Heritage Impact Assessment, Herefordshire
In Brief
Key Points
- Assessment of the impact of the proposed development on the setting of the Grade II listed medieval parish church of St. Mary Kenderchurch, occupying a prominent hilltop site overlooking the sawmills.
- The Heritage Impact Assessment was informed by a site visit, consultation of the Herefordshire Historic Environment Record, documentary records and historic mapping.
Summary
The assessment considered the impact of the development on the setting of the Grade II listed Church of St. Mary Kenderchurch, a building of pre-Conquest origin which retains some medieval fabric although it was heavily restored and partially rebuilt in the 1870s.
Following a site visit, it was concluded that existing views of the church looking up from the A465 trunk road past the sawmills site would not be impacted by the proposed new sawmill extension., these being views looking up the road past the sawmill car park from a bus stop on the A465.
All other views of the church from the A465 road are already largely or entirely obscured by the existing hardwood sawmill building, Views looking ENW from the church towards the proposal site would also be minimally impacted, as the sawmill has formed a long-established aspect of the asset’s setting for more than half a century.
Results
The overall impact in heritage terms was assessed as Slight, reflecting that there will be a minimal change to the existing setting of the Grade II listed church. The planning application was approved, allowing development to proceed.
