Comment

Representation ID: 9694

Received: 26/07/2022

Respondent: Historic England

Whilst there are no designated heritage assets within the site, the Roxton Conservation Area and associated listed buildings including the grade II* Church of St Mary Magdalen lies to the south west of the site. Tempsford Bridge scheduled monument and listed structure lies to the south east of the site. Any development of this site has the potential to impact upon these heritage assets and their settings.
An initial heritage assessment has been prepared for the site. The assessment identifies some harm, albeit less than substantial harm by the proposed development. The assessment makes some broad recommendations about open space buffers and landscaping but is not specific about where these should be. We suggest that the heritage assessment is revisited to confirm the mitigation needed, including considering the issue of heights etc and the impact on the nearby heritage assets and their settings.
These recommendations should then be incorporated into the policy wording of the Plan.
The site appears to come very close to the listed farm at the northern end of the Conservation Area which would presumably include land that was historically associated with the farm. Therefore we suggest some public open space here would help retain the setting’s essential character.
There is also intervisibility between the site and the Church and therefore careful considerations with regard to layout, siting, heights etc will be crucial in mitigating the visual impacts. We suggest that these requirements are included in the policy wording.
Criterion vii should be made more specific about mitigation (including recommendations from the revised HIA, as well as the suggested open space, and careful consideration of layout, siting and heights) and presumably it is cross referencing criteria vi rather than iv as currently worded.