Village Design Statement

Many positive aspects of the village were identified from over 30 questionnaires returned following their distribution in the last edition of Dore to Door. The Design Workshop held on the 28th June identified, from an analysis of the questionnaires, the following overall features of Dore valued by residents;

• Visually attractive and pleasant;
• All the main components of ‘village character’;
• Recognisable working community;
• Good range of local facilities; shops, schools, churches, pubs, etc.
• Recognisable village centre;
• Historic Derbyshire stone-built village core and village green;
• Stone buildings, houses and farms etc.
• Character/variation of building/housing styles and materials;
• ‘Good’ density of buildings;
• Farming and rural atmosphere;
• Rural approach to the village;
• Proximity to/easy access to the Peak District;
• Well maintained gardens and hedges;
• Pleasant for walking and cycling;
• Lanes without footpaths;
• No main through routes, relatively tranquil;
• Woodlands;
• Grass verges and trees;
• Diverse and surprise views and an open aspect.

The Design Workshop, held in the church hall, over Saturday morning and afternoon was enjoyed by twenty-two people. The fine weather encouraged teams of participants to go out and undertake a photographic survey of several areas in the village. The exercise aimed at describing, more accurately and graphically, the overall character of each area, the diversity of building types, typical building materials and the natural features of value. Each team made a visual presentation display and spoke of their findings based on the evidence of the survey.

The Workshop engendered considerable enthusiasm and interest in the Design Statement process and those present felt that a greater interest might be encouraged by displaying some of the material produced and by re-emphasising that the process is to be linked into official Town Planning Development Control procedures at the City Council and Peak Park Planning Board.

The next stages of the process will involve the Design Team in analysing the character areas in greater detail and making an assessment of the countryside character around Dore. Drafts of the Village Design Statement will then be made and consultation will take place with the Planning Authorities and local residents.

The Design Team would like to thank all those that completed a questionnaire, attended the Design Workshop or offered to join the Design Team. Perhaps having read this article you might be encouraged to offer your help too.

Ed. Please contact David Crosby, Village Design Statement Co-ordinator 262 1127

Planning matters

Of late Dore appears to be the developers choice for flats and apartments. Unhappily so many of the applicants seem to try and get as many flats on the site as possible with little concern for scale, proportions and influence on neighbouring properties.

Flat spin. 5 Brinkburn Vale Road. Here the developer proposes to demolish a large Edwardian house, in a road of predominantly similar properties, and build two blocks of 11 flats. One block is three stories high and towers above houses in neighbouring Abbeydale Park Rise. There is no amenity space to speak of on the site and the traffic generated at the restricted end of this cul-de-sac will make difficult vehicular movement even worse. We consider the site to be overdeveloped, as shown in the planning application.

Flatter to deceive. Totley Bridge Garage Site. The planning application refers to the site as ‘The former Totley Bridge Garage’. Quite surprising as petrol is still being dispensed from the pumps. But it would be a pity if the garage was to go as the nearest garage on the Abbeydale corridor would be Tecso’s, the other side of Millhouses. That problem apart, the proposed development of 16 flats in a four storey block with most of the site laid out as car park, is again, in the Society’s view, an over development of the site both in the height of the building and the number of units.

Flat out. 234 Abbeydale Road South. You will recall that I reported this application for 30 flats on the former Vicarage site, entailing the demolition of the Vicarage, in the last Door to Dore. The Planning Officers indicated that they would recommend a refusal, but you will be pleased to hear that the application has been withdrawn.

Anything but flat. 86 Causeway Head Road. No, this is not an application for flat development. The proposal is that the house on this site would be virtually demolished and the front of the site almost filled with a 5/6 bedroom house, three stories high. Whereas the third storey is virtually within the roof space, it is a very big roof indeed. The house would tower over a bungalow on one side (at a lower level) and the low building of the old lamplighters house on the other. The Society consider the proposed building to be inappropriate for the site: again from the bulk, height and effect on neighbouring properties.

Not very flattering. 122 Busheywood Road. I reported last time, that the application to build a bungalow in the back garden of an existing bungalow, almost filling this small site was refused by the Council, on the grounds of overdevelopment of the site. The applicant has now appealed against the decision, and we can only await the outcome. The Society strongly supports the councils objections in this case.

You will be aware through Door to Dore and posters around the village, that the Society is in the course of preparing a ‘Village Design Statement’, which will set out the special features and character of Dore and will provide guidance to developers and planners when considering new developments and proposals for Dore. It is an opportunity for everyone to have their say, about this important piece of work, ably headed by David Crosby.

In response to one question in the questionnaire enclosed in the last edition of Dore to Door, one contributor said "I thought it was the job of Dore Village Society to object to all development in Dore"! It might sound like that sometimes, when reading this column, but it is far from the case.

The Society’s concern is that any new development is appropriate to the locality and enhances rather than detracts from the village scene, whilst preserving rather than maintaining all those natural and built features that make Dore a special place in which to live and work.

David Heslop