Conservation

Conservation

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Conservation Logo

Welcome to the OTRA conservation pages.

This is an ongoing project to inform residents about the conservation area:

  • Our management plan
  • The implications of conservation
  • How we can help you with planning.

About The Conservation Subcommittee

Conservation Logo
The Conservation Subcommittee evolved from an informal group, which had come together in 2003 to investigate the possibility of getting Conservation Area status for the Oakmount Triangle. At a meeting of Southampton City Council’s Planning and Rights of Way Panel, at which an application for a development of town houses in Leigh Road was .... Read more

Why Conservation?

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The conservation status, which was further protected by an Article 4(2) direction in 2008, will stop any possible development such as we see in Winn Road or Westwood Road. For example, the total demolition of one of these original walls to create a car park could encourage others to do the same so gradual erosion of the character of the area could lose us the conservation status.

Character Appraisal and Management Plan

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Management Plan

The C.A.M.P.

The City Council adopted a Character Appraisal and Management Plan for the Oakmount Triangle Conservation Area on 17 March, 2008. The document identifies those features which give the area its special character and provides guidance and direction on appropriate forms of development. This guidance must now be taken into account when planning applications from the Triangle are determined by the City Council. OTRA played a major part in its preparation and welcomes the new policy which strengthens the designation of the Conservation Area.

Download Character Appraisal & Management

.... Read more

When do I need planning permission?

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General guidelines regarding conservation status

In any Conservation Area, special consideration is given to planning applications, and permission has to be obtained before a house can be demolished. Most older houses in the Oakmount Triangle also have Article 4 (2) protection, which means that permission needs to be sought for what may be considered quite minor works which would affect the public’s view of the houses. See here – Is your house covered by Article 4(2)?

Help and Advice with your Application

Advice From SCC:

Please note that if you

.... Read more

Heritage Statements for Planning Applications (draft)

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Heritage Statements for Planning

What’s the difference between a Design & Access Statement and a Heritage Statement?

These are a very useful but often overlooked documents that are submitted as part of the planning process. A Design and Access statement is required for  planning applications in general. Smaller developments may not normally need one, however any development  in a conservation area (which require planning permission) needs a similar document but purely in relation to conservation and heritage assects, ie a Heritage Statement.

A  heritage statement can be separate or incorporated within a .... Read more

Property Map and Article 4

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Is your house included under the Article 4(2) direction?

  • Properties shown with red numbers are not covered by Article 4(2) but are still classed as included within the conservation area. (Blocks of flats are not covered and are shown in orange)
  • Properties shown in white are are included in the Article 4 and are of original* John Smith design (1910 – 1930)
  • Properties shown in blue are included in the Article 4 and built in other styles. Some were built  during the initial development period (1910 -1930) some are later.
.... Read more

Replacement Windows

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Maintenance of timber windows

We all know prevention is better than cure, so regular maintenance – treating small instances of rot before it takes over, painting and checking the glazing, can avoid many problems down the road.

If the casement itself shows signs of rot that cannot be treated locally, but the frame itself still has its integrity, then just replacing the casements can be relatively cost effective and potentially much safer than considering a uPVC replacement – even if planning permission were to be granted.

If the frames themselves .... Read more

Pebbledash Repair

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From an article by Jonathan Taylor originally published in The Building Conservation Directory 2009. A full version of the article is available at https://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/pebbledash/pebbledash.htm’

Conservation & Repair of Pebbledash

The repair of Edwardian pebbledash and roughcast is still a relatively new area for conservators. The standard solution to cracks and coat separation (either the outer coat or the base coat from the substrate) is to hack back to sound material, leaving edges slightly undercut where possible to improve the key. Tapping with a wooden implement such as the handle .... Read more

Bricks and Mortar

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Materials

Most of the older houses in the Oakmount Triangle were built using clay bricks and lime mortar. Modern brick is fired at a much higher temperature than it was possible in the past, and so are much harder and less porous, as is the portland cement used these days for mortar and pointing.

There is a very significant difference in the effect of  weather on these two different types of material.

  • With older buildings the materials were quite porous, so although they could absorb water more easily compared to
.... Read more

Chairman’s Conservation Report 2021

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Planning Applications 20/21

There seem to have been quite a few applications in the last two years.

We never like challenging residents’ applications; however, we (and many individual residents) did object to one which was  for change of use of part of the premises from C3 (domestic) to A1 (retail). We represented these objections at the SCC planning panel, where the application was nonetheless approved by the council. In the end, we were content with the very strict conditions attached, which we are satisfied do not constitute a threat to .... Read more