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Yarcombe and Marsh Village Design Statement

VILLAGE DESIGN STATEMENT
FOR
YARCOMBE AND MARSH

FOREWORD

In the first two sections of our Parish Plan we have established a clear overview of the opinions and aspirations of our community and have produced a plan of action based on the findings of a detailed questionnaire survey.  As far as is practicable we want to ensure that initiatives are taken to develop and sustain a quality of life in the parish that local people want now and for future generations.
The public involvement and consultation exercises, as well as the distribution of a report on the findings of the survey to all households have been much appreciated.  Action is already being taken by the Parish Council, local organisations and individuals to deal with a range of social and economic issues that were highlighted by the survey.

INTRODUCTION
THE PARISH OF YARCOMBE WITH MARSH
HISTORY OF THE PARISH
ARTISTS VIEW OF YARCOMBE ARCHITECTURE
ARTISTS VIEW OF MARSH ARCHITECTURE
LANDSCAPE, NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND VILLAGE SETTINGS
BUILDING FORM AND MATERIALS
SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING GUIDELINES FOR YARCOMBE AND MARSH

^{Aerial View of Yarcombe}

No appraisal would be complete however, without a detailed look at the landscape and natural environment of the parish and the general setting and buildings of the two main settlements of Yarcombe and Marsh in that landscape.  Dealing with the day to day practicalities of life is, of course, vitally important but the spiritual and aesthetic benefits to local people of the surrounding countryside and its fauna and flora also need to be protected and conserved.  We need to be sure that the character of both the built and natural environment are not threatened by unsympathetic development.  Hence the decision to produce a Village Design Statement as the final chapter of our Parish Plan.

INTRODUCTION

What is a Village Design Statement?

Village Design Statements are intended to provide guidance for any proposals for development and to influence the way the planning system works.  They provide a means of ensuring that any new developments are designed and located in such a way that reflects local characteristics and the qualities that people value in their village and its surroundings.  The statements are produced by the local community for use by planners, developers and local Councils.
As things stand at present, local residents may only hear about proposals for development when the design is implemented.  Although the Parish Council is asked by the District Council for its views on planning applications, it may not get the opportunity to offer as much positive input as it would like, particularly on the design of new development, i.e. "how it looks”.  Often, all that local people can do is react or protect.  Once a Village Design Statement has been adopted, the District Council is made aware of local community opinion and should take it into account when decision making.  When planning applications are refused on design grounds the Village Design Statement will give weight to the refusal and may be cited at appeal.

^{Marsh Dwelling}

Why produce one for Yarcombe and Marsh?

The aim of the design statement is to ensure that any future development and change in the parish is based on an understanding of the areas, past and present.  It draws attention to what is special about the buildings, open countryside and the settings of Yarcombe and Marsh in the landscape.  Local character could easily be threatened by unsympathetic development.
The Statement therefore aims to raise awareness of what is special about the area, and it gives the parish residents a say in the future of their villages by producing guidance on respecting these qualities.

How has it been produced?

The statement has been produced by parish residents with the full support of the Parish Council and East Devon District Council.
Funding was provided by the Countryside Agency and technical support by the District Council.
Information gained during the Parish Plan household survey and at a number of public involvement workshops and consultation events has been supplemented by a final public exhibition, consultation exercise and questionnaire based on landscape, buildings and the setting of the villages.  Public consultation has been a particular feature of the whole exercise.
Consultation has taken place with District Council Planning Officers and they in turn have consulted other organisations such as the Environment Agency and the Highways Agency.

How will it work?

The Design Statement describes the settlements of Yarcombe and Marsh as they are today and highlights the qualities that residents value.  It is intended to be a practical tool, capable of influencing decisions affecting design and development in the parish.  It should assist the Parish Council and East Devon District Council when considering planning applications and should guide residents wishing to alter or extend their properties.
The Village Design Statement we have produced is generally in line with the policies and proposals contained in the Revised East Devon District Local Plan, which is on deposit and should be adopted in 2005.  The Design Statement has therefore been adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance by East Devon District Council.
As the Local Plan is reviewed regularly, it may contain changes that affect the parish, therefore it may be necessary to consider updating the Design Statement at some stage in the future.  In the meantime, people applying for planning permission will need to show that they have complied with the guidance it contains when drawing up their proposals.  Disregarding this guidance could well result in refusal of planning permission.

Who is it for?

Change is not only brought about by new buildings, but also by smaller day-to-day alterations to homes and gardens, open spaces, paths, walls and hedges which can affect the look and feel of the whole village.

^{Glebe Farm, Yarcombe}

The Design Statement provides guidance for anyone considering development in the area.  It will be as valuable to individual householders wishing to build extensions or put in new windows as it will be to planners, developers and architects considering new buildings.  It provides a source of ideas for designers to work with local building styles, which have helped Yarcombe and Marsh to become what they are today.

In summary it is intended for: local householders, businesses and farmers; statutory bodies and providers of utilities and services; Local Councils; developers and builders; architects, designers, planners and engineers.
A copy of the Village Design Statement has been given to every household in the parish.

What does it cover?

The Design Statement deals with: a general description of the population, area and location of the Parish; a brief history of the development of the parish and the villages of Yarcombe and Marsh; the general or special characteristics and status of the landscape; the relationship between farming, landscape features, wildlife and ecology in the parish; the pattern of the settlements of Yarcombe and Marsh; the form and style of buildings to be found in the Parish.
Where it was felt appropriate, suggested Design Guidelines” for future development have been added and form the basis of Supplementary Planning Guidance to be applied to all future development.

^{North Waterhayne Farm}

Taken together with the accompanying text, these guidelines provide details of the qualities which local people hold dear.  It is hoped therefore, that this guidance will ensure that all development is designed and located in such a way as to reflect local characteristics and to respect local values.

THE PARISH OF YARCOMBE WITH MARSH

Population, Area and Location

The parish had a population of 481 at the time of the 2001 census, an increase of 74 over the 1971 figure.  21.6% were under the age of 16; 7.6% were aged 17-25 yrs; 23.5% were 25-44 yrs; 31% were aged 45-65 yrs; 16.2% were over 65 yrs.  The current number of households for the parish is 200 living in an area covering 2120 hectares.

^{Map showing Yarcombe and Marsh.  Courtesy of Blackdown Hills Rural Partnership}

There are two concentrations of population within the parish, the hamlet of Marsh and the village of Yarcombe.  The latter stands in the combe or on the flank of Beacon Hill adjacent to the A30 and overlooking the Yarty Valley (once Earte, meaning a wagtail in Old English), down which there are commanding views.  Two trunk roads, the A303 and A30 run approximately north east-south west trisecting the parish.

HISTORY OF THE PARISH

The earliest reference to the settlements in the parish can be found in a charter of 854 AD which defined the county boundary between Somerset and Devon.
The parish was owned by Milton Abbey in Dorset before becoming the possession of the Benedictine Priory of St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall during the reign of Edward the Confessor in the 11^th century.  Before the Norman conquest the Manor was known as Erticombe or Herticombe and had been owned by the Earls of Wessex, and later by Harold, who was to become king for one year before his death at Hastings in 1066.
It was in the period of stability that followed the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 that the populations of Yarcombe and Marsh increased together with their prosperity.  Sheep were the main source of wealth with local wool being exported from the South west to the Flemish cloth-making industries.
William the Conqueror had originally given the Manor to the Abbey of Mont St. Michel in Normandy.  Later it became part of the endowment of the priory at Ottery St Mary, itself a cell of Mont St Michel.  When the Priory was suppressed by Henry VI in 1415, its properties were surrendered and Yarcombe annexed to the King’s own foundation at Isleworth.
In 1581 the Manor of Yarcombe was bought first by Richard Drake of Ashe, near Colyton and then sold on to his famous cousin” Sir Francis Drake in July of the same year for the sum of £5,000.
Whilst the family’s land holdings in the parish were impounded during the Civil War, they were returned following the accession of William III.  Whilst much of the Drake’s landholding in the parish had to be sold off to pay death duties, the remainder of the estate was passed on, following the death of Lady Seaton, (daughter of the last Lady Drake) to her third cousin Captain Richard O.T.G. Meyrick.  Even more of the original estate had to be sold of when the Second World War was about to begin and further losses continued after the war.  Of all the properties once possessed by the Drake family only Yarcombe and Marsh remain and today David Meyrick is slowly but surely rebuilding the estate left by his ancestors.

Yarcombe

The village of Yarcombe was, until the 1990s, a ribbon development straddling the A30.  During the 1990s a small housing estate was built at Drakes Meadow off Sheafhayne Road, which together with the properties known as Hill House has created new depth to the pattern of settlement.  There are superb views down and across the Yarty Valley as you travel along the main road.  From whichever direction you approach Yarcombe, and especially in the evening, when its tall tower is floodlit, the Church of St John the Baptist dominates the village standing, as it does, high above the valley.  The Church with adjacent lychgate and the long, thatched Yarcombe Angel Inn form a picturesque group with other older properties as you drive through.

^{The Angel Inn}

The Angel” was originally a Church House, licensed by the monks for community use whilst also providing a lodging for visiting monks from Otterton Priory, then responsible for the administration of the nearby church.  At that time there were no public inns except for guesthouses attached to religious foundations.  The earliest licences for alehouses were issued in 1552 during the reign of Edward VI.

^{Belfry Hotel}

Opposite the Inn is the Belfry Hotel, the erstwhile village school, whose foundation stone was laid by Lady Eliott Drake.  Nowadays Yarcombe children travel to Stockland or Upottery Primary Schools or to Honiton and elsewhere if they are of secondary school age.

ARTISTS VIEW OF YARCOMBE ARCHITECTURE

^{The Baptist Chapel}

^{Corner Cottage}

^{Brown Down Lodge}

^{The Belfry}

^{Underdown Farm}

^{St John the Baptist Church}

ARTISTS VIEW OF MARSH ARCHITECTURE

Clematis Cottage

Woodmead

The Old Forge

Rose and Ivy Cottages

Springfield Cottage

Marsh

By the end of the 18^th century, Marsh was becoming increasingly important due to its location on the main route between Exeter and London.  In 1795, Lord Heathfield, who already owned many properties in Yarcombe, purchased Marsh Farm and made it into a coaching inn renaming it The Heathfield Arms.  A second hostelry, The Globe, originally just a room in a house connected to Marsh Farm was established in the village.  This survives today as The Flintlock Inn whereas The Heathfield Arms is once again a private dwelling called Marsh Farm.

^{The Flintlock Inn}

When in 1811 The Turnpike Trust cut a new road from Honiton to Chard, the route was through Yarcombe.  The effect was that Marsh lost some of the economic benefit of its passing trade, whilst new facilities for travellers sprang up in Yarcombe.  In spite of this, the hamlet was a hive of industry during the 19^th century and in addition to agriculture, many trades were recorded in the census of 1841, including: baker, wheelwright, blacksmith, plasterer and stonecutter, builder and stonemason.

^{Rose and Ivy Cottages}

Whilst there are a number of houses in lanes running away from and behind the main street, the majority of village properties are located on either side of the main thoroughfare.  There are a number of historical buildings in Marsh but the majority were constructed in the latter half of the 20^th century and are very different in character.

Since 1970 the village has been bypassed by the re-routed A303 and this has spoiled its setting in the beautiful surrounding countryside and has made communication with the rest of the parish more difficult.

LANDSCAPE, NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND VILLAGE SETTINGS

Background

From the replies received to the questionnaire survey carried out in March 2003 we know that: 71% of all of those who responded to the Parish Plan survey said that the most important aspects of parish life were the landscape and views closely followed by the atmosphere of peace and quiet; 81% said that it was essential that the open countryside should be protected; trees, hedgerows, ancient copses and woodlands should be preserved; structures such as natural stone walls and banks should be retained.
It is acknowledged that the Parish is afforded extensive protection in these matters by the policies adopted by the District Council in the revised edition of the Local Plan covering the period 1995-2011.
These policies cover:-

Landscape Conservation and Enhancement.
Nature Conservation.
Built Environment Quality and Conservation.
Natural Resource Conservation.

^{Trees Enhance the Landscape}

The Local Plan states:-
In designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and The Heritage Coast the conservation and enhancement of their natural beauty will be given priority over all other considerations…”
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000), Section 85, means that AONB’s are now afforded the same importance in terms of landscape as National Parks.”
Any new development must pay particular attention to the retention of trees and natural features so that the setting of the settlement within the landscape is not damaged and the natural beauty is conserved and enhanced.

”Given these controls it was decided that only a small number of guidelines should be put to East Devon District Council to supplement those that are in the Local Plan.  These are put forward after the environmental assessment of the parish that now follows.

LANDSCAPE

Yarcombe Parish is bounded by the River Otter to the North west, by the head waters of the Corry Brook to the South west, and by the River Yarty along its eastern boundary.  The country is a deeply dissected upland plateau within the Blackdown Hills, with altitudes ranging from about 80 to 270m above sea level.  The predominant geological formation is Upper Greensand, a marine sediment laid down during the Cretaceous period between 70 and 135 million years ago.  The greensand, which is capped on the higher ground by a layer of clay-with-flints, is underlain on the lower slopes by exposures of impervious Keeper Marl.  An annual rainfall of some 1000 mm percolates through the highly porous greensand to be held up at its junction with the marl so that a spring-line of impaired drainage is found.  Soils are neutral to strongly acid.  The few basic soils of the Blackdowns occur outside the parish.  Temperatures are generally below those of the nearby lowlands.

FARMING AND WILDLIFE

The generally unforgiving climate the high rainfall, together with drainage problems, soil infertility and steep slopes do not afford ideal conditions for agriculture: grassland predominates and supports small dairy farms, typical of East Devon farmland as a whole.  However, some changes have occurred in this countryside over recent decades.  Notable among the changes are the grubbing up of some hedges to enlarge fields, the loss of many of the older hedge bank trees, especially elms at the hand of Dutch elm wilt, the ploughing of almost all permanent grasslands for sowing with improved pasture mixtures, and the loss of heath land, converted either to grassland or coniferous plantations, or through natural succession to woodland.  Associated with these changes are shifts in the farming system, from one centred on dairying to the rearing of beef cattle and sheep, from hay making to salvaging, and from grass silage to increasing maize silage.  Pesticide usage has lessened, farm size has increased and the number of farms decreased.
From the perspective of wildlife conservation, natural restrictions imposed by local climate, topography, soil fertility and drainage on the rate of agricultural intensification have created an area that still possesses a relatively high proportion of unimproved and semi-natural habitat within a traditional English landscape, the value of which is acknowledged and cherished nationally by the Blackdown Hills being designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).  Within the Blackdown Hills AONB, habitats of particular conservation value include lowlands heaths and spring line mires.  There are no notified Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) within Yarcombe parish but six County Wildlife Sites (CWS) are recognised; four of these have spring line mires (Table 1).  Together, these CWS occupy almost 75 hectares.Table 1:  County Wildlife Sites in Yarcombe Parish.

Source: East Devon Local Plan, January 2002, Appendix 5.

	Grid Reference	Area (ha)	Description
Broadley Hill	ST 231072	12.5	Spring line mire
Collyforches Farm	ST 227074	9.2	Unimproved marshy grassland
Moorwood	ST 228103	7.7	Spring line mire
North Common	ST 253117	13.0	Spring line mire
Underdown Moor	ST 235077	23.4	Ancient semi-natural woodland mostly replanted with broadleaf and conifer plantation
Woodhayne	ST 248120	9.1	Spring line mire, unimproved neutral grassland and secondary broadleaf woodland on former quarry site.

Unimproved grassland is now also a rapidly declining habitat.  Two such sites occur within the parish (Table 1) and several others occur in neighbouring parishes.  Sites include Furley Chalkpit, Quarry Fields (both SSSI’s), Bishopswood Meadows (a Somerset Wildlife Trust Reserve), and Long Lye Meadow (a SSSI).  Two of these are noted for their populations of the rare Green-winged Orchid which has severely declined nationally (change index – 0.98); it persisted within the parish at least until 1962.
The floodplain of the River Yarty is an important river corridor within the Axe catchment, itself a designated SSSI.  Otters are back on the Yarty, and dippers, grey wagtails and sand martins are regular breeders along it.  The source of the Yarty at Yarty Moor (or Deadman) is a SSSI, with important heath land and mire communities that include several insectivorous plant species.  Remnant wet heathland occurs also at Corry Moor, below Broadley Hill within the parish.  Above the spring line on better drained soils, patches of remnant dry heath occur on Broadley Hill as well as on Yarcombe Beacon, illustrated by the presence of gorse, heather and bilberry together with rarer species like climbing corydalis, which occurs in woodland at Red Scrip on Beacon Hill.  Two of the CWS within the parish (Table 1) includes areas of broadleaf woodland which is the habitat favoured by the dormouse that has one of its national strongholds in the Blackdowns.  The pied flycatcher is a rare breeding bird of ancient broadleaved woodland, encouraged by the siting of nest boxes.  Barn owls breed in the parish, encouraged by the presence of tea chests well-sited in suitable old barns.
One of the most striking features of the Blackdowns, seen clearly in Yarcombe, is the mosaic of small fields bounded by a network of hedge banks.  On the higher ground of the plateau, the hedgerows are mostly straight and regular, dating from the 19^th century enclosure of common land.  On the slopes, hedgerows are irregular and ancient, some dating back to the 11^th century.  Ancient and species-rich hedgerows are now recognised as a key habitat in the UK Biodiversity Steering Group, and the Blackdowns is noted for the remarkable density of its hedge banks.  Beyond their landscape and ecological value, the network of hedgerows provides links between patches of other types of habitat.  The brown hairstreak butterfly, an uncommon and declining species recorded from many hedgerows in the Blackdowns, lays its eggs on twigs of blackthorn which is a typical component of mixed hedges, with obvious implications for the frequency and timing of cutting hedgerows.

^{An example of fungi found locally}

The value and extent of biodiversity of a given area is often both difficult to appraise and biased toward well-known groups, like birds, butterflies and wild flowers.  The importance of invertebrates, mosses, lichens and fungi may go unrecognised.  It is of some significance, then, that a 30 year study of toadstools in neighbouring Membury has led recently to the identification of more than 700 species, of which 16 were new to science and seven others were new records for Britain!  There is no reason to suppose that Yarcombe should not be almost as rich.

FUTURE PROSPECT

There can be little doubt that the local landscape will retain its character only through continued management by people.  Wildlife conservation must continue to be interwoven with farming, and good farming practice will be rewarded.  The importance of doing so is reflected in a recent questionnaire answered by 94% of parishioners: 71% regarded landscape and views as the most important aspect of the environment.  Trees and hedgerows were seen as important by 53% of respondents; 48% cited farms and livestock: 47% mentioned rivers and to 41%, flora and fauna were deemed important.
DEFRA’s scheme for Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA), one of which addresses the Blackdowns, proffers grants to land owners who manage their land according to environmentally friendly practices, including hedge laying that favours biological diversity.  Relevant here also, is the Hedge Association, among a variety of other initiatives, under the Blackdown Hills Rural Partnership, itself support in part by the EDDC.
Improving awareness of the value of landscape, good farming practice and biodiversity may rely increasingly on guided walks, and through membership of local groups including the Yarcombe Young Farmers, the Devon Wildlife Trust and the Axe Vale and District Conservation Society.

Design Guidelines

There is a presumption that all developers, landowners and residents will respect and observe the requirements and limitations imposed by virtue of the fact that both Yarcombe and Marsh are part of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

^{Field patterns continued}

^{Yarcombe Landscapes showing field patterns}

^{Setting of Marsh}

Given the above appraisal however, and following the results of the very successful Village Design Day Exhibition and questionnaire in November 2003, it is recommended that a number of specific guidelines should also be applied to all applications for planning permission within the parish.

These guidelines appear together with others relating to building design at the end of the report.

BUILDING FORM AND MATERIALS

YARCOMBE BACKGROUND

As one might expect in a village developed over many centuries without any common plan or design, one of the predominant characteristics of the built environment is the diversity of building design and materials throughout the village.  Individual designs reflect the availability of materials, popular vernacular styles and individual needs over several hundred years.
Before the re-routing of the road by the Turnpike Trust in 1811, onto the line of what is now the A30, the development of Yarcombe was linear, being straight past the cottages in Fire Street/Fore Street into Pithayne Lane leading on towards Crisland Cottage.  Today, as can be seen from the plan of the village centre, the pattern of settlement can be best described as ribbon development bordering the old and the new roads.

^{Newer style house}

^{Older style house}

With the exception of the Parish Church, all of the buildings in the village are of domestic scale and are of one or two storeys.  In the 1990s a development of 19 dwellings, comprising detached houses, bungalows and starter homes, took place at Drakes Meadow and provide an example of a number of residences being built under a common design concept.  The advent of this small housing estate, whilst bringing about widely acknowledged social and community benefits, has not been universally popular in terms of its general design, use of building materials, layout and visual impact on the village.  It is felt that more could have been done to produce designs that were sympathetic with the character of existing buildings.

DENSITY

The density of housing in the older parts of the village is, as one would expect, far lower than in the recent development.  Whilst some part of the Drakes Meadow development are appropriate, many residents and visitors have commented that the overall impression as one approaches the estate is of buildings crammed in and therefore not sitting harmoniously within the landscape or blending in sympathetically with the existing buildings and streetscape.

MATERIALS

The 19^th century properties in the heart of the village in Fore Street are built of chert rubble and cob and in many cases have been partially or mainly rendered.  Taken together with the Church, Inn and the Belfry, there is a strong overall impression of stone together with colour-washed render in cream or off-white.  The predominant roofing materials in this area are dark in colour and are slate or thatch.  In Drakes Meadow a variety of building materials have been used including red and yellow bricks, natural reconstituted stone and magnolia colour-washed render has been used on many elevations.

^{Hill House showing large gardens}

Two sets of semi-detached properties can be found in the village.  The first, built in the 1930s, is found on the A30 leading away from the village towards Honiton.  The Tileries, built from a mixture of rendered brick and blockwork have been the subject of much improvement over the years.  Similarly there is a set of 1940’s council houses standing on a high bank in an attractive crescent formation opposite the entrance to Drakes Meadow.  Two of these properties were formerly thatched, but all of them now have concrete tiled roofs and rendered colour-washed brick work elevations.

The Old Vicarage, a substantial dwelling just beyond the church, is faced with 19^th century Victorian red brick under a slate roof with wooden window frames and doors.

^{The Belfry}

The Belfry, now a hotel but originally built in 1872 as the village school is constructed in natural stone with brick quoins under a slate roof.  It has a number of attractive stone framed and arched windows on its south elevation and an equally attractive entrance porch faces onto the A30.

^{St John the Baptist Parish}

The Parish Church of St John the Baptist is largely of 14th century, with enlargements by the addition of aisles and south porch, made in the following century.  Construction is of chert rubble with tracery, quoining and battlementation in a contrasting warm ochre freestone from Ham Hill in Somerset.  Amongst the internal features of note is the pulpit, which contains 16^th century linenfold panels from Buckland Abbey, home of Sir Francis Drake, who also purchased Sheafhayne Manor, about a mile north of the village centre.

Another important building standing just outside the village, is Yarcombe Baptist Chapel, a charming stucco-fronted building of 1829 with a gallery and with its interior furnished with pitch pine pews.  The adjacent school room walls are built from locally abundant stone and carefully sorted flint to provide a flat surface to the weather.

ORNAMENTATION AND GENERAL FEATURES

^{Fore Street}

Whilst very little purposeful ornamentation work exists and is modest in form, it was clear from comments received at the public exhibition and consultation on village design that such features are very much appreciated by local people and perhaps this should be borne in mind in future developments.

Chimneys come in a variety of shapes and sizes in the village and are felt to be an important aspect of design.  Characteristically most are built in brickwork and are tall with terracotta pots.

^Conservatory

A variety of traditional window designs can be found in the village including sash, casement and some leaded windows.  They are generally vertical rather than horizontal in accent in the older properties and this has been largely continued in more modern houses, so that ‘picture windows’ are not a common feature.

Wooden window frames and doors are common, but in some places replacement frames have been made of brown and in some cases white UPVC.

As mentioned earlier, buildings in the village tend to represent the vernacular of the period in which they were built and not the style of an earlier age, thereby avoiding the problems associated with pastiche.

BOUNDARY TREATMENTS

Dwellings adjacent to the A30 have little or no front gardens.  Those with a garden or adjoining the footpath are bounded with walls built of local stone, providing an attractive feature.  Elsewhere, property boundaries are marked by substantial hedges of mixed native species.  In Drakes Meadow the frontages are open plan which adds to the general feeling of space.  Hill House is bounded by modern timber fencing.
It was generally agreed during public consultation that property boundaries should be rural in character and content.  Traditional stone walls, banks and hedges are preferable.  Ranch-style, plastic or wire mesh and other urban style fencing types would be out of character in both villages.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Any new development should include adequate off-street parking, as on-street parking can be visually intrusive and can cause road safety and neighbour problems.
With extensions and alterations, the characteristics of the original building should be reflected so that, a few years after completion, it looks as if the changes were part of the original design.
Conservatories are not characteristic of the old properties in the parish and should therefore be designed and located with particular care.

MARSH BACKGROUND

As in Yarcombe, the buildings in Marsh do not conform to any one particular style or design having evolved organically through several centuries.  Diversity in building design, style and the use of building materials is therefore a characteristic of the village and these features reflect the availability of materials, popular vernacular styles and individual needs over a long period of time.
The plan of the village shows that the core of the settlement is on either side of the main thoroughfare and along the lane that runs behind it to the North.  The A303 bypasses Marsh to the South forming a somewhat stark and fixed boundary.

SCALE AND NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT TO DATE

All of the buildings are domestic in scale and are of one or two storeys.  The Flintlock Inn, which is late 18^th century, is one of the oldest properties in Marsh and was formerly known as the Globe Inn.  The antiquity of buildings ranges from Marsh farm which is late 16^th century to a variety of modern bungalows and detached houses constructed in the 1970s and 1980s as infill development between the older properties, which are scattered along both sides of the main thoroughfare.  The lane at the rear of the village contains older traditional farm properties mainly towards the western end with one or two new dwellings having been constructed some distance away at the eastern end on the periphery of the village.
There is one commercial building in the centre of the village, Marsh Garage, at the eastern end of Marsh Main Street.  Whilst providing useful local employment it sits uneasily in the streetscape.  The majority of properties in the village are detached, although semi-detached houses and terraced cottages can also be found.

DENSITY

One of the most striking differences between Yarcombe and Marsh is the much lower density of development.  A quick glance at the map shows that the majority of dwellings sit in large plots of land.  The older properties occupy smaller sites and abut the road whereas more recent buildings sit in larger plots set well back from the road.  This juxtaposition creates an interesting and attractive appearance giving frequent glimpses of the countryside beyond which gives the heart of the village a feeling of openness.  It is important that this characteristic of Marsh should not be overlooked if any further development is proposed.  These comments apply equally to the setting of buildings along the lane running past Tollers Marsh.

MATERIALS

The older properties in the village are built in local stone and have generally avoided the use of render although, at both the east and west entrances to the village, colour-washed render is a strong visual feature.

^{Rendered houses with local stone boundary walls}

As one moves towards the centre of the main thoroughfare, the visual impression changes because the majority of both old and modern housing has employed the use of either natural or reconstituted stone.  Where render has been applied the dominant colour is white.  A variety of dark coloured roofing materials have been used including thatch, slate and tiles.  Red/brown roman/style pantiles have been widely used to the point where it is a definite characteristic of the village.

Two sets of semi detached houses can be found in Marsh.  The first group, at the western end of the village and built in the 1930s are constructed from colour-washed rendered brickwork in pale colours under concrete tiled roofs with a hipped gable.  The second group comprises Ivy and Rose Cottages built of stone with slate roofing and casement windows with leaded glass.

The only terrace in the village is a group of cottages standing opposite The Flintlock Inn.  The cottages were created in the 19^th century from buildings formerly used in conjunction with The Heathfield Arms.

These cottages have rendered and colour-washed walls sitting below slate roofs with brick built chimneys.  The elevations of The Flintlock Inn are also colourwash rendered standing below a slate roof with a decorative wooden porch which is glazed and has a felt roof.

Whilst in older properties wooden window frames are still much in evidence, in more modern housing a mixture of wooden and UPVC frames can be found.  In general white frames have been employed in the centre of the village and brown frames in the older more traditional buildings elsewhere in the village.

ORNAMENTATION AND GENERAL FEATURES

There is very little in the way of ornamentation to buildings, but as mentioned earlier, it was clear that residents who came to the recent photographic exhibition really appreciated the positive visual effect of such features and would hope that the design of any new buildings would take this into account.

^{Terracotta Roman Pantiles}

Chimneys, often tall, built of brick and mainly surmounted by terracotta chimney pots are a characteristic design feature as is the use of a variety of traditional windows including sash, casement and leaded forms.  Windows are set in buildings to a regular pattern.  They are mainly vertical in accent but the newer properties often include one or two windows with a more horizontal shape that was prevalent in the 1970s and 80s.

Whilst the roofs of older buildings in Marsh tend to be of slate one of the distinct designs features of this settlement is the frequent use of terracotta roman pantiles rather than concrete tiles.
As in Yarcombe, buildings in the village tend to represent the vernacular of the period when they were constructed and not the style of an earlier age, thereby avoiding the problems associated with pastiche.

BOUNDARY TREATMENTS

The older traditional properties in the heart of the village use stone as a walling material, whilst elsewhere a combination of stone walling surmounted by hedging has been employed.  The roadside boundaries of more modern properties have either used stone or ranch style fencing softened by planting which has matured over the years.
Residents attending the public consultation event felt that in any new development property boundaries should be rural in style and content.  Traditional stone walls, banks and hedges are preferable.  Ranch style, plastic or wire mesh and other urban style fencing types would be out of character.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

All new development should have adequate off-street parking to avoid road safety and neighbour problems and to avoid visual intrusion.
Extensions and alterations to existing buildings should be carried out in a way that the materials used should reflect the character of the original building.
Conservatories are not characteristic of older properties and should therefore be designed and located with great care.

CONCLUSION

The following guidelines are in respect of all new proposals for new buildings and alterations to existing buildings in Yarcombe and Marsh.  They will be used to supplement the District Council’s Development Plan Policies in determining planning applications for all types of development and will guide householders and developers as to best practice when carrying out permitted development”.
In practice East Devon District Council expect that all planning applications will be accompanied by a short statement setting out the design principles adopted in the proposal and illustrative material in plan and in elevation, which could include photographs.  Details of any exceptional circumstances relating to the guidelines should be included in this statement.

SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING GUIDELINES FOR YARCOMBE AND MARSH

Landscape, Natural Environment & Village Setting

1.The setting of the village in the wider landscape should be conserved and enhanced by any future development thus allowing the villages to retain their own character and identity.

2. Any new development should respect the prevailing settlement pattern and character of the villages.

3. In any new development important views into and out of the villages should be respected by developers.

4. The character of the existing road and lane network should not be changed by any new development unless there are compelling highway considerations.

5. New buildings should respect the existing overall layout and siting of development within the village.

6. TV and dish aerials should be discreetly sited and not visible from the road.

7. All cables to new dwellings should be placed underground and efforts made to remove existing overhead cables.

8. New development will not be permitted where it could result in an increased risk of flooding or drainage problems within the application site and the wider area.

9. Developers should avoid mixing styles and historical references in the same building.  For example, putting Tudor style decorative chimney pots on a Victorian style building.

10. The position, size, style and detail of windows used in new building should be sympathetic to those in existing properties in the villages.

11. Window replacements used in extensions and general alterations to existing properties should match those of the original building.  This is especially important in older properties.  (See photographs throughout the text).

12. Dormers should have pitched roofs and be subordinate in size and scale with the main roof.

13. Chimneys should be included as a design feature in all new houses.

14. Garages, unless they are integral, should have pitched roofs similar to the house.  Flat roofs are not acceptable.

15. All new housing should have garaging or adequate off the road parking.

16. Urban style street lighting should be considered inappropriate in any new development.

17. All new properties should have reasonable sized gardens appropriate to their size to avoid creating a ‘crammed in’ appearance.

18. New buildings or extensions should generally be not more than 2 storeys in height.

19. Extensions of existing buildings should use similar materials, which match the original development and should be sympathetic in style, scale and proportion.

20. A variety of roofing materials is acceptable but a dark colour should be used.  (See photographs throughout text).

21. Landscaping should be considered an integral part of any new development.

22. Any new developments, however small, should respect the prevailing design features of the village and should display a thorough understanding of the style, materials and vernacular of the area, i.e. of, or being in keeping with the common character, building style or period of the area.  (See, for example, photograph of Drakes Meadow)

23. Property boundaries should be rural in character and content.  Traditional stone walls, banks and hedges are preferable.  Urbanised fencing would be out of character in the villages.

24. Guttering and down pipes should be discreet and appropriate to the design and age of the building.

The following photographs illustrate some of the features currently to be found in the architecture of Yarcombe and Marsh.

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Page last updated on 25 May 2012