Policy information sourced from the Sutton Local Plan 2016-2031

30: Heritage

General

a. The council will conserve and, where practicable, enhance the borough’s historic environment. This comprises: Listed Buildings and structures, Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Conservation Areas, Historic Parks and Gardens, Areas of Special Local Character, Locally Listed Buildings and undesignated archaeological remains.

b. Development that has an impact upon a heritage asset will be expected to conserve and, where practicable, enhance its significance. The council will expect that new development integrates into the historic environment and will look for opportunities from new development affecting heritage assets and their settings to enhance or better reveal their significance.

c. Great weight will be given to conservation of Sutton’s heritage assets. Any harm to the significance of a designated or non-designated heritage asset, or their loss, must be justified. Proposals will be weighed against:

  1. the public benefits of the proposal.
  2. whether it has been demonstrated that all reasonable efforts have been made to sustain the existing use, find new uses or mitigate the extent of the harm to the significance of the asset.
  3. whether the works proposed are the minimum required to secure the long-term beneficial use and retain the significance and conservation of the asset.

d. Proposals likely to affect the significance of a heritage asset, including the contribution made by its setting, should be accompanied by a description of its significance in sufficient detail to allow the potential impacts to be adequately assessed.

Listed Buildings and Structures

e. The council will:

  1. not permit the total or substantial demolition of a Listed Building or Structure unless exceptional circumstances are shown that outweigh the case for retention.
  2. expect proposals for a change of use or alteration or extension to a Listed Building or Structure to have no adverse impact on those elements which contribute to the Listed Building or Structure’s special architectural or historic interest and significance, including its setting.
  3. not permit development which it considers would cause harm to the setting of a Listed Building or Structure unless the public benefits outweigh the harm.

For Listed Buildings see Appendix 8, Schedule 8.A, Maps 8.1 to 8.6 and Policies Map.

Scheduled Ancient Monuments

f. The Ancient Monuments and Archaeology Areas Act (1979) does not allow:

  1. the disturbance of or addition to a Schedule Ancient Monument by carrying out works without consent.
  2. the reckless or deliberate damage to a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
  3. the removal of an object without a licence from Historic England.

For Scheduled Ancient Monuments see Appendix 8, Schedule 8.G, Map 8.47 and Policies Map.

Conservation Areas

g. The council will:

  1. expect development within a Conservation Area to conserve and, where practicable, to enhance those elements which contribute to the Conservation Area’s special character or appearance. These elements may include landscaped areas, gardens, trees, hedges and boundary treatments as well as the built form. In considering development proposals, consideration will be given to matters including height, scale, massing, materials, urban grain and layout, the public realm and views into and out of the Conservation Area.
  2. not permit the total or substantial demolition of an unlisted building which makes a positive contribution to the character and appearance of a Conservation Area and, when in exceptional circumstances demolition is required, the replacement building will be expected to make the same or more of a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area.
  3. expect development outside a Conservation Area but which would affect a Conservation Area to conserve and, where practicable, enhance those elements which contribute to the Conservation Area’s special character or appearance.

For Conservation Areas see Appendix 8, Schedule 8.E, Maps 8.8 to 8.23 and Policies Map.

Historic Parks and Gardens (both nationally and locally designated)

h. The council will:

  1. expect that development conserves and, where practicable, enhances Historic Parks and Gardens and their settings
  2. not permit development which harms the enjoyment, layout, design, character and appearance of Historic Parks and Gardens

For Historic Parks and Gardens see Appendix 8, Schedule 8.D, Map 8.7 and Policies Map.

Areas of Special Local Character

i. The council will:

  1. expect development within an Area of Special Local Character conserves and, where practicable, enhances those elements which contribute to the Area of Special Local Character’s particular character or appearance. These elements may include landscaped areas, gardens, trees, hedges and boundary treatments as well as the built form.
  2. expect development outside an Area of Special Local Character but which would affect an Area of Special Local Character to conserve and, where practicable, enhance those elements which contribute to the Area of Special Local Character’s particular character or appearance.

For Areas of Special Local Character see Appendix 8, Schedule 8.F, Maps 8.24-8.46 and Policies Map.

Locally Listed Buildings and Structures

j. The council will encourage the retention, repair and reuse of Locally Listed Buildings and Structures

For Locally Listed Buildings see Appendix 8, Schedule 8.B, Maps 8.1 to 8.6 and Policies Map.

Archaeological Priority Areas

k. The council will:

  1. in consultation with the Greater London Archaeological Advisory Service, require the necessary level of investigation and recording for development proposals that affect, or have the potential to affect Sutton’s archaeological heritage. Remains of archaeological importance, whether scheduled or not, should be protected in situ, or if this is not possible, excavated and removed as directed by the Greater London Archaeological Advisory Service.
  2. expect the applicant to have sought pre-application advice from the Greater London Archaeological Advisory Service before submitting an archaeological evaluation.

l. Where a scheme should be submitted for archaeological site-based survey and/or intervention, in addition to the method statement it will need to include analysis, publication, and archive deposition of the material and the records made, and for the public dissemination of the results to further understanding.

For Archaeological Priority Areas see Appendix 9, Schedule 9.A, Maps 9.1 to 9.22 and Policies Map.

For more information please see the Local Plan 2016-2031