Policy information sourced from City of London Chancery Lane Conservation Area Management Strategy SPD

Chancery Lane Conservation Area 

This character summary and management strategy provides an understanding of the significance of the conservation area by identifying and analysing its principal characteristics. It does not include specific detail about every building and feature within the area, and any omission from the text should not be interpreted as an indication of lesser significance. The character summary and management strategy has been prepared in line with the Historic England document Understanding Place: Conservation Area Designation, Appraisal and Management (2011).

Chancery Lane conservation area incorporates the former Dyers Buildings conservation area. The original Chancery Lane character summary was adopted in 2004, while that for Dyers Buildings was adopted in 1999. This document combines and updates both documents in the form of a character summary and added management strategy. It was adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) to the City of London Corporation’s Local Plan on 23rd February 2016. It should be read in conjunction with the Local Plan and other guidance, including Conservation Areas in the City of London, A General Introduction to their Character (1994) which has more information on the history and character of the City.

City of London Corporation policy

Planning policy for the City of London is contained within the Local Plan, which was adopted in January 2015. See www.cityoflondon.gov.uk for more information. Development proposals within the Chancery Lane Conservation Area have to be considered in the context of the policies of the Local Plan. Within this framework, particular account will need to be taken of Core Strategic Policies CS10 ‘Design’, CS12 ‘Historic Environment’, CS13 ‘Protected Views’, CS19 ‘Open Spaces and Recreation’, CS20 ‘Retailing’, and CS21 ‘Housing’.

In addition to policy CS10 Design, special attention should also be paid to Local Plan policy DM10.6 Advertisements. This policy seeks to encourage a high standard of design and a restrained amount of advertising, in keeping with the character of the City, and to resist excessive or obtrusive advertising, inappropriate illuminated signs and the display of advertisements above ground level. Other key policies in the Local Plan are: DM12.1 ‘Managing change affecting all heritage assets and spaces’; DM12.2 ‘Development in conservation areas’, DM12.3 ‘Listed Buildings’ and DM10.5 ‘Shopfronts’.

In addition to CS10 Design, special attention should also be paid to the Local Plan policy DM10.6 Advertisements. This policy seeks to encourage a high standard of design and a restrained amount of advertising, in keeping with the character of the City, and to resist excessive or obtrusive advertising, inappropriate illuminated signs and the display of advertisements above ground level. See also clauses 3.10.32 to 3.10.36 for further details.

Protected views

The London Plan and the Local Plan seek to protect strategic views which are defined within the London Plan’s SPG – the London View Management Framework (LVMF). In the Chancery Lane conservation area, the following Protected Vistas need to be considered:

  • 4A.1: Primrose Hill summit looking towards St Paul’s Cathedral (the north-eastern part of the conservation area is covered by the landmark viewing corridor and wider setting consultation area – right foreground). The consultation threshold plane falls from 55.0m AOD to 54.4m AOD as it crosses the conservation area.
  • 5A.2: Greenwich Park: the General Wolfe statue (NE) to St Paul’s Cathedral (the background wider setting consultation area covers the northern part of the conservation area). The consultation threshold plane rises from 52.4m AOD to 52.6m AOD as it crosses the conservation area. -
  • 6A.1: Blackheath Point (orientation board) to St Paul’s Cathedral (the northeastern tip of the conservation area is covered by the background wider setting conservation area). The consultation threshold plane rises from 52.5m AOD to 52.7 AOD as it crosses the conservation area.

Relevant LVMF River Prospects to the Chancery Lane CA include:

  • River Prospect 11A: London Bridge (upstream)
  • River Prospect 12A: Southwark Bridge (upstream)
  • River Prospect 14A: Blackfriars Bridge (upstream)

Sustainability and climate change

The City Corporation is committed to being at the forefront of action in response to climate change and other sustainability challenges that face high density urban environments. In adapting to meet these challenges, it is important that sustainable development is sensitive to the historic environment. In particular, areas will need to be resilient to warmer wetter winters, hotter drier summers and more frequent extreme weather events.

Issues specifically relevant to Chancery Lane Conservation Area include:

  • Staple Inn garden and that of the former Public Records office contribute to the biodiversity of the conservation area.
  • In order to minimise the risks of flooding elsewhere in the City, new development schemes will be expected to make use of appropriate rainwater attenuation measures such as the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) and green roofs.
  • The City is an air quality management area for fine particulates and oxides of nitrogen. It is therefore essential that development does not exacerbate existing air quality issues, particularly around sites of particular vulnerability.

The Local Plan policy CS15 provides guidance on sustainable development and climate change and policy CS18 on SuDS. The City has also produced a Climate Change Adaption Strategy (revised and updated January 2010).

For more site specific information please see the Conservation Area Management Strategy SPD