CH7 Oxton Village Conservation Area Policy
In relation to Oxton Village Conservation Area the principal planning objectives for the area will be to:
(i) retain the character of the early Victorian commuter settlement;
(ii) preserve the sense of contrast between houses in spacious grounds and cottage-scale groups of dwellings;
(iii) retain unifying features throughout the Area, such as narrow roads and paths, mature trees, and stone walls; and
(iv) retain visual coherence within the retail area, in terms of elevational treatment and the design of shop fronts.
Outside the retail area, only primarily residential uses will be permitted.
Reasoned justification :
11.23 Oxton Village Conservation Area was designated in April 1979. Its boundaries were drawn to reflect the extent of the early Victorian commuter settlement which developed over the summit of Oxton Hill during the nineteenth century.
11.24 The variety of period buildings, ranging from terraces, stone-built cottages and detached stuccoed villas in extensive grounds, give the Area a character unique within Birkenhead. This character is reinforced by details such as elevational treatments, window styles and ornate cast-iron porches, as well as the overall setting of the Area with its narrow roads, lanes and paths, sandstone walls, "cottage" gardens and extensive tree cover. The objective of Policy CH7 is, therefore, to ensure that these distinctive features are preserved and enhanced.
11.25 These considerations will also apply within the Oxton Village retail area. Applications for development, including new shop fronts, will, therefore, be specifically required to respect and "mirror" the historic context of the Area. Outside this area, Policy CH7 restricts non-residential uses in order to retain the principally domestic character of the Area and of its historic buildings.