Church View Farm, Tuckingmill, Camborne, Cornwall - Results of a Heritage Impact Assessment

This report presents the results of a heritage impact assessment that was carried out by South West Archaeology Ltd. (SWARCH) for a proposed residential development at Church View Farm, Tuckingmill, Camborne, Cornwall. The heritage impact assessment followed the guidance that is outlined in: Conservation Principles: Policies and Guidance for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment (English Heritage 2008); The Setting of Heritage Assets (Historic England 2015); Seeing History in the View (English Heritage 2011); Managing Change in the Historic Environment: Setting (Historic Scotland 2010); and Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment: 3rd Edition (Landscape Institute 2013). The heritage impact assessment also followed the guidance that is outlined in Principles of Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment in the UK that was produced by CIfA, IHBC, and IEMA in July 2021. The proposed development would see the construction of approximately 40 houses on one agricultural field to the north and to the west of Church View Farm. Due to evidence of extensive ploughing of the site, direct impacts are unknown but potentially limited. Church View Farm is an undesignated heritage asset within a Conservation Area and adjacent to a World Heritage Site. Its historical, associative, and illustrative value add to the narrative of the mining heritage of the area and as such it can be considered as contributing to the attributes of the OUV of the WHS despite not lying within the WHS itself. The existing farmhouse and the contemporary ancillary buildings, although undesignated heritage assets, make a strong contribution to the character of the area and their narrative is interwoven with the mining heritage that gives the WHS its value and its significance. A structural appraisal of the buildings (Datson Consulting 2022) states that the reuse of the buildings is not possible due to their poor structural condition as a result of a fire in 2021 and the subsequent water ingress that has occurred into their fabric. That being said, elements from the buildings, such as stone and granite lintels, could be reused in replacement structures. It would be preferable for the buildings to be retained, however if this is not possible then it is recommended that, should planning permission be granted, a full historic building recording is undertaken prior to any demolition works or groundworks. It is also recommended that, given the contribution that is made to attributes of the OUV and to the setting of the WHS by Church View Farm, any replacement buildings should retain the footprint and/or the design elements (i.e. the window detailing and the round-headed window) to reflect the former use of the site and to enhance the setting and the significance of the WHS. The indirect impacts on nearby heritage assets, namely the Grade II Listed Church of All Saints, are considered Slight Adverse. There is a potential constructional phase impact on the closest heritage assets in terms of aural intrusion and visual intrusion, although this impact will only be temporary. Due to the location within a Conservation Area, the proximity to the WHS, and the number of developments within the area, the cumulative impact of the proposed development is considered Moderate Adverse. With this in mind, the overall impact of the proposed development can be assessed as Moderate Adverse, although recommendations and proposed mitigation measures that have been made as part of this assessment could reduce this level of harm to Minor Adverse. The impact of the proposed development on any buried archaeological resource may be permanent and irreversible, however it is considered unlikely that the proposed development will encounter any archaeological features or deposits.