SNN113209 - Desk-Based Heritage Impact Assessment: Land at Ivy House, Hardingstone, Northamptonshire

A Desk-Based Heritage Impact Assessment was instructed by Clayson Country Homes (‘the Client’) in support of a full planning application for the conversion of three existing buildings comprising Ivy House a Grade II Listed Building, with adjacent curtilage listed barn, along with Ivy Cottage and the construction of two new bungalows on land at Ivy House, Harding stone, Northamptonshire, NN4 6DR (Fig H1). The Site lies on the eastern edge of the village of Hardingstone and within the Hardingstone Conservation Area on ground sloping down towards the east at the junction of Back Lane and Houghton Hill. This desk-based study has been produced to describe those Heritage Assets that may be impacted by the proposed development and the potential effects on these as required in the National Planning Policy Framework (MHCLG 2019; Sec 16; para 189). Examinations were made of the data held by the Northamptonshire Historic Environment Record database and the local Record Office located in Northampton and supplemented with other relevant sources in order to identify Designated Heritage Assets and determine the potential for the presence of as yet unknown below ground archaeological remains within the Site which may be impacted upon by the Proposed Development. A visit was made on 29 October 2021 to examine the Site and its immediate surroundings in order to provide an assessment of the impact of the Proposed Development on Designated Heritage Assets and their setting, along with an assessment for the potential for the presence of any below ground archaeological remains within the Site. A number of Listed Buildings lie within the village, these are all predominantly of Grade II designation with the exception of 2 Grade II* Listed Buildings comprising a 19th neo-classical house lying to the north of the Site and the Church of Edmund, whilst the site of the battle of Northampton, a Registered Battlefield lies approximately 500m to the north. An examination of views between the Site and these heritage assets confirmed that due to a combination of local topography and intervening tree lines all these heritage assets will be appropriately screened from the Site and thus will not be impacted by the Proposed Development. The Grade II Listed Building of Ivy House and the curtilage listed barn were also determined as having the potential to be impacted by the Proposed Development, however the proposed conversion works to both of these buildings along with Ivy Cottage, have been designed to be sympathetic to the existing building form and will ensure that the character of the buildings is maintained and thus there will be no negative impact upon the understanding or significance of these heritage assets. The two new bungalows are to be constructed on land adjacent and to the south of Ivy House and will be sufficiently screened from Ivy House by existing built environment comprising Ivy Cottage and associated structures and thus there will no negative impact on the heritage assets. The Site also lies within the Hardingstone Conservation Area, however an examination of views between the Site and this heritage asset confirmed that the Proposed Development will be appropriately screened from this heritage asset and thus there will be no negative impact upon the understanding or significance of this heritage asset. In consideration of the available evidence, it is considered that there is a Low potential for the presence of below ground archaeological remains of any date to be present within the Site and in this respect mitigation would be satisfactorily dealt with by a suitably worded condition for the implementation of a programme of archaeological monitoring during groundworks for the Proposed Development. In consideration of the positive aspects of the proposal the assessment has found that the Proposed Development will cause No Harm to these heritage assets. This Desk-Based Heritage Impact Assessment has been carried out adhering to the relevant guidelines and standards as set out by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA 2019 & 2020) and addresses the requirements set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (MHCLG 2019; Section 16) and the Historic England document Historic Environment, Good Practice Advice in Planning Note 3 – The Setting of Heritage Assets (HE 2017).