The “Character Appraisal”, “Management Plan”, and boundary changes have been accepted by Stroud District Council, the Planning authority, and the two documents will now be used as supplementary planning guidance by the district council to inform the interpretation and application of planning policy in Randwick Conservation Area (or where development might affect its setting). There is a link to these documents below.
Following representations from some parishioners whose houses were to be subject to Article 4 directions the Planning authority, SDC, decided that it would not implement Article 4 Directions, which would have removed some permitted development rights from 16 properties in the conservation area which were seen as contributing to the character of the village through their historical and architectural interest.
It has been a long process. Randwick was designated as a conservation area in 1990. The parish council asked heritage consultants to carry out a review of what gives Randwick its character.
A survey was delivered to houses in the conservation area and after responses had been returned the council held a consultation meeting in Randwick Village Hall in January 2024. At the meeting Stroud District Council’s Senior Planning Strategy Officer and the Specialist Conservation Officer explained the public consultation that would be carried out before producing a draft to be sent to the SDC Development Committee to consider adopting it as Supplementary Planning Guidance.
During the discussions and in response to questions, the SDC officers explained that the 1990 designation had had a bearing on development in the conservation area since 1990 and that the recent appraisal identified what was valued and would provide a sound reference for the planning authority in applying its planning policies to development in the area. The appraisal identified what was valued but was not about ‘preserving the area in aspic’. The aim of the conservation area was to maintain the character of the village.
The final draft of the review is available here www.stroud.gov.uk/randwickca
