Cellarhead Substations, Stoke-on-Trent: Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment

A desk-based assessment of the historic environment baseline conditions at a site on land at Cellarhead Substations and a 1km buffer of the site boundary. Data was reviewed from the Staffordshire HER and Historic England. Included a site walkover, and a review of historic mapping, aerial photographs and LiDAR. Also included an assessment of the likely effects of the proposed development on the known and potential heritage assets, with conclusions and recommendations to avoid, reduce or mitigate the effects. The Environment Partnership (TEP) have been commissioned to undertake a historic environment desk-based assessment to assess the impact that a proposed extension to Cellarhead Substations would have on the historic environment. Baseline conditions show that the 1km Study Area contains five designated heritage assets, all of which are Grade II Listed farmhouses or farm buildings. There will be no effect on these designated assets due to the distance between the proposed development site and the buildings. There are twenty-one non-designated heritage assets within the Study Area, four of which are located within the proposed development site. These are two extant 19th century farm buildings, the site of the post medieval Bentfields Farm and the site of the post medieval Coopesbarn farmstead. Historic mapping and aerial photography shows that the proposed development site was primarily in agricultural use until the late 20th century when the site was developed into the Cellarhead Substations. The assessment concludes that there is a high potential for as yet unknown heritage assets with archaeological interest from the Post Medieval period to be present within the proposed development site. This is due to the presence of extant buildings which were related to the farmstead of Bentfields which was demolished ahead of the construction of the substations. It is therefore recommended that a programme of archaeological works may be required to mitigate the impact of the construction on as yet unknown heritage assets with archaeological interest, particularly in the area of the Bentfields farmstead within the proposed development site.