SDO21739 - Land south of Fontmell Magna, Dorset. Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment

‘This historic environment desk-based assessment considers land south of Fontmell Magna, Dorset. In accordance with government policy (National Planning Policy Framework), this assessment draws together the available archaeological, historic, topographic and land-use information in order to clarify the heritage significance and archaeological potential of the study site. The study site is well screened from the historic core of Fontmell Magna and is not intervisible with any of the historic buildings in the village. Therefore, any residential scale development within the study site would not result in significant harm to the significance of those buildings or the conservation area. However, development has the potential to affect long views of Fontmell Magna from Sutton Hill and Fontmell Down and would also change the approach of the village from the south. Therefore, to further minimise any potential effects to the significance of the CA due to these impacts the following design responses have been implemented: • Strategic planting would be placed within, and along the boundary of the proposed development to break up the built form and ensure the final development matches the rural character already apparent in long views. Planting is also planned along the southern and eastern boundaries of the study site, which together with the careful layout of the proposals, would avoid a hard, sub-urban edge, and would preserve the rural character of the CA when viewed from the approach along South Street. • The site layout and masterplan has been selected with careful regard to the general historic layout of Fontmell Magna and would preserve the current relationship the village has with the surrounding rural landscape. The study site’s layout also ensures that the proposed development would not encroach into the surrounding rural fields in long views of the village from Sutton Hill and Fontmell Down, preserving the heritage value of these views as well as the setting and prominence of the Church of St Andrew. • Planting and landscaping at the proposed entrance, together with careful design of the new dwellings there would preserve the rural character of the southern approach to the CA, as well as the nearby non-designated historic buildings. By following these steps the proposed development would avoid any unacceptable effects to the CA or historic buildings due to changes to their setting. Furthermore, with careful and sympathetic design of the new dwellings, with regard given to local vernacular styles, massing and materiality, together with a commitment to thorough LPA and stakeholder engagement at the detailed planning stage, a good design could be achieved that would overcome any effects and would preserve the significance of the CA and its historic buildings. This assessment has identified no known archaeological heritage assets within or adjacent to the study site which would be adversely impacted by the proposed development. The construction of the proposed development would remove any archaeological remains which may be present. However, this assessment has shown that the study site has a low potential for any remains of high archaeological significance. Therefore, the proposed development would not result in the loss of any significant archaeological remains. The only remains which may be lost would be buried remains of Local significance, if present. Therefore, this assessment has determined the likely significance of any buried remains within the study site, which would be low, and the scale of the effect to their significance, which would be their removal by the construction of the proposed development, as is required by paragraph 128 of the NPPF. On this basis, no further information is considered necessary to inform a planning application for the proposed development with regard to archaeological matters. The loss of the limited potential archaeological interest of the study site could be fully mitigated by a programme of archaeological investigation, which could be secured as a normal part of the planning process in due course.’