PROPOSED CONSERVATION AREA DESIGNATION PAGE STREET CONSERVATION AREAJANUARY 2010

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City Planning Delivery Unit Built EnvironmentCity Hall, 64 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QPwww.westminster.gov.uk

*All historic images used in this report are copyright of Westminster City Archives

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INTRODUCTIONConservation Areas are ‘areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character and appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance.’ They are areas which are immediately recognisable for their distinctive townscape.

National guidance and advice places the responsibility on the City Council to keep each of its 55 conservation areas under review. A key part of this review is the consideration of conservation area boundaries, to assess whether additional areas are of architectural and historic interest and would warrant designation as a new conservation area.

One such area is a group of 20th century social housing schemes centred around Page Street identifi ed as of interest following the review of the Vincent Square Conservation Area. This report provides a brief historical* and architectural description of the area and seeks your views on the designation of a Page Street Conservation Area.

Please submit any comments on the proposal to designate the area and the information within this document in writing to:

Conservation Area Audits Team11th Floor, City Hall

64 Victoria Street London SW1E 6QP

E-mail: conservationareaaudits@westminster.gov.ukFax: 020 7641 3050

Tel: 020 7641 2850, 8705 and 8019.

The deadline for further comment is 14 April 2010.

Following this consultation period, all comments will go forward to the Cabinet Member for Built Environment for a decision on whether or not to designate a new conservation area. If agreed, a full study of the conservation area, known as an audit, will be prepared.

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LOCATION AND SETTINGThe proposed conservation area (Figure 2) would include the red brick City of Westminster Dwellings off Regency Street (Joseph & Smithem: 1902-4), Schomberg House (Ashely & Newman: 1926-7) and the Grade II Listed Grosvenor Estate (Lutyens: 1928-30).

It is considered that the proposed conservation area, located off Page Street, and consisting of three types of social housing dating from the early 20th century, is important for both its historical and architectural interest, exhibiting fi rstly, the typical Arts and Crafts style of the turn of the century and secondly, the dynamic shift towards the modern movement visible in Lutyens’ striking blocks.

The area is bounded by Vincent Square Conservation Area to the west and Millbank Conservation Area to the south-east (Figure 2).

Figures 1 & 2: (above) Proposed conservation area showing the date and development of the area with associated architects and (below) map showing proposed conservation area boundaries and adjacent conservation areas.

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3 BACKGROUNDPage Street runs on a east-west axis and is entirely 20th century buildings, largely built as working class housing.

In 1900 London had some of the worst housing conditions in Britain. For families living in London’s overcrowded inner-city areas, dirt, vermin and disease were part of everyday life. As a result, the emergence of social housing arose as the need to rehouse those in the worst slums gathered some urgency.

The principle of publicly-fi nanced housing had become established by 1890, and Westminster City Council was determined to build homes which, though still in fi ve-storey blocks, were visually superior to the traditional model dwellings. Joseph & Smithem’s Regency Street fl ats (1902-4) are the earliest in the proposed conservation area (contemporary with the adjacent Millbank Estate, completed in 1902). They display a revolutionary attention to architectural decoration for social housing in the modish Arts and Crafts manner.

Much of the poor housing around Page Street, however, was not developed for some years after this initial development as can be seen in the Ordnance Survey map of 1910 (Figure 5) which clearly shows the

Figure 3 & 4: (above) 1890 Ordnance Survey map of the proposed conservation area prior to the development of social housing; and (below) pencil drawings by Howard Penton of the City of Westminster Dwellings on Regency Street showing many details still intact today such as the arched screens and canopy over block entrances

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three blocks of the City of Westminster Dwellings on Regency Street surrounded by smaller plots of housing which were still generally considered slums. Figures 6-8 are images of the area taken in 1928 by Westminster’s Medical Offi cer of Health for a report which lead to the area being condemned and designated for clearance. This report came about as a result of the fl ooding of the River Thames on the night of 6th January 1928 which claimed the lives of residents in the area. An urgent clearance scheme was coordinated by the Grosvenor Estate and the City Council. The cleared land was designated for social housing and Sir Edward Lutyens was appointed as architect.

Figures 5-7: (above) 1910 Ordnance Survey map showing the City of Westminster Dwellings off Regency Street and (left) Cottages on Page Street which were demolished in 1928 after being condemned in a report by Westminster’s Medical Offi cer of Health.

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Lutyens was considered an unusual choice to design social housing having never designed large-scale housing before, with a reputation instead for the design of fi ne houses for wealthy clients. However, at the time Lutyens was working as the consulting architect for Grosvenor House and the Duke of Westminster, and, following the Duke’s donation of the said land to the City of Westminster for the construction of workers’ housing it was agreed that Lutyens would be the architect.

It is said that Lutyens snatched the estate from under the noses of Ashley & Newman, who did the much more conventional Schomberg House, 1926-7, the red brick block between Page Street and Vincent Street immediately adjacent to the Grosvenor Estate and also within the proposed conservation area.

Figures 8: Houses between Esher Street and Kensington Place in 1928 before being cleared for Lutyen’s blocks. Th e red-brick model dwellings by Joseph & Smithem are clearly visible to the right of the photograph (and in the map at fi gure 5) while the Chartered Gas Works in Horseferry Road are visible in the distance.

Figure 9: Historic image of the rear of Grosvenor Estate blocks, 1930

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Figure 10-12: (above) 1950 Ordnance Survey map showing the blocks much as they are today but without the central garden created c.1970 after parts of the largest two blocks were demolished; (right) historic image of balconies of the Grosvenor Estate blocks, 1930 and (below) front elevation of Princess Mary and Duke’s House, 1930

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ARCHITECTURAL & HISTORIC INTEREST OF ESTATESAll three phases of development in the proposed conservation area are considered to be architecturally and historically signifi cant, primarily as evidence of early 20th century social housing schemes but also for their signifi cance in the townscape of Westminster, particularly the striking chequerboard facade of Lutyens’ blocks.

Early Blocks

The red Leicester brick facades of the three earliest mansion blocks stand in parallel, linked by red brick, stone dressed arched screens announcing the entrances to the two courtyards set between the three blocks (Figure 15). Typical of their period, the blocks have plain arched gables to the roofl ine with Art Nouveau trim whilst the cast iron railings, which bound the blocks, also have attractive Art Nouveau detailing.

Figures 13-16: (top) Carved stone frieze; (above) segmental canopy and door surround; arched red brick screen (left); and Art Nouveau railings bounding the blocks (below)

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Schomberg House

The later Schomberg House is also of red brick. This more simply detailed block retains many of its original features including timber 6-over-6 sashes and Deco inspired block entrances. The block is linked with the earlier Jessel House by an arched screen designed to emulate the earlier screens of the Joseph & Smithem blocks but in a more restrained manner (Figure 19). Grosvenor Estate

Lutyens’ Grosvenor Estate deviates from the earlier straight blocks with its narrow, 6-storey high gallery-access slab wrapped around a paved courtyard creating a large “U” shape that is open to the southern end. The long gallery design strongly resembles the zeilenbau slabs typical to the social housing being built in other countries in the late 1920’s and 30’s. However, the innovative “U” shape allowed for these large courtyards to be created, providing open space for residents in a largely over-crowded area of London. To the southern end of each courtyard is a freestanding, one storey pavilion which acts like an entrance gatehouse but is in fact a shop.

Figure 17-19: (clockwise from left) Schomberg House block entrance; Schomberg House western facade and arched screen (below) linking Schomberg House with Jessel House, designed to echo the earlier arched screens

Figure 20: An example of Lutyen’s U-shaped blocks with open courtyard to centre and pavilion shop to the foreground

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The outer faces of this design would have been visually austere had Lutyens not decided to apply a striking chequerboard pattern of rendered white oblongs against silver-grey brick. The pattern is completed with the repetitive double hung windows that fi ll alternative brick panels- this helps to integrate the windows into the overall composition. The effect is strikingly Modernist and gives the whole complex a modular quality. The balustrades of the

galleries are faced in Portland cement, which contributes to the courtyards powerful horizontal organisation. The galleries are made of reinforced concrete and brick piers give the appearance of an alternating pattern of structure to the solid/void massing of the courtyard facades. This modernist scheme and absence of detail is far removed from Lutyens’ normally traditional design approach, however, the classical details of the doorcases, sash windows, neat little rusticated shops and gate piers hint that Lutyens had not completely deserted his inclination towards the classical form.

Cast iron fences and gates to either side of the pavilions provide a view of the courtyard from the street and reinforces the sense of openness along the southern side of the apartment blocks. This basic “U” type was modifi ed slightly in an elongated version in the blocks between Page and Vincent Street. While in the narrower blocks, along the south side of Vincent Street, completed in 1930, a shortened “U” type is used. These face a garden made after parts of the two largest blocks (Rogers House & Tothill House) were demolished c.1970.

Further to the architectural detailing these schemes are important in their proximity to one another, creating a coherent community. As the blocks have survived virtually unaltered in terms of their outward appearance, they retain considerable architectural signifi cance, as well as being attractive and well functioning spaces in their own right.

Impact of DesignationConservation areas are those areas of high townscape quality or with a distinctive character worthy of protection and enhancement. These areas individually and collectively contribute to the character of the City and therefore the City Council has a duty to protect and enhance the quality of these areas.

Figure 21: Rendered assess galleries of Lutyens’ blocks

Figure 22: Northern entrance facade to Duke’s House, one of the later blocks to the southern side of Vincent Street and of a shortened ‘U’ type.

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It should also be noted that conservation area status does not prevent development but should guide new development and change to ensure that this is undertaken sympathetically, in keeping with the prevailing character of the area. Within conservation areas there are certain additional planning controls over demolition and minor works while trees are also protected.

ConclusionThe recommended designation of this conservation area is due to the historical signifi cance and architectural interest of these blocks, together providing evidence of the evolution of social housing within Westminster during the early part of the 20th century.

The special interest of Lutyens’ blocks as an early example of the use of the type of access-gallery building that became one of the hallmarks of English social housing of the post-WWII years was recognised by its listing in February 1970. These blocks are therefore already protected under this designation. However, it is felt that the inclusion of them within this proposed conservation area goes further to protect the coherent relationship that exists between Lutyens’ modernist facades and those earlier red-brick blocks.

The designation of this conservation area will ensure the continued preservation and enhancement of the area.

Further InformationCity of Westminster’s Supplementary Planning Document - Conservation Areas: A Guide for Property Owners