4.1 This chapter is framed around the following objective:
Objective 1: To ensure that any new development is well-designed and of a high quality, adheres to the highest principles of sustainability and reflects the best qualities of the local character.
4.2 Good design has a major role in contributing to quality of life and creating attractive, liveable places. It is important that good design is inclusive and caters for all in society, irrespective of age or ability. The following links provide detailed information in respect of Building Regulations and inclusive and accessible design standards: Building Regulations (Part M); and Design of an Accessible and Inclusive Environment.
4.3 The Neighbourhood Plan is accompanied by a Village Design Statement (VDS), Design Guidance and Code. These are presented in free-standing appendices to the Neighbourhood Plan and should be used to guide proposals for development (see Information Box 2).
4.4 The table in Appendix 1 presents links between the VDS, Design Code and Neighbourhood Plan policies, including how and where further advice can be found. Design and contextual issues arising from any impact of Stanley Spencer paintings should also be considered, having regard to Appendix 5 and policy C-C12.
4.5 The VDS (Appendix 2) clearly states that Cookham ‘must not be immune to change, but the best of what Cookham has to offer should be protected and where possible, enhanced’. The qualities and characteristics of the area are important design cues for future development. This does not preclude innovation in design nor more contemporary use of materials, though where this does occur, proposals should be informed by existing character and setting, and harmonise with the buildings and landscape.
INFORMATION BOX 2: Neighbourhood Plan Design GuidanceCookham Village Design Statement (VDS) A Village Design Statement (VDS) was prepared by the Cookham Village Design Statement Working Group, sponsored by the Parish Council and Cookham Society, and adopted by RBWM as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) in 2013. Given the relatively limited scale of change that has taken place since adoption, the analysis & recommendations within the VDS remain relevant. Cookham Design Guidance and Code Alongside this Neighbourhood Plan, Design Guidance and an associated Code have been prepared. These build upon the analysis & recommendations contained within the VDS and supplement it. The guidance illustrates how the VDS recommendations can be interpreted to reflect the character & qualities of the area. The document covers the entire Plan area — including guidance & codes to inform new development as well as wider initiatives such as improvements to the public realm & open spaces. Additional to the Cookham Village Design Statement and Cookham Design Guide (above), Appendix 5 of this Neighbourhood Plan details those areas or elements of Cookham depicted in the paintings of Stanley Spencer. In certain instances, the information contained in this Appendix may influence the suitability of proposed design contexts or details. Furthermore,The RBWM Building Height and Tall Buildings SPD(December 2023) provides guidance on appropriate building heights in the Parish and how applications should be considered. |
4.6 The Parish Council supports design review for major applications for development, as well as smaller schemes in sensitive or important locations, such as within conservation areas or adjacent to rivers. This might include residential, commercial & mixed-use development proposals, infrastructure, community facilities, public realm & open space proposals.
4.7 The Cookham Village and Cookham Dean Conservation Areas (see maps in Appendix 3) were both originally designated in 1969. The key features of the Conservation Areas are summarised in Information Box 3.
INFORMATION BOX 3: Summary of Qualities of the Conservation AreasIn the Cookham Village Conservation Area Appraisal it is noted that the character & appearance of the Village is heavily derived from use of a limited range of traditional materials, building styles & features. The variety of boundary walls are also recognised as an important feature, including the importance of using traditional lime mortar for repairs. The Cookham Dean Conservation Area Statement highlights the ‘overtly rural appearance’ of the area, areas of woodland which form pleasant backdrops to the small communities, and the distinctiveness of the greens & commons which often form ‘the central focus for groups of residential properties’. The network of country lanes, tracks & footpaths threading their way through the area are also considered to be characteristic of the Conservation Area. |
4.8 In addition to Conservation Areas, the Parish benefits from a wealth of listed buildings (see Appendix 4) as well as buildings of local significance as identified in the VDS and which comprise non-designated heritage assets as presented in Information Box 4. The local significance of each is set out in the Cookham VDS (Appendix 2).
INFORMATION BOX 4: Non-Designated Heritage Assets in the Parish
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4.9 The impact of proposed development on a heritage asset and its setting must be considered, with the setting of a heritage asset defined as the ‘surroundings in which a heritage asset is experienced’. This is not fixed and may change over time. Development within the setting of a heritage asset may, for example, reflect and enhance positive characteristics in the area, relating for example to the scale and massing of buildings, styles of design and materials used. Good practice guidance Published by Historic England(The Setting of Heritage Assets, 2015) presents a good starting point for any assessment of the impact of proposed development on a Heritage Asset. This is summarised, with supporting illustrations, in the Cookham Design Guidance and Codes (Appendix 1).
4.10 Furthermore, there are many sites of archaeological interest in the Parish. There is archaeological evidence of prehistoric human activity, focussed on the raised gravel areas close to the River Thames, and of continuing settlement up to the present day, with the East Berkshire Heritage Environment Record containing 264 entries for the Parish.
4.11 Archaeological excavations in the field adjoining Holy Trinity Church have uncovered the remains and artefacts of an eighth century monastery ruled by Queen Cynethryth, widow of King Offa of Mercia. Cynethryth is the only Anglo-Saxon queen known to have been depicted on a coin. The monastery is believed to be the final resting place of Cynethryth. The Church is a listed building (grade II*). The listing extends to include the curtilage of the building. Given the importance of the finds, the Parish considers the site to warrant greater status (see Projects in Appendix 8). Further information on the early Anglo-Saxon period and relevance to Cookham is presented in Appendix 6.
4.12 Information on sites of particular archaeological importance in the Parish, prepared by Marlow Archaeology (MAS), is presented in the supporting material to the Neighbourhood Plan (Appendix 6). These are extensive and potentially significant. The Parish Council supports the submission of initial archaeological desktop assessments for development proposals affecting these sites.
4.13 Within the Parish there are a number of examples of former agricultural buildings and estates that have been converted for employment use. These have led to the sustainable re-use of vacant buildings and provided opportunities for the establishment and development of small businesses which generate income and employment opportunities for local people.
4.14 To help maintain the local economy while protecting the character of the local area from inappropriate development, the Plan supports the sustainable growth and expansion of business and enterprise through the development and, where appropriate, conversion of existing buildings. Specifically, this is intended to:
4.15 Proposals for development will be expected to support sustainable and active travel to the site, avoid unacceptable impacts on highway safety and severe impacts on the road network as per paragraphs 115 – 118 of the NPPF.
4.16 The rural nature of the Parish is reflected in the numerous farm and agricultural buildings found in the area, including temporary agricultural buildings, often in quite close proximity to the settlements.
4.17 Policy ED4 (Farm Diversification) of the Local Plan establishes criteria that need to be met by proposals for new development on agricultural land, but where that development is not necessarily for agricultural purposes. In Cookham, it is both the diversification and expansion of existing agricultural activities, and the impact of these on residential amenity, the natural environment and landscape setting, that needs considering.
4.18 The VDS recognises that many farm buildings and operations need to change and evolve to remain fit for modern purposes. However, it notes that the potential visual impacts of new farm buildings might be reduced through careful choice of materials and use of planting which reflect the countryside setting. Noise impacts from buildings sited in close proximity to settlements can also impact residential amenity.
4.19 Furthermore, the impact of additional farm buildings and installations in the countryside, including the repurposing of agricultural buildings for other uses, contributes to the sense that development is extending into the countryside. This can undermine the nature of ‘gaps’ between settlements, particularly between Cookham Rise and Maidenhead, where the already narrow gap between the two is at risk from coalescence. This is exacerbated where buildings are sited in highly prominent positions. In the interests of visual amenity, the Parish Council is keen to ensure that new buildings in the countryside are not located in prominent locations.
4.20 Opportunities that are taken within the agriculture sector which help minimise the carbon footprint of the Plan area are supported. The Committee on Climate Change has set out a number of recommendations in their January 2020 report, Land Use: Policies for a Net Zero UK, that will help move towards a net-zero carbon use of agricultural land. These include low-carbon farming practices, such as controlled-release fertilisers and opportunities for carbon sequestering.
4.21 The Local Plan, at Policy QP5, sets out the policy approach to proposals for new equestrian development across the Royal Borough. This notes that proposals should provide sufficient land for grazing and exercise.
4.22 In the interests of minimising overdevelopment and protecting the openness and purposes of the Green Belt, the Parish Council is supportive of the removal of stables that are no longer needed and the reinstatement of ground conditions.
4.23 In Cookham there has been piecemeal development of equine buildings and subsequent (risk of) conversion of these for different uses, undermining the role and function of the Green Belt and separate identity of settlements. It is important to avoid the negative impacts of uncoordinated development in rural areas, to protect the intrinsic quality of the countryside (whilst accommodating opportunities for diversification which help sustain the rural economy).
4.24 In June 2019, RBWM declared an environment and climate emergency. Subsequently, an Environment and Climate Strategy was developed and approved in December 2020. The strategy presents RBWM’s vision and actions to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
4.25 Policy SP2 (Climate Change) of the Local Plan requires development to be designed to incorporate measures to adapt to and mitigate climate change. Policy QP3 (Character and design of new development) suggests that development proposals are expected to contribute towards achieving high quality sustainable design. It states that development must be climate change resilient and incorporate sustainable design and construction, minimising energy demand, water use and waste, and maximising energy efficiency.
4.26 In March 2021 RBWM adopted an Interim Position Statement on Sustainability and Energy Efficient Design. Subsequently, RBWM has consulted on a Sustainability SPD(October 2023).
4.27 To help achieve the Government’s net-zero carbon targets the Position Statement and SPD establish a set of requirements for the design and construction of new development that includes, but is not limited to:
4.28 The Government will introduce the ‘Future Homes Standards’ in 2025 which will require new homes to achieve a 75-80% reduction in carbon emissions above current standards. The Sustainability SPD establishes good practice benchmarks and, wherever possible, expects applicants for new development to demonstrate greater energy and carbon reductions.
4.29 The Sustainability SPD makes reference to Passivhaus standards (see Glossary) as a means to achieve energy and carbon savings. The Parish Council will support proposals for new buildings that are ‘Future Homes standard’ ready and, in particular, those which exceed these standards and achieve zero or near zero net energy consumption in line with the Passivhaus Classic Standard. Good practice guidance relating to the design of Passivhaus Classic Standards is presented in the Sustainability SPD. This includes:
4.30 Support is given to proposals that incorporate the above, subject to compliance with wider development plan policies.
4.31 The Sustainability SPD also makes clear that the embodied carbon of existing buildings also requires awareness and good design, with the refurbishment and retrofit of existing buildings preferred over demolition and redevelopment. Historic England has published guidance in respect of the retrofitting and refurbishment of historic buildings (Advice Note 14: Energy Efficiency and Traditional Homes).
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