. The document was prepared on the Council's behalf by Messrs Lichfields, who describe themselves as 'the pre-eminent planning and development consultancy in the UK.' Lichfields report was prepared by heritage specialists, but they were aware why their client (planning agents, acting on behalf of Brent Council) needed that report, at such a late stage in the planning process - to support their planned demolition of the building!

In the introduction to their report, Lichfields make clear that: 'The overview of the significance of the heritage assets has been undertaken using a combination of desk-based study and archival research.' They go on to say that: 'Fieldwork was not possible due to the current Covid-19 situation.' In other words, they only looked at a limited number of documents, and did not come to look at the building, its setting or the surrounding area. 

Despite the limited material available to them, they reached the conclusion: 'the building is of low significance’. Explaining how they reached this conclusion, their report says: ‘The methodology for our assessment of significance draws from the NPPF, HE’s Conservation Principles and the DMRB.’ The table they show for the criteria used is taken from the DMRB, and their conclusion is also: ‘In summary and according to DMRB significance criteria (set out in Section 1), the building is of low significance as it is of low historic and architectural importance and of local interest only.’ 

DMRB? No, I hadn’t heard of it either. It is actually the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, issued by Highways England in 2019, as guidance for designing national infrastructure projects such as trunk roads and motorways. Your guess, as to why the HIA used those criteria, may be similar to mine – to get the “right” result for their client! Why not use Brent’s own significance scoring criteria for locally listed buildings, which was adopted by the Council’s Planning Committee in July 2015?

The HIA does refer to that system, claiming that the significance score for 1 Morland Gardens should be 6 out of 12, rather than the 8 out of 12 given to it for its entry in Brent’s local list. I will explain why I believe they are wrong.

One of the “sources” their desk-based assessment used for considering the historic development of the area was a “Brief History of Stonebridge”, produced by the Grange Museum and Brent Archives. The author of that booklet has already submitted an objection comment, pointing out that a quotation used from it was taken out of context. The HIA had used ‘it was never as grandiose as its planners had originally intended’ to play down the importance of the 1876 Stonebridge Park development. The author had actually compared the smart villas built to the scene originally envisaged in a lithograph by the architect.

H.E. Kendall Junior's lithograph of his proposed estate development, c.1872. (Brent Archives image 1776)

The HIA devotes just eight lines to assessing the historic significance of 1 Morland Gardens, before marking down its score to just 1 out of 3. The author of the booklet, who became an expert on the local history of Brent in his 17 years at our Museum and Archives, has made clear that this assessment is totally flawed. Its key statements are that Stonebridge Park ‘was typical of the late-19th century suburban expansion of London,’ and that ‘1 Morland Gardens is not a rare survival, but typical of the eclectic late-Victorian villas seen across Brent. Therefore, the historic significance of the building is considered to be lower than originally assessed, scoring 1/3.' 

The entrance to Stonebridge Park from Hillside, c.1905. (Brent Archives online image 7914)

 

The 1876 development, was the first housing development in this part of Willesden, and gave its name to the Stonebridge Park area. It was built when Willesden’s population was around 25,000, before the massive late-Victorian influx that saw most of the area’s mainly working-class housing constructed, and the population rise to 114,000 by 1901. Added to this, 1 and 2 Morland Gardens are the only two surviving Italianate-style villas in Brent, so they are rare survivals. Any change to the existing historic significance score should be up to 3/3, not down to 1/3.

 1 and 2 Morland Gardens from Hillside, February 2020.

The other significance criteria that the HIA seeks to mark the building down on is its authenticity.

Because it ceased to be a private house 100 years ago, and has undergone internal alterations several times since then, Lichfields argue that the building is ‘much altered’, and therefore only worth 1/3. But the alterations had already been taken into account when Brent scored it 2 out of 3. It is the authentic Victorian outside appearance of the villa, in its setting with the similarly styled 2 Morland Gardens, which has hardly changed since they were built, which makes them so valuable and significant. Just compare the two views above, taken 115 years apart!

If you agree that the Victorian villa at 1 Morland Gardens has a high significance, not a low one, and that it still has value to this and future generations, then I hope you will help to persuade Brent Council that it should not be demolished. The planning application, 20/0345, is open for public consultation again, and you can submit your comments (hopefully objecting to the plans to demolish “Altamira”) on the planning website . 

Significance is significant. We can try to ensure that the true significance of this building is what decides the planning application, not the false appraisal of it presented in the Heritage Impact Assessment!

Philip Grant.

THE HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Join the Conservation Day at the Welsh Harp Centre on Saturday August 17th

From Thames 21

Each month a great group of individuals come together to do extremely useful conservation and maintenance work around the Centre using basic gardening tools, to gain skills and meet new people. This work supports the activities of the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre including over 3000 school children that attend the Centre each year and improves the biodiversity of the woodland habitat. What will be the tasks at the next event? (August 17th 10am-12.30pm) Clear algae from the pond Cut back vegetation around pond area Other tasks as they come up What else do you need to know? All welcome! Young people aged 17 years and under need to be accompanied by a responsible adult, each individual child under 11 years old will need an adult with them at all times as we are using sharp tools.  Tasks can be adapted or alternative tasks available for all levels of involvement. Tea, coffee and snacks, steel toe cap wellington boots, tools and gloves are all provided.  Wear comfortable outdoor clothing suitable for gardening. Please meet inside the Education Centre. We have achieved a lot since these events have started and we will continue to address many other aspects of the WHEEC Habitat Management Plan that need attending to. If you would like a copy of the management plan or information about the group, please email me - Deb Frankiewicz: welshharpcentre@thames21.org.uk. Hope to see as many of you as possible at the next event!

Join conservation work at the Welsh Harp on March 16th - more fun than the gym!

You are invited to join me for our next Friends event on: Saturday 16th March, 10.00am – 12.30pm Each month a great group of individuals come together to do extremely useful conservation and maintenance work around the Centre using basic gardening tools, to gain skills and meet new people. This work supports the activities of the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre including over 3000 school children that attend the Centre each year and improves the biodiversity of the woodland habitat. What will be the tasks at the next event? There are quite a few tasks that need to be done to the new pond area to make it suitable for school groups and to help plants and wildlife thrive over spring: Planting in and around the new ponds Sand the new wooden fence Transport creatures from the other ponds into the re-lined big pond What else do you need to know? All welcome! Young people aged 17 years and under need to be accompanied by a responsible adult, each individual child under 11 years old will need an adult with them at all times as we are using sharp tools.  Tasks can be adapted or alternative tasks available for all levels of involvement. Tea, coffee and snacks, steel toe cap wellington boots, tools and gloves are all provided.  Wear comfortable outdoor clothing suitable for gardening. Please meet inside the Education Centre. We have achieved a lot since these events have started and we will continue to address many other aspects of the WHEEC Habitat Management Plan that need attending to. If you would like a copy of the management plan or information about the group, please email me: deb.frankiewicz@thames21.org.uk. Hope to see as many of you as possible at the next event! The Centre is at the end of Birchen Grove (off Blackbird Hill) NW9 - go through the big green gates at the end of Birchen Grove and the Education Centre is on the left.

Join conservation volunteers at Welsh Harp on February 16th

 From Friends of Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre


You are invited to join the  next Friends Monthly Conservation  event on:

Saturday 16th February, 10am – 12.30pm

Each month a great group of individuals come together to do extremely useful conservation and maintenance work around the Centre using basic gardening tools, to gain skills and meet new people.  This work supports the activities of the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre including over 3000 school children that attend the Centre each year and improves the biodiversity of the woodland habitat.

What will be the tasks at the next event?

• Clear blackthorn from the meadow
• Sand the new wooden pond fence
• Other tasks as they come up

What else do you need to know?

• All welcome! Young people aged 17 years and under need to be accompanied by a responsible adult, each individual child under 11 years old will need an adult with them at all times as we are using sharp tools. 
• Tasks can be adapted or alternative tasks available for all levels of involvement.
• Tea, coffee and snacks, steel toe cap wellington boots, tools and gloves are all provided. 
• Wear comfortable outdoor clothing suitable for gardening.
• Please meet inside the Education Centre.

We have achieved a lot since these events have started and we will continue to address many other aspects of the WHEEC Habitat Management Plan that need attending to. If you would like a copy of the management plan or information about the group, please email me: deb.frankiewicz@thames21.org.uk.

Hope to see as many of you as possible at the next event!

REGULAR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED on Tuesdays! We are also looking for volunteers on Tuesdays 2.30pm – 4.30pm at the Centre as part of an existing group to do a bit of general gardening around the site. If you think you could help, click here for more information and how to apply.

Thames21 Training
 
There are also opportunities for training. To find out when the next training is have a look on our events calendar or to sign up to the training bulletin on our Training webpage. 

Conservation event at Welsh Harp Environmental Studies Centre tomorrow

The frogs had been busy in the lower pond at the Centre when I visited today

Friends of the Welsh Harp Environmental Studies Centre are holding another conservation event tomorrow  Saturday 17^th March, 10am – 12.30pm

We will be starting at 10am and finishing at 12.30pm. Here is a link to the event with details:  https://www.thames21.org.uk/event/friends-welsh-harp-education-centre-monthly-conservation-days-3/

At the next event we will be working on the following tasks:

-          Vegetation and small tree stump clearance in Forest School Zone

-          Prune the apple trees in front of the buildings.

-          Cut back shrubby vegetation growing in the meadow and pond.

-          Other tasks as they come up.

A present the event is planned to go ahead despite the forecast of snow. If cancelled an update will appear here.  Wrap up warm.

 

Welsh Harp Centre Conservation Day January 20th

From Thames21

We had another very successful event at the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre in December, thank you to the regular Friends that attended.

The next event is Saturday 20^th January, 10am – 12.30pm

We will be starting at the new time of 10am and finishing at 12.30pm. Here is a link to the event with details: LINK

At the next event we will be working on the following tasks:

-          Cut back vegetation from pathways.

-          Prune the apple trees.

-          Cut back shrubby vegetation growing in the meadow.

-          Other tasks as they come up.

The next event date will be combined with the Great British Spring Clean on Saturday 3^rd March, details to be confirmed so stay tuned!

We have achieved a lot since these events have started and we will continue to address many other aspects of the WHEEC Habitat Management Plan that need attending to. If you would like a copy of the management plan, please email me.

Hope to see as many of you as possible at the next event!

welshharpcentre@thames21.org.uk

Join in conservation event at Welsh Harp Sunday March 19th

(Sorry about the spelling of 'Center'!)

There will be another volunteer session at the Welsh Harp Education Centre, Birchen Grove, NW9 8RY on Sunday March 19th. Tools and steel capped boots are supplied as well as instruction. Bring your own packed lunch - tea and coffee available.

Thames 21 say:

The February event

We had another very successful event at the Education Centre. The 4th Kenton Scouts had their first session at the Education Centre and it was great to see so many regular Friends members as well.

We:

1.       Planted Hazel trees  to compliment the 3 mature Hazel’s which were already well established. These trees were planted in a northern glade near to the mature trees: so the 30 plus schools we work with at the education canter can compare them;
2.       Finished clearing out one of the ponds of nearby vegetation including a large amount of blackthorn, stopping succession and the pond being reduced in size;
3.       Continued to clear out Ivy in an area of woodland where children attending the Education Centre can build shelters and play in the woodland.

 
Next event, Sunday March 19th

We will be starting at the usual time of 10 am. Please see the attached poster for the event and here is a link to the event with full details, http://www.thames21.org.uk/event/welsh-harp-conservation-day-3/

On the 19th we will be completing a mix of the following:


-          Continue clearing the Forest School Zone of ivy;
-          Move suitable branches and logs to the Forest School Zone for shelter building;
-          Around the main pathways and buildings - cut back vegetation that overhang main pathways and check trees for broken bits from the recent storm;
-          Continue clearing blackthorn from around pond.

PS Lots of joyous spawning in one of the ponds last week

Join in conservation work at the Welsh Harp on Sunday

Volunteers are invited to join in with conservation work at the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre on Sunday January 22nd. Work takes place from 10am and finishes at 2pm with a lunch break (bring a packed lunch). Tools are supplied.

On Sunday work will take place as follows:

1.       Removing an area of ivy around the woodland so the children have a bigger open area to play. This was something we wished to do in November but we had to change activities during the event.
2.       We are going to be removing vegetation from around both of the ponds outside of the classroom. All of the vegetation is starting to intrude from the pond so needs to be attended to, stopping a process called succession.
3.       We need to remove a bin from the woodland area which is no longer in use and damaged.
4.       We might also have time to set up a bird box. 

Join conservation work at the Welsh Harp on January 22nd

Friends of Welsh Harp support the activities of the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre where  you will learn how to manage the habitats in the area. Almost all of the activities we do focus on improving the natural habitat of the 5 acre woodland for biodiversity, or make sure the outdoor space  is safe for the 30 plus schools Thames21 works with in the area.

All welcome. Under 16’s need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.   Please bring a packed lunch. Tea and Coffee will be provided.  Exact Meeting location will be at the education centre.

The paragraph immediately below describes one of the previous activities. The exact activity of the day will be selected and emailed out to everyone on the mailing list the week leading up to the event.

We are going to be continuing forming glades as we did during the first successful event. Thank you to all of those who made that event a success! A glade is an open area within a woodland. A lot of the glades around the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre are choked with Ivy, as a consequence, biodiversity is not as high as it could be at ground level within the woodland.

Since July 2016 volunteers have:

1.       Formed glades around the woodland area removing ivy to make way for grassland. This increases biodiversity dramatically;
2.       Created educational circles in the woodland  for the schools using the Education Centre;
3.       Cutting back vegetation along the main road creating a path off the road so children don’t have to walk on the road;
4.       Maintaining the ponds so grass species do not take over where the water should be;
5.       Removing small trees from the wild meadow so the wild meadow habitat, which we don’t have much of at the environmental centre, is not reduced.

If you are not on the mailing list and you wish to be, please email billy.coburn@thames21.org.uk to know exactly what we are going to be doing on the day.

Upcoming Welsh Harp events starting on Sunday

Sunday October 23rd Conservation Day

 

Sunday November 20th Canoe clean up on the Welsh Harp.

This is going ahead. A detail in the last notice LINK  was incorrect. Only if you have a ‘one star level’ award and bring it with you on the day, will you be able to collect little from a canoe. Apologies for this. A team of volunteers will be needed on the bank as well  if you are not of a ‘one star level’.  Final infromation next week.

London Wildlife Trust Brent Reservoir walk, 6th November

LWT are hosting a Bird walk on the Brent Reservoir on Sunday 6th of November. Attendees will have an informative walk led by WHCG officer Roy Beddard and also get to visit the hides on the eastern marsh. After the walk there will be a tea/snack break followed by an arranged litter pick to help conserve the area.

We will be meeting by the Barnet information board by the Cool Oak Lane Bridge entrance at 11am, running to approx 2pm,  limited to 12 people due to space in the hides/equipment. More information on where/what to bring will be provided on booking.
              
Please direct any bookings/queries to myself on welshharp@wildlondon.org.uk  or to Rosie on rchambers@wildlondon.org.uk.


LINK
 

Chance to care for the Welsh Harp, including canoeing for litter!

Readers asked for early warning of the next Conservation Day at the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre, so here it is.

Billy Coburn, Thames21 Development Officer, writes:

The next Welsh Harp event is going to be taking place on Sunday 23rd October starting at the usual time of 10am. Please see the attached poster and here is a link to details for the event,  http://www.thames21.org.uk/event/welsh-harp-nature-conservation-day-4/  People seem to like the format of:

10-12: Complete and activity;
12-12:45: Have some lunch;
12:45-2pm: Finish the task at hand;

So we are going to keep that format.

We will form another glade as part of the woodland management plan, cut some of the wild meadow or remove some of the blackthorn which is trying to find a home in the meadow grass and needs to be removed. I will send another email the week leading up to the 23rd to confirm after my site visit.

The footpath clearing group

 What happened at the last event

At the last event we cut back the vegetation around Birchen Grove leading up to the education centre. Thames21 led education sessions AM and PM for the whole week after the last event  leading to approximately 300 children using the education centre that week. They could use the path rather than the road as access because of you. We also undertook a number of other smaller tasks. Great work everyone!

Sunday November 20th Canoe clean up on the Welsh Harp.

For the November volunteering event, we are hopefully going to be completing something a little different. As you may know, many canoe and sailing clubs use the Welsh Harp. A lot of litter gets stuck in the environmentally important reed beds and we are going to be canoeing to those locations and removing rubbish from the boats. It does not matter if you have canoed before so if you would like the chance to paddle for free, do some good for the environment and see the beauty of the Welsh Harp from a different perspective, please do give me an email to register your interest. Full details will be released when we have them. We will also have some land based activities as well to cater for everyone if you do not wish to canoe on the day.

We saved the Welsh Harp Environmental Centre - now help conserve its habitats this Sunday

The Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre, loved by generations of Brent children, was saved from closure when Thames 21 took over its running.

The extensive grounds need regular conservation to maximise habitat provision and volunteers are needed this Sunday, August 21st, 10am - 2pm to work on forming glades.

The extensive woodlands around the Centre (red circle)

This is the notice from Thames 21

INTERESTED IN CONSERVATION? Be part of a new Friends of the Welsh Harp group at this first Conservation Day.

This exciting new group will support the activities of the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre and you will learn how to manage the habitats in the area.

All welcome. Under 16’s need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.   Please bring a packed lunch.  Meeting location will be at the Education Centre.

We are going to be continuing forming glades as we did during the first successful event. Thank you to all of those who made that event a success! A glade is an open area within a woodland. A lot of the glades around the Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre are choked with ivy, as a consequence, biodiversity is not as high as it could be at ground level within the woodland.

If the temperature is a lot cooler, we may tackle some small blackthorn trees intruding on an area which should be wild grassland.

The Centre is at the end of Birchen Grove, off Blackbird Hill, Kingsbury, NW9 8RY Go through the large green gates and it is on the left past the allotments. Buses 182, 245 and 297 to Blackbird Hill get off at Lidl/McDonalds.  83 bus get off at Tudor Gardens.