Brereton Neighbourhood Plan (modification) Regulation 16 Consultation

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Brereton Neighbourhood Development Plan. We are responding on behalf of Cheshire Gardens Trust (CGT), which exists to promote awareness, understanding and conservation of historic parks and gardens, which in planning terms are ‘heritage assets.’

Cheshire Gardens Trust (CGT) works with The Gardens Trust as the National Statutory Consultee. For further information see The Planning System in England and the Protection of Parks and Gardens available at http://thegardenstrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/PLANNING-DOC-Final-interactive-4_7_19-2.pdf


Registered parks and gardens
Historic England maintains the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest; these are historic designed landscapes in England and Wales of national importance. We understand that there are no Registered Parks and Gardens in the area of the BNP.


Unregistered parks and gardens
CGT volunteers have researched many sites in Cheshire East. The Historic Environment Record and Cheshire Archives and Local Studies hold our research and recording reports and our draft lists are available on Cheshire Gardens Trust website www.cheshire-gardens-trust.org.uk/ The Conservation Officers in Cheshire East are also aware of this work.

We have completed research reports on Brereton Hall and Davenport Hall, both of which lie within the parish of Brereton.

We have considered the Brereton Neighbourhood Plan (BNP) and our comments are as follows:

The parish of Brereton includes a limited number of heritage assets. Of these we consider Brereton Hall and its parkland setting to be of particular importance and question whether this significant heritage asset has been given sufficient prominence in the BNP.

Objective 4. Should heritage be included in this objective?

We acknowledge that the site is mentioned under ENVIR 02 Biodiversity and Geodiversity of Brereton,
e. Retention and enhancement of the character of estate parkland at Brereton Hall and Davenport Hall, which forms a distinctive existing feature of the Cheshire Plain at this point and ENVIR 03 Landscape Character and Heritage, referencing the Landscape Character Assessment by URS, 2014, which states that ‘Key Characteristics of the Cheshire Plain’ includes ‘estates and manor houses having their own distinct character and parkland feel’, and also and under ‘Historic Character Assessment’:
Brereton Hall forms a prominent landscape element. The associated parkland and estate provides a wider landscape setting.

Cheshire East Landscape Character Assessment, LUC, 2018, places Brereton in LCT 7 Lower Wooded Farmland under 7e. ‘Valued Landscape Character’ features of 7 include:
Picturesque designed estate parklands … provide a sense of time depth.
And under ‘Landscape Guidance’
Conserve the historic integrity of the designed landscapes and their component heritage features.

Although these documents acknowledge the character and importance of Brereton Hall, we consider that the irreplaceable nature and heritage value of this site is not sufficiently acknowledged, perhaps because awareness and understanding of the historic landscape is not widely shared. To this end we will email our research and recording reports on Brereton and Davenport Halls to neighbourhoods@cheshireeast.gov.uk for information.