JReport No: c3R'8 b3

NEWLYNCONSERVATION AREASTATEMENT

Nulyn 1279,1390,

Lulyn 1290,1302,1304,1305,1321, 1326,1327,1329,1334,1368

Lullyn 1302

Luelyn 1305

Nywelyn 1337

Niwelin 1339

Newlyn 1346, 1584,1710

- Neulin 1370

Newelyn 1371

Lewelyn 1388

Neulyn 1431

K. Giddens, SA (Hons), Dip T.P., MRTPI, F.I.Mgt. Newlyne 1580Director of Planning and Economic DevelopmentPenwith District Council

1584St Clare NewlinPenzanceCornwall TR 18 3QW Newlen c1680

NEWLYN - A Brief History

NAMED as early as the 13th century, Newlynwas originally a close scatter of small hamlets. Talcarn("brow-rock"), now Tolcarne, stood to the north of the Newlyn River; Street an Nowan ("the oxenstreet" or, more likely, "the river street") lay to the south, between the river and the presentChampion's Slip; with Newlyn Town betwen the present North Comer and The Bowjey ("cowshed").Of these, Newlyn Town was the largest. Its name deriving from lulyn ("fleet pool"), it was centred onthe medieval Old Quay which still survives. It is not known when the quay was built but, in 1437, theBishop of Exeter granted an Indulgence to contributors to its repair and maintenance.

Newlyn remained a smaller and less important settlement than its neighbours Mousehole and Penzancefor some centuries but suffered the same fate of being burned to the ground by the infamous Spanishraid of 1595, commanded by Captain Carlos de Amezola. It was subsequently rebuilt but its size andstatus remained inferior to those of its neighbours until the 18th century when the fishing industrygained a new importance. Becoming a centre of the seine fishery, Newlyn grew as its prosperityincreased; the catching, curing and marketing of pilchards being the cornerstone of the town's future.

By the mid 19th century, Newlyn held more drift boats than any other Cornish port and the Newlyn orMount's Bay lugger was a distinctive design distinguishable from those of St Ives or Falmouth. TheOld Quay was by now enclosing far too small a haven and was itself enclosed by a huge new one; theSouth Pier being completed in 1885. The North Pier was built in the followingyear and extended in1892. The Newlyn Fisheries Exhibitions held at the end of the 19th century have, from 1991, beenrevived in the form of the annual Newlyn Fish Festival. The harbour's South Pier now has nationalimportance as it carries the Ordnance Survey's Datum point from which all heights in the UnitedKingdom are measured.

In 1832, the port and its inhabitants received a tragic blow in the form of a cholera epidemic which,between August and September of that year, killed over a hundred people.

As the 19th century progressed, East Coast fishing fleets became a common sight in Newlyn harbour.Termed "Yorkies" by the locals, their indifference to observance of the Sabbath led to trouble. Thestrictly Methodist Newlyn men would not fish on a Sunday. The pickings and monopolisation of theMonday market were seized upon by the less pious Lowestoft fishermen. In May 1896, this volatilesituation exploded into two days of rioting and violence, the Newlyn Riots, which were quelled only bythe combined forces of the police, the army and the Royal N'avy.

In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Newlyn played a strong part in the resurgence of the dyingCornish language. Inspired by Mousehole scholar and linguist John Keigwin (b. 1641), Newlynbarrister William Gwavas and three members of the opulent Boson family added a great deal toCornish literature. John Boson's Jooan Chei a Horr ("John of Chyannor"), a lengthy moralistic folktale, is still an important item of study among present day scholars of the language. A reliable sourcestates that Newlyn fishermen often conversed in Cornish aboard their boats as late as 1875, a centuryafter the life of the so-called "last speaker of Cornish" Dolly Pentreath, and as recently as 1935, it wasstill the custom at Newlyn fish market to count fish in Cornish.

Late 19th century photographs show that a great many of Newlyn's cottages were thatched and that itsprincipal streets were distinctively cobbled. Today, none of Newlyn's buildings have thatched roofs andcobbled surfaces only survive in the little cul-de-sacs of Fradgan Place, Chapel Street and OrchardPlace, the former being extensively restored in 1995.

Large areas of traditional cottages were scheduled for wholesale demolition and redevelopment in the1930s. In spite of massive local opposition, picturesque cottages in the Bowjeyarea, St Peter's Hill andDuke Street were initially swept away. In 1937, the Newlyn boat Rosebud sailed to Westminster tolobby Parliament against the destruction, attracting national publicity. That action and the impendingcloud of World War II saved much of old Newlyn from demolition.

traditionally known as Street an Nowan and Newlyn Town were only interconnected by an inlandroute, except at low water. The new harbour road cut off the former Gwavas Quay and a smalllanding beach, now a grassy plot still called Keel Alley. Built-up areas behind these still bear namesrelating to their former use, for example, Farmer's Meadow and The Orchard.

A second string to Newlyn's bow of international fame began in 1882with the arrival of Birminghamartist Walter Langley RBSA, closely followed by others who found endless inspiration for their work inlocal activities and scenery, enhanced by the unique quality of light in a peninsula three partssurrounded by the sea. Beconling known as the Newlyn School of Art, the names and works ofStanhope Forbes, Henry Scott Tuke, Alexander Chevallier Taylor, Norman Garstin, BlandfordFletcher, Frank Wright Bordillion and others placed Newlyn firmly on the map of the art world.

In 1890, J.D. Mackenzie began a class of artistic metalwork and, joined two years later by JohnPearson, a member of the Guild of Handicraft, Mackenzie opened Newlyn Art Industries in a largegranite warehouse on Champion's Slip (named after a headmaster of the former Wesleyan school atthe top of the slip). From this developed the famous Newlyn Copper which, although sinlilar tomainstream copper work, developed local themes and a distinct identity of its own.

The rise of the Newlyn School was so rapid that, in 1895, the Cornish philanthropist John PassmoreEdwards built and gave the Newlyn Art Gallery to the town's artists. A memorial to the 18th centuryCornish artist John Opie, "The Cornish Wonder", its design incorporates four copper repousse panelsrepresenting the classical elements of air, earth, fire and water, the work of Philip Hodder fromdesigns by J.D. Mackenzie.

Art and fishing remain the lifeblood of Newlyn,with the Art Gallery being one of the principal venuesfor contemporary art in the South West. The port's fish market handles £20 nlillion worth of fish eachyear and the harbour shelters up to two hundred boats: Beam and Side Trawlers, Gill Netters, LongLiners, Crabbers and Hand Liners.

Methods and practices have changed. Newlyn fisherman no longer leave a tithe of the catch on theshore to propitiate the Bucca, and no longer spread their nets to dry on the grassy expanse of NewlynGreen or over the high wall of The Cliff. The quarrying at Penlee, which once employed two hundredpeople and transported stone from the harbour's South Pier, has shut down. Nevertheless, with a newquay within the harbour (the Mary Williams Pier, 1980) and a greatly extended fish market building(1988), Newlyn remains one of Britain's principal fishing ports despite the worrying problems ofrestrictive fishing policies, and one which has never forgotten its past.

THE NEWLYN ORION ART GALLERY - A GRADE IILISTED BUILDING

A PIECE OF NEWLYN'S HISTORY - THE FORMERTOLCARNE MILL

TOLCARNE AND THE COOMBETHE seaward side of the Tolcarne area consists largely of Victorian terraces of granite cottages andhouses although the Tolcarne Inn (Grade II) dates from 1717. At its northern end, the Newlyn ArtGallery and the softening effect of its surrounding trees at the edge of the open expanse of NewlynGreen significantly contribute to an attractive approach to Newlyn from Penzance and sets the scenefor the traditional form, massing, detailing and design characterising the Conservation Area.

The north side of The Coombe is predominantly occupied by large granite industrial buildings whichinclude The Old Pilchard Works, now a working museum and the last cellar to cure and pack pilchardsin the traditional way; and the former Tolcarne Mill whose southern wall still bears the clear marks ofits wheel. Other important buildings in the group include the Newlyn Meadery, originally the GaietyCinema built in 1927,and the Victorian St Peter's Church, both reached by footbridges over theNewlyn River and sited under the vertical crag of Tolcarne itself, the "Devil's Rock" where the OldOne's nets lie petrified and once, according to Henry Jenner, the home of a prophetic supernaturalbeing.

The southern side of The Coombe is dominated by late 19th century granite fish stores which stillremain in that use. The western end of The Coombe, in particular, enjoys a pleasant backdrop of treeswhich contribute strongly to the setting of this area.

STREET AN NOWANTHE northern part of the Street an Nowan area consists of an interesting mix of 17th to 19th centurycottages largely screened by larger Victorian and Edwardian commercial buildings close to the harbour.These include the imposing Bridge House (1896) and the Seamen's Mission. This is the busiest areaof Newlynwith activities centring on the harbour and fish market.

Between the commercial harbourfront buildings and Chywoone Hill is a maze of narrow streets andcul-de-sacs of small scale traditional cottages, some of the streets still being cobbled. Although anarea of 20th century demolition at the foot of Jack Lane (originally Jaghford), now a car park, leavesonly one side of Duke Street survivingbut the whole area of little streets and alleys between there andGwavas Quay is of great historic value.

Inland from Chywoone Hill, imposing terraces of late 19th and early 20th century houses rise up thesteep hillside.

The southernmost part of Street an Nowan, from Gwavas Quay to Champion's Slip, is occupied bylarge scale commercial works and warehouses.

NEWLYN TOWNTHIS southern part of Newlyn,which originally had as its focus the medieval Old Quay (Grade 11*),ischiefly an area of small scale cottages fronting onto narrow, once cobbled streets, cul-de-sacs andcourtyards. The principal streets, Trewarveneth Street, Boase Street and Church Street, climb directlyup the steep hill from Fore Street which skirts the harbour. Many of these cottages date from the 18thcentury but a few, such as the larger Old Manor in Trewarveneth Street (Grade II), have 17th centuryorigins.

St Peter's Hill, at an elevated posItIon, contains more formal houses while the car park at its footrepresents another area of 1930sdemolition.

Fore Street, running directly above the harbour, contains house and taverns which are generally of alarger scale than those which lie behind them. These are, in places, backed by characterful little yardssuch as Coopers' Court, named after the barrelmaking which was once carried out there. Lower andHigher Green Street contain smaller 19th century cottages but the modern development of flats on the

inland side of Higher Green Street (technically outside the Consetvation Area) illustratesthoughtlessness of design, scale and regularity which directly contrast with its surroundings.

The Meadow area is one of larger, more scattered dwellings,with large open garden areas containingthe often timber-built studios used by early artists of the Newlyn School. This and other higher partsof NewlynTown contain groups of trees which significantly contribute to Newlyn's character, especiallywhen seen from Penzance.

VIEWED as a whole, Newlyn rises from its harbour in a fascinating jumble of small, grey-slated roofspresenting interesting shapes and angles and shielded from the waterfront by larger, more substantialbuildings of both commercial and domestic nature, these occupying distinct areas. The scale andmassing of these buildings and roofscapes are of a noticeably intimate nature, this representing a majoringredient of the town's essential character.

Although a significant number of modem fibre-cement roofs exist, the main roofing material continuesto be natural grey slate. The variety of chimney heights and styles is also important to the roofscape;most of Newlyn's chimneys are of brick although a few important granite stacks still sutvive.

Windows tend to be Victorian box-framed vertically sliding sashes of painted timber but some earliersmall-paned casements can also be found. A few rare and old horizontal sliding sashes also survive insome buildings.

Most buildings are of exposed granite; a few are of painted granite. The town's character is furtherdiversified by buildings which are rendered or part-rendered, or partially clad with slate-hanging orhorizontal timber weatherboarding.

Times and activities may have altered but the essential character of Newlyn as a traditional, intimatemaritime settlement of strongly Cornish nature remains strong. This largely derives from the fact thatNewlyn is a working fishing port of particular importance. This aspect should be supported andprotected by the planning process even where there may be some conflict in terms of developmentappearance; for example, the recently erected ice plant which, although unattractive, plays a vital rolein maintaining Newlyn's position in this regard.

ITEMS OF HISTORIC INTEREST - A SLATE SUNDIAL ANDDATE PLAQUE ON A WALL AT GWAVAS QUAY

VINE COTTAGE, TREWARVENETH STREET - A LATE18TH CENTURY GRADE II LISTED BUILDING

THE CONSERVATION AREA

THE architectural and historic character of Newlyn was formaIly recognised in January 1970 when alarge part of the town and harbour received the designation of Conservation Area. This was extendedin October 1989 to safeguard the old artists' studios in The Meadow area, and again in June 1991 toinclude the Newlyn Art GaIlery.

Under this status, the demolition of most buildings and waIls which are over one metre high aresubject to planning control (Conservation Area Consent); and the felling, lopping or topping of treesrequire sixweeks notice in writing to be submitted to the Local Planning Authority.

The original (1970) extent of the Newlyn Conservation Area was further protected by the imposition ofan Article 4 Direction in February 1977. This has the effect of removing rights of permitteddevelopment from alterations and extensions to dwellinghouses so that the foIlowing works requireplanning permission:-

* Extensions, including porches, dormer windows and separate domestic garages or stables within thecurtilage of the dweIlinghouse.

* Building or extending anciIlary domestic buildings, such as greenhouses and sheds that are over 2metres in height or 8 cubic metres in volume.

BUILDINGS of Special Architectural or HistOlic Interest ("Listed Buildings") are protected undernational legislation and cannot be altered or extended in any way without the granting of ListedBuilding Consent. To breach this control is a serious offence carrying potentially severe penaltieswhich, in extreme cases, may even include imprisonment.

Within the Newlyn Conservation Area, the Secretary of State has Listed the following buildings (allGrade II, unless otherwise stated):-

FORE STREET: No 1 (former Art Gallery); No 18 (Cliffside and The Copper Samovar); The RedLion; The Manor House; No 36 (Clovelly Stores); Nos 54 and 54A; No 68; Quay Cottage; No35; Old Quay Restaurant and house

FRADGAN PLACE: Nos 7 and 8; No 9; Nos 10 and 11; No 12 (Pendower House); workshopadjoining No 12

"THEY LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE OLD ONES."TWO EXAMPLES OF THE DAMAGING EFFECT OFINAPPROPRIATE PVC-U REPLACEMENT WINDOWS

WINDOW AND DOOR REPLACEMENT

THERE can be little doubt that the single most destructive element in the erosion of the traditionalcharacter of Conservation Areas has been modern indiscriminate and thoughtless replacements oftraditional windows and doors with designs and materials which are alien to that tradition andcharacter.

The Penwith Local Plan contains a specific policy (Policy GD-B) regarding PVC-u and othernon-traditional replacement windows and external doors within Article 4 Conservation Areas of whichNewlyn is one. It must be noted that such replacement proposals REQUIRE PLANNINGPERMISSION and the Local Planning Authority will seek to strictly observe this policy.

On unlisted buildings, permission is only likely to be granted where the building is of modern oruntraditional design or if the replacement faithfully replicates the existing or original installation,whichever is best suited to the local tradition. If, for example, timber sliding sashes are to be replacedin PVC-u, the replacements must also be sliding sashes with white framing gaskets and, where relevant,externally applied glazing bars. Mock glazing bars applied as internal inserts will not be acceptable;neither will top-hung or tilt-and-turn windows which merely echo the sash pattern.

IN THE CASE OF LISTED BUILDINGS, PVC-U AND OTHER NON-TRADITIONAL WINDOWSAND EXTERNAL DOORS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

The Council's Planning and Economic Development Department has free leaflets which give guidanceon window and door design.

PLANNING POLICIES

DETAILS of planning policies relating to the Newlyn ConselVation Area can be found in detail in thePenwith Local Plan and the Penwith Local Plan. Those regarding Listed Buildings and replacementdoors and windows have already been mentioned in this Statement. Others can be summarised asfollows:

DEVELOPMENTPROPOSALS for development which will adversely affect the character, appearance and architectural,historical or archaeological importance of the Conservation Area will not be acceptable. Particularregard will be paid to the cumulative effect of proposals for change of use, especially where they mayerode the predominant character of an area or cause problems such as car parking and theintroduction of advertisements. (Policy GD-l1 Penwith Local Plan; Policy CT-4 Penzance Local Plan)

The character, appearance or setting of historic buildings or settlements should not be adverselyaffected to a significant degree by development, in particular:

1) Priority should be given to the preselVation of the fabric and setting of Listed Buildings.2) Development within or affecting a Conservation Area should pay special attention to the

preselVation or enhancement of its character and appearance.3) Proposals for new uses of buildings of historical or architectural merit should be compatible

with the character of the building and its setting.(Policy ENV-3 Cornwall Structure Plan)

DEMOLITIONSPROPOSALS for demolition within the ConselVation Area will not be acceptable unless:

1) The building is wholly beyond repair2) It is incapable of reasonable beneficial use3) It is of inappropriate structure or design, or4) Its removal or replacement would benefit the character or appearance of the area

Demolition will only be permitted where there are detailed and approved plans for redevelopment.(Policy GD-12 Penwith Local Plan)

INDUSTRYDEVELOPMENT proposals which directly relate to the fishing industry will be acceptable in areaswhich are established in that industry provided the relevant requirements of the general developmentguidance policies can be met. However, the change of use of industrial sites in the harbour area fordevelopment unrelated to the fishing industry will not be acceptable. (Policies E-7 and E-8 PenwithLocal Plan; Policy E-7 Penzance Local Plan)

SHOPFRONTSIT is important to the character of the ConselVation Area that traditional shopfronts be retained.Replacement shopfronts, fascias and signs must be similar to the original in scale, design and materials.Replacements for modem shopfronts will be required to be of designs and materials which harmonisewith traditional styles. Standard shopfronts and fascias and large expanses of plate glass alien to thearea should be avoided. Instead, traditional proportions of window sub-division should be utilised.Features of architectural or historic interest, including windows - particularly at first floor level - shouldnot be obscured, removed, defaced or altered. Fascias of a common depth running across two or morebuildings with separate architectural identities should also be avoided. As a general rule, a visual"stop" is required where the shopfront meets the upper paJi of the building and any alteration to ashopfront or fascia should remain confined to that area of the building where they can be incorporatedwithout detriment to the building as a whole. (Policy GD-6 Penwith Local Plan; Policy CT-5 PenzanceLocal Plan)

COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENTS & SIGNSTHESE should be restricted to describing the business itself rather than to products sold or servicesoffered. Hand-painted signs of high standard will be preferred to standardised plastic signs and letters.Acceptable alternatives include well designed signs painted directly onto the window glass or individualletters attached to a fascia or wall. Projecting signs of traditional design and materials may beacceptable at fascia level.

Above the ground floor, lettering applied to the window glass is perferred. Projecting and banner signswill not be acceptable. Spot-lit signs, or individually illuminated letters on a fascia or wall may beacceptable on premises which are open to the public at night.

Harsh colours should be used only with restraint and large advertisement hoardings will bediscouraged. Advertisements and signs should also be located where they do not interfere with publicand road safety, whilst illuminated signs must not cause confusion with road signalling or harbournavigational aids.(Policy GD-8 Penwith Local Plan; Policy CT-6 Penzance Local Plan)

SHOP SECURITYWHERE this is essential, preference will be given to internal screens in conjunction with securityglazing. Where, exceptionally, external screens are considered, perforated or translucent types withconcealed housings and guide channels will be preferred.(Policy GD-6 Penwith Local Plan)

CHAPEL STREET - ONE OF THE FEW REMAININGCOBBLED STREET SURFACES

THE OLD PILCHARD WORKS, NEWLYN COOMBE - WELLRESTORED INDUSTR1AL BUILDINGS

PROPOSALS FOR PRESERVATION AND ENHANCEMENT

THE constraints which, under the Article 4 Diurection applicable to the Newlyn ConselVation Area,bring material alterations and extensions to dwelling houses under planning control are of considerableaid to the conselVation of Newlyn's traditional character and appearance. It should be noted that flatsand commercial properties do not enjoy rights of permitted development and, therefore, suchalterations and extensions are, in their case, automatically subject to planning control.

In general the ConselVation Area's character remains relatively unharmed by new constructiondevelopments and, indeed, there are few available sites.

The number of shops within the Newlyn ConselVation Area is small but these are subject to thepolicies outlined earler which seek to ensure that alterations and redevelopment proposals are of ahigh standard respecting the overall character of the building and its surroundings.

Changes within the ConselVation Area have largely resulted from unauthorised alterations, particularlythe installation of untraditional replacement windows and external doors. These are most often ofPYC-u, aluminium or inappropriately designed timber, all of which can result in a selious loss ofcharacter affecting not only the property in question but surrounding properties as well. The Councilwill seek to firmly resist any such inappropriately designed replacements.

Other changes have been introduced by external agencies, particularly overhead power and telephonelines which, in places, create an unsightly aerial web. The Council will seek to persuade the relevantauthorities to reduce the number of overhead wires or to re-lay them in underground ducts. The pastdecision of the Highways authorities to replace or cover many of the old street cobbles with tarmac isseen as particularly regrettable and it is considered that restoration of these cobbled areas would be adesirable, if long-term, enhancement proposal, particularly in TrewalVeneth Street, Boase Street andChurch Street.

Reroofing should always be carried out in natural grey slate, ideally from a Cornish source.Fibre-cement tiles ("asbestos slates") are always an inferior substitute. On Listed Buildings, naturalslate will almost always be required and this may need to be wet-laid on particular buildings.

Existing garden and boundary walls, especially those facing a street or public thoroughfare, areimportant features and should be retained and kept in good repair. The creation of new vehicularaccesses onto highways will require planning permission which will not be granted if the proposalresults in the loss of traditional features or adversely affects the site's surroundings.

In general, and in view of the close-knit nature of Newlyn, extensions to buildings are likely to bemodest in size. These should be designed to be in keeping with the character of the building and theConselVation Area, using sympathetic proportions and materials and including pitched or lean-to roofs.Flat roofs will be resisted by the Local Planning Authority. The traditional form, massing, detailing,solid-to-void relationships and design will be required to be respected on new developments.

Trees enjoy a measure of protection under ConselVation Area status and, in parts of Newlyn, theymake important contributions to the setting and character of the town. Every effort will be made toconselVe these wherever possible.

Car parking is a particular problem in Newlyn. The provision of further car parking areas is difficultdue to the close-knit nature of the town and a lack of suitable sites close to the centre. The small carpark at Duke Street, presently selVing the shopping area, will be retained along with enhancementmeasures to improve its appearance.

Open green spaces, in particular Keel Alley, are small in size but provide pleasant interludes as well ascontJibuting to the preselVation of historical features. Such open areas will be retained andsafeguarded f/rom development.