DECISION

1.    To approve for adoption the updated CAMPs [as set out in Appendix 1 to the report] for the following five conservation areas, so that they can be considered as a material planning consideration in the assessment of planning decisions: 

§  Ford Square and Sidney Square

§  Myrdle Street

§  London Hospital

§  Whitechapel High Street

§  Whitechapel Market

2.    To authorise the Corporate Director for Place to make any necessary factual or graphic design changes prior to publishing the final CAMPs. 

3.    To authorise the Corporate Director for Place to enact the proposed boundary changes to the five conservation areas as set out in Appendix 2 to the report.

4.    To note the representation schedule, as set out in Appendix 3 to the report, which presents the representations received during the consultation and the responses to these. 

5.    To note the Equalities Impact Assessment as set out in Appendix 4 to the report.

Action by:

CORPORATE DIRECTOR PLACE (A. SUTCLIFFE)

(Director of Planning and Building Control (J. Peters)

(Place Shaping Team Leader (M. Ritchie)

Reasons for Decisions

Whitechapel has undergone substantial physical change in recent years and is under pressure to undergo further substantial change.  The council relies on CAMPs to help preserve and enhance the character and appearance of its conservation areas in the face of this ongoing change.  The current CAMPs for conservation areas in and around Whitechapel are now more than ten years old and need updating to ensure that they are effective tools to assist with the management of the historic environment, which is a valued resource.

Updated CAMPs have been prepared in accordance with best practice guidance and using detailed research.  Changes to the boundaries of the five conservation area have also been proposed.  The draft CAMPs and boundary changes have been the subject of a six-week public consultation, which reached out to all relevant and interested stakeholders.  Detailed comments on the draft documents and boundary changes have been received and given careful consideration.  Where appropriate the documents and proposed boundary changes have been amended accordingly.  The updated CAMPs and amended boundaries will be an effective tool to help the council manage change while preserving and enhancing the character and appearance of the historic environment in and around Whitechapel.

Alternative Options

Cabinet may choose to not adopt the updated CAMPs and instead rely on the Local Plan and existing CAMPs to inform future planning decisions affecting the five conservation areas.  This option is not recommended as the Local Plan does not provide a sufficiently detailed appraisal of the historic environment in and around Whitechapel and the existing CAMPs are now more than ten years old and do not accurately reflect the changes that have taken place during this time or the nature of the changes that are anticipated to take place in the future.  Should there be any concerns about an individual CAMP, Cabinet may choose to only adopt some of them.    

Cabinet may also choose not to agree to the proposed boundary changes.  This option is not recommended as the current boundaries do not take account of changes that have occurred since the conservation areas were designated and do not address the anomalies in designation that have subsequently come to light.  Should there be any concerns about particular boundary changes, Cabinet may choose to only agree to some of them.  Cabinet may also choose to adopt the CAMPs without the proposed boundary changes.  In this event, some changes to the CAMPs would be required to take account of this.  

Councillor Asma Islam, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning introduced the report which, proposed updated Character Appraisals and Management Plans for five conservation areas in and around Whitechapel. Councillor Asma Islam explained that the documents provide a detailed description of the architectural and historic character of the conservation areas and set out management guidelines on how their character should be preserved and enhanced in the context of appropriate ongoing change.

The Mayor welcomed the report and noted there were a number of conservation areas in the borough, some of which might require similar amendments and tweaks to be agreed in reports of this nature. He moved the recommendations as set out and they were agreed without dissent. It was:

RESOLVED

1.    To approve for adoption the updated CAMPs [as set out in Appendix 1 to the report] for the following five conservation areas, so that they can be considered as a material planning consideration in the assessment of planning decisions: 

§  Ford Square and Sidney Square

§  Myrdle Street

§  London Hospital

§  Whitechapel High Street

§  Whitechapel Market

2.    To authorise the Corporate Director for Place to make any necessary factual or graphic design changes prior to publishing the final CAMPs. 

3.    To authorise the Corporate Director for Place to enact the proposed boundary changes to the five conservation areas as set out in Appendix 2 to the report.

4.    To note the representation schedule, as set out in Appendix 3 to the report, which presents the representations received during the consultation and the responses to these. 

5.    To note the Equalities Impact Assessment as set out in Appendix 4 to the report.