Town 'at risk' of decay as survey finds neglect and street clutter

CHEADLE and three villages are at risk of neglect, decay or damaging change, according to a new study.

The town, Upper Tean, Alton and Farley have been named – as well as Leek and Endon – as areas under threat in English Heritage's first ever survey of the condition of conservation areas.

England has some 9,300 conservation areas which are places designated by local councils to protect their special character and appearance.

In a bid to establish the state of the nation's conservation areas, English Heritage asked every local authority to complete questionnaires.

English Heritage say the results fall into two main areas, what owners do to their properties and what councils do or fail to do to the streets, pavements, parks and public spaces.

The main threat to conservation areas, according to English Heritage, are:

plastic windows and doors;

poorly maintained roads and pavements;

street clutter;

loss of front garden walls, fences and hedges;

satellite dishes;

the effects of traffic calming or traffic management;

alterations to the fronts, roofs and chimneys of buildings;

unsympathetic extensions;

impact of advertisements;

neglected green spaces.

English Heritage say Cheadle is home to Pugin's St Giles' Church, one of the most important English buildings of the nineteenth century.

Over £1million has been spent on improvements to Cheadle and Leek's conservation area through English Heritage's Townscape Heritage Initiative in the past decade.

Cheadle town councillor Stephen Ellis, who is portfolio holder for property and development on the district council, said the English Heritage At Risk Register, should help focus the collective attention of the community on the work needed to preserve and enhance key elements of the built environment in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

He added: "We value our unique heritage, are well aware of our buildings and areas at risk, and are striving with private owners and our partners to protect our built assets.

"Protection of the environment is one of our key priorities, and I was delighted to take on the role of heritage champion when invited to do so by the council."

In Leek, work has taken place to halt the decay of the mid 19th Century, Grade II listed London Mill, in Ashbourne Road, Leek, with the bill sent to the owners for the cost.

In Tean, the Grade II listed Tean Hall and Tean Hall Mill have been restored and converted to flats.

The council has also carried work out at Alton Towers to preserve iconic buildings at Alton Towers.

But Alton parish councillor Tony Moult warned improvements were needed in the village rather than just at the Towers.

He said: "A lot of what is in the results of the study lies with the district council's planning authority.

"It is well publicised that we have problems with the roads in Alton due to the amount of traffic visiting the theme park. The roads in Alton are a disgrace and they receive very little maintenance. We also suffer damage to the boundary walls due to the amount of cars that pass through. Litter is also a serious problem and we hold regular litter picks in the village."

Based on the findings of the survey, English Heritage has now launched a Conservation Areas at Risk campaign to get residents, local councils and groups working together to maintain their areas before it is too late.

Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: "We want local people, groups and councils to get involved. Our survey shows that conservation areas with community support are more than twice as likely to have improved over the last three years as those without. And there are countless instances where civic societies and residents groups are helping councils by finding out what people value, by doing street clutter audits, commenting on planning applications or helping to prepare local lists of historic buildings."

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