Decision details

Purpose: to adopt the Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan

Cabinet considered the head of planning’s report, which sought adoption of the Dorchester-on-Thames and Overy Conservation Area Appraisal and Boundary Review. 

Dorchester Parish Council had approached the council seeking a review of the Dorchester-on-Thames and Overy Conservation Area boundary.  Working with the parish council and local people, officers had produced the draft conservation area appraisal and management plan document, which was subject to public consultation early in 2023.  Detailed changes had been made to the document as a result of the consultation.  The revised draft appraisal and management plan were presented to Cabinet for adoption. 

During the review of the existing conservation area boundary, two areas had been proposed for inclusion within the conservation area boundary.  Of these areas only one had met the guidelines for conservation area designation.  This area in Overy was of high archaeological interest, straddling the existing road and bridge over the River Thame into Dorchester and provided evidence for the continued occupation of this strategic river crossing from the Roman period into the Medieval Period when the settlement nucleus focussed to the north.  This area was shown on the map at Appendix 1 to the report. 

The other area identified, of the Demense field to the east of Dorchester, had not been included within the designated area at this time as there was insufficient evidence of similar archaeological or historical interest.  However, this area was proposed for inclusion in the non-designated assets list as an Area of Local Importance.  This would make it a material planning consideration consistent with its current designation within the Neighbourhood Plan. 

There were no boundary changes proposed in Dorchester-on-Thames. 

Cabinet considered that the Overy Conservation Area, as proposed to be extended, was of special architectural and historic interest and should be designated as part of the conservation area, and that the accompanying joint Dorchester-on-Thames and Overy Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan should be adopted. 

In answer to a general question by a member about conservation area appraisals, officers reported that there were two ways an area could be selected for an appraisal or review.  Firstly, the council had a rolling programme to review all areas in its district.  Secondly, local groups or parish councils could approach the council to request a review.  In both cases, the council’s officers would work with the parish council or local groups to progress the review. 

RESOLVED to:

(a)       adopt the Overy Conservation Area boundary, as per the proposed revision shown at Appendix 1 to the head of planning’s report to Cabinet on 28 September 2023;

(b)       adopt the joint Dorchester-on-Thames and Overy Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan, as amended following public consultation, as a Supplementary Planning Document as part of the Development Plan evidence and is a material planning consideration; and

(c)    authorise the head of planning, in consultation with the Cabinet member for planning, to make minor changes, typographical corrections or non-material amendments to the joint Dorchester-on-Thames and Overy Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan document prior to formal publication and statutory notification requirements.