17.1 The historic environment is a finite resource that makes a significant contribution to the character and identity of Salford and its individual neighbourhoods. As well as being important in its own right, the historic environment can enhance quality of life, make locations more attractive for investment and support tourism activity. It is therefore important that Salford’s heritage assets and their settings are conserved and enhanced for the long-term benefit of the city.
17.2 The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 provides a strong and detailed legislative framework for the conservation of the historic environment, and this is supported by national planning policy. The role of the historic environment will be particularly important in locations such as the Bridgewater Canal corridor and the City Centre areas of Greengate, Salford Central and the Crescent, where it has the potential to make a significant contribution to economic activity provided that new developments are sensitively located and designed.
Salford’s heritage assets and their setting will be protected and enhanced, ensuring that they continue to make a positive contribution to the character and identity of the city’s neighbourhoods.
The level of protection afforded to any individual heritage asset will reflect:
A) The nature, extent and level of its significance, having regard to its architectural, historic, artistic and/or archaeological interest;
B) The degree to which the significance of other heritage assets is reliant on it; and
C) The contribution that it makes to the character and identity of the local area and Salford more generally.
Heritage assets are found throughout Salford and will have an important role in supporting the quality of life and economic growth. This will be particularly significant in the following locations:
Reasoned justification
17.3 Heritage is a key contributor to the city’s positive local identity and character, as well as being an irreplaceable record of the past. Its retention and enhancement will therefore be an important component of Salford’s future success.
17.4 Salford has more than 230 listed building entries, 16 conservation areas, 3 scheduled ancient monuments, 2 registered parks and gardens, as well as a broad range of other heritage assets including archaeology dating back to the city’s beginnings and features dating back to Salford’s key role in the Industrial Revolution such as the Bridgewater Canal.
17.5 The conservation areas, scheduled ancient monuments and registered historic parks and gardens are shown on the Policies Map:
Conservation areas
Scheduled ancient monuments
Registered historic parks and gardens
17.6 The city council will maintain a historic environment record, which will be used to inform the development of more specific guidance for individual areas and sites where required. It will also be used to inform the determination of planning applications, and should be used by developers to ensure that their proposals are sensitive to heritage assets. The urban historic landscape characterisation study provides further information(25), and will assist in identifying the local character that should be protected and enhanced in accordance with Policy D2 of this Local Plan. Applicants should utilise this range of information, and clearly set out the particular nature of the significance of a heritage asset, the extent of the asset to which the significance relates, and the level of importance of that significance within their supporting heritage statements.
17.7 The city council will continue to develop and review its “local list” of buildings, structures, features and landscapes that are considered to be important heritage assets but have not been designated at the national level, and will also review the need for additional conservation areas. A programme of appraisals and management plans for the existing conservation areas will gradually be completed, helping to secure their preservation and enhancement.
17.8 The areas of Greengate, Salford Central and the Crescent within the City Centre have Salford’s highest concentration of heritage assets. There are four conservation areas, numerous statutorily listed and locally listed buildings, industrial heritage such as the railway viaducts, historic open spaces, and archaeology dating back to the city’s origins. However, in addition to the area’s considerable historic interest, it is this part of Salford that is subject to the greatest development pressures. It will be important to ensure that the area’s heritage is seen as a positive contributor to its future, rather than a potential barrier to redevelopment.
17.9 The first section of the Bridgewater Canal opened in 1761, with the route from Worsley to Manchester being completed in 1765. It was the first true industrial canal cutting across existing geographical features such as the River Irwell (now the Manchester Ship Canal), and played a key role in the country’s industrial and transport revolution. As well as the canal itself, there are a number of other important features within the corridor, including Worsley Village, Worsley Delph, and the Barton Swing Aqueduct. Collectively these various heritage assets already have an important tourism and leisure role but there is the potential to expand this further, especially with the proposed RHS Garden Bridgewater at the lost historic grounds of Worsley New Hall, helping to improve the quality of life for Salford’s residents and supporting the local economy. However, it needs to be ensured that this is not at the expense of the environmental quality and heritage assets on which the tourism interest is based. The West Salford Greenway provides the setting for the settlements of Worsley, Roe Green, Roe Green, Beesley Green and the Bridgewater Canal, and is an essential element of their historic character. Protecting the West Salford Greenway from development through its designation as Green Belt and a local green space is therefore of significant importance in preserving the setting and special character of heritage assets in this part of the city.
The positive use of heritage assets will be encouraged, helping to ensure that they are appropriately maintained.
The use secured should be consistent with the protection and enhancement of their heritage significance and sustainable long term use.
Reasoned justification
17.10 Heritage assets that are actively used are much more likely to be subject to an appropriate maintenance regime that helps to protect their long-term future and heritage interest, whereas vacant historic buildings often fall into disrepair that can ultimately lead to their partial or complete loss. Finding appropriate uses for Salford’s heritage assets is therefore an important priority, and the city council will work with developers and Historic England in achieving this.
17.11 Salford’s heritage will need to adapt to changing circumstances. This may involve some alterations and adaptations in order to accommodate changing uses, but it needs to be ensured that these are sensitively designed and implemented so that the heritage interest is not significantly diminished.
Monitoring
17.12 The main indicators that will be used to monitor this chapter are:
|
Indicator |
Target |
| Number of listed building entries on the National Heritage List for England register | No reduction (2015-2035) |
| Number of scheduled ancient monuments | No reduction (2015-2035) |
| Number of registered parks and gardens of historic interest | No reduction (2015-2035) |
| Number of structures on the local list | No reduction |
| Heritage assets officially identified as ‘at risk’ | No increase in numbers of assets at risk |
References:
(25) Greater Manchester Urban Historic Landscape Characterisation Salford District Report – Greater Manchester Archaelogical Unit (November 2010)