Policy information sourced from the Bunhill and Clerkenwell area action plan

BC8 Historic Clerkenwell

The Council will preserve and enhance the special historic character and appearance of the Historic Clerkenwell area, which reinforces its uniqueness, integrity and socio-cultural value. Limited commercial development, particularly business workspaces suitable for SMEs and/or specialist industries, and small-scale retail and leisure uses, may be acceptable where it is contextual and of a high quality.

The Clerkenwell/Farringdon Cultural Quarter protects and promotes the unique concentration of cultural uses and heritage assets in this area, and reflects the concentration of related creative industries.

Development proposals should positively reinforce the character of a street and/or space, and contribute to an enhanced public realm that respects and enhances the historic environment and its setting, and increases permeability and connectivity across the area. Where development is proposed, active uses must be provided at ground floor level.

New buildings must be of high architectural quality and be locally distinctive, of a height, scale and massing that respects and enhances the immediate and wider context, consistent with the predominant building height. New development should reflect long established building lines, street frontages and plot widths. Roof extensions, plant rooms and lift overruns should conform to prevailing building heights and should not harm the character and appearance of the existing and neighbouring buildings as seen from streets and public open spaces.

Heritage assets and townscape attributes, including Conservation Areas, Scheduled Ancient Monuments, listed buildings, historic shopfronts, strategic and local views to St. Paul’s Cathedral, and local landmarks must be protected and enhanced. The Spatial Strategy area is covered by a Tier 1 Archaeological Priority Area16, reflecting the area’s great time-depth and the significant potential for archaeological discoveries of national and regional significance. In addition, there are a number of buildings and features of local importance which must also be protected and enhanced; these Historic Clerkenwell heritage sites are identified in Appendix 1. New development should respect historic building footprints, and should not result in the demolition or amalgamation of buildings with existing character value. Buildings that frame strategic and local views of landmarks should enhance the quality of the view, in particular components within the view that are of heritage value.

For more information please see the Bunhill and Clerkenwell area action plan