Heritage Statement at 5 Queens Gardens, St Andrews, Fife

This heritage statement considers the proposed redevelopment of 5 Queen's Gardens, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9TA, a Category C listed building. All work was carried out in compliance with the codes of practice of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA 2022). The assessment includes the results of a site survey, an examination of published and unpublished records, and charts historic land use through a map regression exercise. It considers relevant local and national policy and guidance. The Historic Environment Record has been consulted and the relevant designated and non-designated heritage assets located in the immediate vicinity are identified. This report enables relevant parties to assess the significance of designated and non-designated heritage assets within and in the vicinity of the site, thus enabling potential impacts on these assets to be identified. The survey for this assessment was undertaken on the 26th of January 2023 by Andrew McMaster and Steven Smeltz. The weather conditions were bright and sunny. A selection of photographs from this site visit, as well as some provided by the client, have been included throughout this report. The assessment has established that the proposed development will result in negligible harm to the physical fabric of the Category C listed 4-21 Queen's Gardens. With some of the works potentially creating enhancements, such as the refurbishment works using more historically sympathetic materials. It will, however, cause a degree of harm to its significance through changes in its setting by altering the historical undeveloped character of the garden. As a result of pre-application discussions, the development has been redesigned in order to minimise the harmful effects, by reducing the footprint and creating an off-set design that allows the linear nature of the plots to still be appreciated. The proposed development will physically impact the Category B curtilage listed rigg walls. The widening of a collapsed part of the wall, rather than its rebuilding, to provide an access passageway within the rear extension, will harm the historical special interest of this asset to a small degree. Conversely, the repair of damaged sections of the wall will reinstate a number of missing or incomplete sections, enhancing it in part. The scheme provides an important investment opportunity which will allow for the restoration and preservation of the Category B curtilage listed potting shed as well. The design of the extensions means that reversibility is possible. In the future, if the additions are removed, the gap in the wall can be reinstated and the riggs can go back to functioning solely as garden space. The proposed development will cause a small degree of harm to the significance of the St Andrews Conservation Area through changes to the setting. However, the changes will not be appreciable to most people experiencing the Conservation Area, and pre-application advice has been sought in order to minimise the degree of harm that the development may cause. The architects have endeavoured to create a design that complies with NPF4 Policy 7, Policy 14 of the FIFEPlan (2017) and Policy E10 of the St Andrews and East Fife Local Plan (2009) by allowing the overall character of the listed buildings and Conservation Area to be maintained.