A Department for Transport (DfT) consultation on the ‘Appraisal of Sustainability: Draft Airports National Policy Statement…’ has just been launched which explores the heritage impacts of proposed developments at Heathrow.
The land, which is mainly green belt, has on it one Grade I listed building, 22 Grade II* listed buildings, two Scheduled Monuments, two Conservation Areas and 167 ‘non-designated assets’. If the works went ahead, 21 listed buildings would need to be demolished, there would be harm to the setting of 54 listed buildings, immediately surrounding the new runway. The setting of 166 designated assets in the wider area could be affected; 167 archaeological remains would be lost or damaged, and a further 90 could be affected by changes to their setting.
Graeme Paton reported on 3 February 3 in The Times that,
‘Buildings at greatest risk include the Harmondsworth Great Barn, the 600 year old barn dubbed the cathedral of Middlesex. by the poet Sir John Betjeman’. The oak framed barn built in 1426 by Winchester College as part of it’s manor house at Harmondsworth, is an outstanding example of medieval carpentry and contains one of the most intact interiors of its era. The Friends of the great Barn at Harmondsworth manage the barn on behalf of English Heritage. According to Paton ‘While the structure will not be demolished, the airport’s runway perimeter will be moved to within metres of the site. Buildings being demolished include the grade II listed Longford Cottage, which may date back to the mid-1500. A former pub and another grade II listed building in Longford, just north of Heathrow’….
In the High Court, in a challenge by a consortium of Local Authorities, it was decided that the case should not be heard until the Government’s final Airports National Policy Statement has been approved; it will be debated in Parliament towards the end of this year.
Read more on Harmondsworth Barn on the English Heritage website
Read the report
See background in IHBC NewsBlogs
