Parks, leisure and the arts Crab Lane Conservation Area

Improvement and enhancement

The old cottages that remain along Crab Lane are somewhat scattered and there are considerable gaps in the streetscape. The redevelopment of these 'gap' sites will be encouraged with housing and ancillary buildings which follow the alignment of the lane and re-define the rural character of a country road.

Some development has taken place in recent years. The housing on Churchdale Road, designed to be in keeping with Crab Lane cottages, has gained a Civic trust award.

In the future the emphasis will be on reinstating the character of the existing cottages as they might have been in the 18th and 19th centuries, in order to retain as far as possible the rural village atmosphere of the lane.

In the Crab Lane conservation area individual cottages are vernacular in style, but it is not only in the context of individual buildings that the character of replacement buildings should be considered.

The desire is to achieve an environment where each building acts as a complement to the overall built form, which encompasses odd angles and varying levels. Straightening, levelling out and smoothing the bumps in Crab Lane would be contrary to its character.

When considering replacements, especially of windows and doors, it is important to select a type which would have been used in the original building. Window panes were small and the glazing bars supporting them narrow, therefore a joiner would need to make such a window specially for the opening. Changing the opening to fit a modern standard size would not be appropriate.

Standard modern solutions are also inappropriate for road and pavement surfaces and for street furniture. Materials and forms which complement the small scale, rural character will be sought and encouraged.

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