Basic HTML Version
BCD Special Report
Historic Gardens 2010
33
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s
planners advised their planning committee
to approve the enabling development
despite widespread objections from the
community, heritage bodies and amenity
groups. The planning committee listened to
the objections and refused the application,
and the owner subsequently appealed.
At the public inquiry the Welsh Historic
Gardens Trust submitted that the application
had not been accompanied by applications
for listed building or scheduled monument
consent and therefore the impact of the
proposals on their special interest was not
clear. The trust held that the application
would have a harmful impact on the
protected landscape, both on the immediate
environs of the castle and its relationship to
its parkland setting. It was argued that the
development was in conflict with approved
policies of the Caerphilly Borough Council’s
Unitary Development Plan. The appeal was
refused on the grounds
that harm to matters
of public interest would far outweigh the benefits
of the proposed development.
More specifically,
the final ministerial decision, which
followed the Inspector’s recommendations,
concluded that the proposed development
would not preserve the setting of the listed
buildings on the site and would not preserve
or enhance the character of the Ruperra
Park and Castle Conservation Area.
Although participation in public inquiries
has led to some notable successes, they are
costly, both in money and volunteer time,
particularly for amenity organisations such
as the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust which
are reliant on donations and membership
subscriptions to cover costs. Sharing these
costs with other heritage bodies, or the
donation of professional expertise can help,
but there is a limit to how many public
inquiries can be financed in any one year.
Looking forward
As in England and Scotland there is, as yet,
no statutory protection for historic parks and
gardens on the
Register
, but in Wales there
is the added disadvantage that consultation
arrangements with Cadw and amenity
bodies on planning applications affecting
register sites are currently voluntary and not
statutory. Even more vulnerable are those
non-register sites that are of predominantly
local importance, but are not the setting of a
listed building, scheduled ancient monument
or conservation area. Encouragement of the
understanding and appreciation of historic
designed landscapes through heritage
government bodies such as Cadw and the
Royal Commission, the archaeological trusts
and amenity organisations such as the Welsh
Historic Gardens Trust will do much to raise
their profile within the wider community.
Further Information
The following Welsh Assembly Government
planning policy documents can be
downloaded from
or can
be obtained from its Publications Centre,
Room 3.022, Welsh Assembly Government,
Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 2NQ:
Planning Policy Wales 2002
Welsh Office Circular 61/96
Ministerial Interim Planning Policy
Statement 01/2008 on Good Design
Technical Advice Notes
Planning Your Community: A Guide
to Local Development Plans
The White Paper –
Heritage Protection for
the 21st Century
can be downloaded from
the Department of Culture, Media and
Sport’s website
.
The Registers of Landscapes, Parks and Gardens
of Special Historic Interest in Wales
can be
obtained from Cadw, Welsh Assembly
Government, Plas Carew, Unit 5/7 Cefn Coed,
Parc Nantgarw, Cardiff CF15 7QQ. The
text entries of individual sites can be
downloaded from the Coflein database on the
RCAHMW website
.
For more information about the Welsh
Historic Gardens Trust visi
org.uk or contact its office at The Bothy,
Aberglasney, Llangathen, Carms SA32 8QH.
ROS LAIDLAW
BSc MA is a landscape
consultant with a particular interest in historic
gardens. She is the planning co-ordinator
for the WHGT and has been conservation
officer for the Ceredigion branch since 1997.
The formal terraces at Ruperra Castle, which were well-maintained from 1898 until 1934 by the head gardener, Angus
McKinnon. The Grade II listed glasshouse at the rear was designed by Mackenzie and Moncur Ltd. Enabling development,
refused on appeal, proposed a pair of residential buildings flanking the glasshouse range to be accessed by a driveway piercing
through the garden wall behind. (Photo: Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust)
Aerial view of Ruperra Castle and its grounds in the 1930s. Enabling development, refused on appeal, would have blocked
views out from the castle to its parkland, shown at the top of the photograph. Also, the U-shaped outbuilding would have
been doubled in size. (Photo: Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust)