Ministerial guidelines
Architectural Heritage Protection: Guidelines for Planning Authorities
Protected structures, architectural conservation areas, curtilage, and works to historic buildings.
Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht · 2011 · 267 pages
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- Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines for Planning Authorities 209 CHAPTER 14 NON-HABITABLE PROTECTED STRUCTURES 4.2.5 Proposals to reinforce, widen or infill sections of a protected bridge will require alterations to the character and quality of the structure. Where the impacts are likely to be substantial and would damage the character and integrity of the protected structure to an unacceptable extent, alternative solutions should be explored. 14.3 Harbours, Canals and Associated Features IDENTIFICATION OF FEATURES FOR PROTECTION 14.3.1 The structures and features of interest associated with harbours and canals which should be protected could include quay walls, slipways, docks, dry docks, lifting bridges, locks, piers, jetties, breakwaters and associated buildings such as warehouses and boathouses. 14.3.2 Protection could also extend to features such as cranes, other machinery, bollards, lamp standards, chains, harbour lights, navigational structures or buoys and other items which may or may not be original to the construction of the harbour or canal but which contribute to the appreciation of the protected structure and should be retained. CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS 14.3.3 Where it is necessary to infill a harbour, dock, canal or lock the works should as far as practicable be reversible; for example, the use of loose fill would allow for later reinstatement of the protected structure. Any other proposed works should have the minimum possible impact on the protected structure. Expert advice may be necessary to evaluate such proposals. 14.4 Street Furniture and Paving IDENTIFICATION OF STREET FURNITURE OR PAVING FOR PROTECTION 14.4.1 An item of street furniture may be protected by being included in the RPS in its own right where it is special or rare; as part of the curtilage of a protected structure; or as part of an ACA. Such items could include lamp standards, seats and benches, bollards, railings, street signs, iron signposts, freestanding or wall-mounted post boxes, telephone kiosks, horse troughs, water-pumps, drinking fountains, jostle stones, milestones, paving, kerbstones, cobbles and setts, pavement lights, coalhole covers, weighbridges, statues and other monuments. The construction of safe harbours necessitated great engineering skills, which were matched by the stone-cutting and laying skills of the masons who quarried and cut the stones for massive harbour and quay walls and piers. Lighthouses, boathouses, lifting bridges and breakwaters are often integral parts of harbours and quays and add to their special interest The machinery associated with canals, harbours and ports is often now redundant and liable to being removed or damaged. However many such items add to the special interest of a historic industrial area even where the site is no longer in industrial use The removal of parapet walls to provide cantilevered walkways should be carefully examined because of the potential impact on the fabric and appearance of important historic bridges. If bridges were altered in this manner in the past, the opportunity might be taken to restore parapets previously removed, where this can be accomplished and without resort to conjecture
- CHAPTER 14 NON-HABITABLE PROTECTED STRUCTURES Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines for Planning Authorities 210 Where new paving is required, the opportunity may arise to have a pavement designed especially to suit the character of the area. This paving outlines the site of excavated Viking housing and is interspersed with inset bronze plaques depicting finds made during archaeological excavations in the area Many items of street furniture were fabricated locally in long-vanished small factories or workshops using locally-available materials, which gives them a social and historical interest in addition to creating regional design differences, as is evident in this Carlow granite fence Damage caused to historic paving stones by repeated lifting can lead to breakage of individual stones. The replacement of areas of lost stone with concrete should be avoided as it significantly degrades the appearance of a historic pavement
- Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines for Planning Authorities 211 CHAPTER 14 NON-HABITABLE PROTECTED STRUCTURES CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSALS 14.4.2 Proposals to remove or relocate items of street furniture or other features should not be granted permission without consideration of all the implications. Statues or monuments may close a vista. Other items of street furniture, such as jostle stones or weighbridges, may have close historical associations with an adjacent building. 14.4.3 Proposals to replace historic or rare items of street furniture such as telephone kiosks, post boxes or lamp standards should be resisted by the planning authority. Traditional paving elements are important to their locality and should generally be retained where found and not moved to alternative locations which are perceived as more prestigious or as having more character. 14.4.4 Historic street furniture and paving should be protected from accidental damage. Where planning permission is granted on a site adjacent to protected items of street furniture or paving, these elements should be sheltered from damage for the duration of the site works. 14.4.5 Regular or repeated lifting of historic paving for the installation and maintenance of public utilities is likely to cause damage and should only be carried out with due care and, if necessary, expertise. Where new utilities are to be installed, these should generally be located away from areas of historic paving whenever possible. If appropriate, the installation of bollards or other deterrents may be considered to prevent damage to important paving or street finishes. 14.4.6 Where it is proposed to pedestrianise a street in an ACA, or one that contributes to the character of a protected structure, it may be preferable that it should simply become a street without traffic rather than be converted into a new landscaped area which could adversely affect the character of protected structures or the character of an ACA. All original surfaces and finishes should be retained and protected. New paving materials should preferably be of natural materials, sourced locally and appropriate in scale and colour to the street. 14.4.7 New items of street furniture, which will impact on the character of a protected structure or of an ACA, should be appropriately and sensitively designed. The design of these objects need not imitate historical styles or detailing in order to be considered acceptable. The design and location of any proposed traffic-calming measures such as ramps, bollards or traffic islands should be carefully considered. Whether small urban squares or airy expanses of open ground, parks add considerably to the character of an area and contribute much to the social life of the place. The features that are integral to the park or which have been added over time will usually be significant to its special interest, as will be important layouts or planting New street furnishings do not have to be ‘traditional’ in style or material to be considered appropriate. The use of modern designs and materials may provide a satisfying visual counterpoint to the historic setting
- 14.6.4 Gravestones and memorials in old burial grounds are of immense historical, social and artistic interest and can be important sources of information to local historians and others. They should be treated with great respect, carefully maintained and reerected where they have fallen. They should not be moved unnecessarily in order to facilitate activities such as grass cutting. The use of broken or dislocated headstones as paving should not be permitted. Where dislocated headstones or flat stones have been used historically as paving and where inscriptions or carvings survive, consideration should be given to preserving these either by removing them to a safe location or by re-routing paths to avoid future erosion by foot-traffic. CHAPTER 14 NON-HABITABLE PROTECTED STRUCTURES Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines for Planning Authorities 212 14.5 Parks 14.5.1 Buildings or structures within a public park may be protected individually. A park may be an important element within an ACA. 14.5.2 Features of a park which should be identified and protected could include gates and gateways, pavilions, bandstands, shelters, greenhouses, statues, fountains, pools, bridges, terraces, steps, seating, and paving. Where these features are of quality and interest and are original or early additions to the park, permission should not usually be given for their removal or replacement. Where an original or an important layout or planting substantially remains, it should be conserved. Care should be taken not to allow the obliteration of evidence of historic landscaping when new works are being carried out. 14.6 Burial Grounds 14.6.1 A historic burial ground, or features within it, may be protected in its own right, as part of the curtilage or attendant grounds to a protected structure such as a church or mausoleum or as an ACA. Additionally, where a graveyard comes under the category of a protected site under the National Monuments Acts, the requirements of those Acts must also be complied with where any works are proposed. 14.6.2 There may be many features associated with the burial ground which should be respected and retained, including boundary walls, gateways, lych gates, mausolea, memorials, box tombs, architectural iron or stone burial enclosures, gravestones, steps and paving. There may be associated buildings or the ruins of such buildings, for example, gate-lodges or mortuary chapels, which should also be protected. 14.6.3 Where extensive works are proposed, a comprehensive survey of the burial ground and its features may need to be carried out in advance of any works commencing. In any case, the layout of the burial ground should be respected and existing pathways retained wherever possible. Proposals to ‘tidy up’ protected burial grounds that involve moving or reconstructing box tombs, gravestones or memorials, levelling the ground, or altering the boundary walls should not be generally permitted. The use of mechanical diggers within a historic burial ground should not be permitted where they could damage any features of interest above or below ground. Many graveyards include important funerary monuments, such as this impressive eighteenthcentury pyramidal mausoleum. They may also include gravestones with finely carved inscriptions, all of which have architectural as well as social and historical significance While there is generally a respect in communities for burial grounds, the wish to maintain them should not lead to overenthusiastic or misguided ‘tidying-up’ works or the uninformed reconstruction of damaged memorials. Where repairs are planned to damaged memorials, all fragments should be identified and reset using an appropriate mortar, and any poorly executed previous repairs rectified, if this can be achieved without further damage. Specialist advice will usually be required
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- Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines for Planning Authorities 215 CHAPTER 15 ENABLING AND TEMPORARY WORKS 15.1 Enabling Works 15.1.1 Situations will arise where there are concealed elements within a building whose condition needs to be assessed in advance of proposals being formulated in order to inform those proposals. For example, there may be a likelihood that beam ends are rotted, fungal infestation is suspected or a case where sources of water penetration need to be identified. In such situations enabling works will be needed, such as the opening up of floors or ceilings, removal of panelling and the like, before detailed proposals can be made. It is important that these enabling works do not damage the character of the protected structure or any element which contributes to its special interest. 15.1.2 A planning authority may also require an applicant to carry out a schedule of investigative works where it considers the proposed redevelopment of a protected structure may be inappropriate. For example, where it is considered proposals may lead to an overloading of structural elements such as floors or staircases, enabling works may be required to ascertain the capacity of structural elements to accept increased loading, before detailed planning application proposals can be considered. It may also be considered necessary to ascertain the existence or location of concealed features. 15.2 Temporary Works 15.2.1 Temporary works may be necessary to preserve the fabric of a protected structure during development. Old buildings which are undergoing refurbishment or conservation works are particularly vulnerable to damage during the course of those works. Every care should be taken during works to a protected structure to ensure that the historic fabric is protected, particularly delicate features and high quality finishes. The methods and details of temporary works may need to be approved by the planning authority prior to the commencement of any works. 15.3 Potential Causes of Damage 15.3.1 Potential causes of damage should be considered by the planning authority when attaching conditions to a grant of planning permission in order to prevent or minimise damage to a protected structure as a result of building works. Even where the building owner has employed specialist consultants, the planning authority may consider the need for expert advice to satisfy itself that the matter of damage during the course of works has been properly addressed and to assess potential risk to the protected structure and those features which contribute to its special interest. 15.4 Structural failure 15.4.1 The planning authority could require that expert advice be sought by an applicant from suitably qualified architects or structural engineers to ensure that the structural stability of the building will not become endangered during building works. The quality and expertise of site personnel and the ongoing monitoring of site works could also be specified. Where a protected structure is particularly fragile or where significant temporary works are anticipated, the planning authority could require an applicant to submit designs for temporary works for approval in advance of the erection of any scaffolding or shoring. The importance of the original structural system and its capacity to accommodate a proposed development should be ascertained at an early stage in order to inform the design. This may require some limited opening-up works. Alternatively, some opening-up may be necessary ascertain the existence of suspected hidden fabric or features of importance, such as early structural timbers Detailed consideration should be given at an early stage to the design of measures to protect structures and important features likely to be affected by a development, including those on adjacent sites. A protected structure should not be exposed to damage from construction works or from vehicle impacts and should not be used for purposes that might cause damage
- CHAPTER 15 ENABLING AND TEMPORARY WORKS Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines for Planning Authorities 216 15.4.2 Careful propping of elements of special interest within the building may be necessary before works commence. Valuable and irreplaceable objects, such as decorative plaster ceilings, should be propped if there is any risk to their stability. Propping itself can cause damage and should be designed and installed by properly trained and experienced personnel under the guidance of an architect or other building specialist who is aware of the value of the fabric. It should be established that no damage would be done by the movement or the concentration of loading from scaffolding, shoring or other temporary works on existing fabric or foundations. 15.5 Mechanical damage 15.5.1 Irreparable harm can be done to a historic structure by mechanical damage caused during the course of building works, particularly in the erection of scaffolding. Externally, sills, glazing, cornices, string courses, balconies, steps, paving and railings are particularly vulnerable to breakage, scratching and other damage. Inside a building, carved stonework and joinery, decorative plasterwork and decorative wall and floor finishes such as paint, wallpaper and tiling are all prone to accidental damage during general building works. Roofs, paving and flooring located below work in progress should be protected from items supported off them and from items dropping onto them from overhead. 15.5.2 A planning authority may require that all valuable ornamental work be provided with the necessary protective coverings before work commences. Where there are windows or doors with rare or interesting glass these should be protected, if necessary on both sides, to prevent breakage. Protection in situ should generally be preferred to removal. Historic glass should not be sacrificed to facilitate the erection of scaffold poles or ties through windows, doors or fanlights. 15.5.3 Scaffolding should be erected by trained scaffolders, guided by architects or other building specialists who are aware of the importance of the building fabric. Any part of a scaffold which touches, or is erected close to, historic fabric should be provided with protection to prevent damage and the ends of poles should be covered with plastic caps. 15.5.4 As with the potential problem of structural damage, the planning authority could require the employment of experienced site personnel, such as scaffolders, and proper site management in order to minimise the risk of accidental damage. Glass is more vulnerable than most materials to damage during works, especially during the erection or dismantling of scaffolding. Historic glass should be protected at least to the exterior and, if necessary, also to the interior. Glazed windows should never be broken to facilitate scaffolding poles or ties, nor held open unless adequate protection is given to the glass and the sash is supported Structures may be in need of propping prior to, and during the course of, works which should be designed and installed to avoid causing damage to unstable fabric The erection and dismantling of scaffolding in rooms or spaces with important surface decoration or finishes requires especial care. Scaffolders experienced in such work may be required in these circumstances
- Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines for Planning Authorities 217 CHAPTER 15 ENABLING AND TEMPORARY WORKS 15.6 Fire 15.6.1 Refurbishment and maintenance works pose a risk of fire to a historic structure, and construction work to protected structures should be properly managed to minimise this risk. Clear safety instructions should be included in all contracts for works to protected structures. For example, ‘hot’ working procedures should generally be avoided in historic structures or, where unavoidable, should be carefully monitored. Examples of ‘hot’ working procedures could include works involving cutting, welding and burning-off of paint. Other threats may arise from the storage of flammable materials such as paints or solvents within the protected structure, the burning of debris and rubbish near the structure or the inadequate provision of fire-extinguishing equipment. 15.7 Weather 15.7.1 Works necessitating the temporary removal of all or part of the weatherproof envelope of a building, such as roofs, windows or doors, should also include the provision of a specified level of protection to the fabric from the weather. Temporary roofs should allow for the discharge of rainwater well away from the building to avoid flooding the interior or weakening the foundations. 15.8 Theft of Architectural Features and Vandalism 15.8.1 Building sites are particularly vulnerable to burglary, vandalism and arson. The presence of scaffolding on the exterior of a building may make the upper storeys accessible to burglars and vandals when a site is unattended. 15.8.2 The theft of architectural features and materials is widespread throughout the country. These features are at a particular risk when a protected structure is Structures should be adequately protected from the effects of the weather where the temporary removal of windows, doors or roofs is necessary. The protective sheeting and any necessary supports should be attached securely and be fully reversible, without causing damage to window-frames, roof trusses or masonry
- CHAPTER 15 ENABLING AND TEMPORARY WORKS Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines for Planning Authorities 218 It is advisable that site supervisors or other senior personnel routinely check on all important protected items to make sure that alarms are not tampered with or the fixtures not surreptitiously loosened behind the protective boarding in preparation for theft Historic joinery or other fixtures which have been temporarily removed from their locations should be stored carefully and safely within the structure and not left stacked on floors where they may be vulnerable to damage or theft prior to their reincorporation within the building vacant or in the process of refurbishment. Vulnerable items include fireplaces, pieces of ironmongery, lead roof-cladding, carved stone features, panelling and the like. Where there are valuable interior or exterior features, these should be provided with protection before the contract work commences and adequate security should be provided to the structure during the course of the works. The protective casing to valuable features could be provided with alarms, security seals and/or viewing panels, and should be inspected regularly during the course of the works. 15.8.3 Where the structure is temporarily unoccupied for the duration of building works, the owner may be permitted to remove valuable features carefully from the building and move them to a safe and secure storage area for reinstallation at an early date. Owners of vulnerable items should be encouraged to make adequate records of them to help in their recovery in case of theft.
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