The intention of these guidelines is to encourage quality design and development that is appropriate to the unique character of Warburton village. Wherever possible, the existing building stock in the village should be conserved and, where possible, enhanced.

It is not the objective of the VDS to preserve the building stock at all costs but to encourage work that will ensure the existing character of the village is maintained and reinforced.

The design of all new development and conversion of existing buildings within the village should make reference to the existing traditional architecture of the village and be in keeping with the adopted Planning Policies of Trafford Council's Unitary Development Plan, PPG15 (Planning and the Historic Environment (1994)) and PGG16 (Archaeology and Planning), should be consulted by any person converting existing buildings or building new property.  The Greater Manchester Conservation Officers Group will shortly be producing a best practise manual for historic building conservation and archaeology, which will be a useful reference.

·        Scale and form

Any new buildings within the village should be of a scale and general building form that is appropriate to and in keeping with the existing generally domestic scale of the buildings within the village.

With few exceptions, buildings are a maximum of two storeys. In many cases, the height of the first floor is suppressed by incorporating it partially or wholly within the pitch of the roof.

Buildings typically have a main section that contains the major rooms. In many cases this is augmented by outriggers or secondary wings that contain ancillary rooms.

The existing character of the village is reinforced by the use of a very limited palette of materials and by the generally traditional details employed with the major building elements. Materials proposed for new buildings should wherever possible match the traditional materials used elsewhere in the village.

• Roofs
  Roofs should use a roof pitch of 40-50 degrees. Slacker pitches no lessthan 35 degrees could however be considered for smaller, secondary elements of building or for smaller cottage units. In most cases, the main roof should be a double pitch with gabled ends. Hipped roofs should be avoided.
  
  

New Buildings:

• Roof lights and dormers
  Small dormer windows should be avoided where possible. Where dormer type windows are proposed and where a suitable precedent exists, they should be sufficiently large, with double-pitched roofs to form a major roof element and to avoid the simple roofscape being littered with numerous secondary roof elements. "Cat slide" dormers could be considered, where appropriate.

Roof lights that project from the face of the main roof finish should be avoided.

·        Roof coverings.

Roof coverings should be selected with reference to the materials used on surrounding buildings, and as appropriate to the design of the new building. In general, they should be from a limited range of traditional materials found within the village including thatch, "Rosemary" type plain clay tiles, and natural slate. Larger scale concrete interlocking tiles would not be considered appropriate.

• External walls.
  The existing buildings in the village are predominantly constructed from load bearing brickwork that is a mellowed and weathered "Cheshire" type brick, orange/red in colour. Brickwork for new buildings should use similar orange/red brickwork. Suitable matching reclaimed brick are considered acceptable although the use of new, artificially "aged" brickwork with white or coloured flashes is to be avoided.

Many buildings within the village have secondary details such as string courses, dentil mouldings, verge courses, diaper work and other features formed using the main facing brick or with smooth red contrasting brickwork. Limited detailing of this type would be considered appropriate but not a requirement.
 

·        Rendered finishes.

Where rendered finishes have been used on existing buildings they have generally been as remedial finishes to older brick or timber framed buildings to reduce the effect of penetrating dampness.

Rendered walling is not considered to be an appropriate finish for large areas of external walls. Generally it should be used conservatively and as a contrast to or for detailed decorative work on external walls.

Where render is used it should have a wood float finish.  Textured finishes should be avoided.  Brilliant white paint finishes applied to render should be avoided.

• Windows.
  Windows in new buildings or replacement windows in existing buildings should reflect the local traditional glazing patterns and proportions and be appropriate to the design of the building, whilst also complying with other statutory requirements such as the building regulations.

Where windows in existing buildings are to be replaced, in most cases, the most appropriate glazing patterns are those that were used originally (as opposed to later replacements).

Large expanses of uninterrupted glazing should be avoided. Large areas of glazing should be subdivided by the use of mullions and transoms. These can be of the same materials as the window frames or by the use of brick mullions or other appropriate detailing.

Window frames should be of a material that allows for narrow frame sections to avoid large bulky framing. Large expanses of white UPVC window framing exposed within brick openings should be avoided.

• Chimneys.
  Chimneys are a traditional element of the village roofscape and add to the overall character. Where required, they should be detailed in an appropriate way with corbelled/over sailing brick top courses.
  

• Paint colours.
  Large expanses of brilliant white painted walling are to be avoided. More appropriate and subdued/softer colours should be used.

Where window frames, doors and other elements are to be painted white, an off white is considered more appropriate than the use of a brilliant white.

• Rainwater goods.
  There is a precedent in the village that all rainwater goods are finished in a dark colour or black. This reduces the visual impact of these secondary elements.
  
• Satellite dishes, roof aerials etc.
  These elements are a necessary feature of modern living. They should be located in as unobtrusive a location as possible. Satellite dishes should be finished in black.

Converting Farm Buildings.
The VDS recognises that a degree of alteration to the external appearance of redundant farm buildings maybe necessary to enable conversion for new uses thereby preserving the buildings within the built landscape of the village.

As with new buildings, creative design is encouraged, however the original agricultural character of the original farm buildings should be retained and details such as windows, doors and shutters etc. should be detailed in such a way as to retain the agricultural character of the building.

• Brickwork
  Brickwork should closely match that of the existing building. Arches, buttresses and other features of the existing building should be retained wherever possible or appropriate. These features should be used as reference points for elements of the design for new works.
  
• Structural timber framing.
  Where originally left untreated/unpainted, exposed timber framing should be left untreated/unpainted. Framing introduced as new work or as repairs to existing framing should adopt the same finish as the original. Green oak left exposed will quickly adopt the silvery grey patina of weathered timber. Where it is necessary to consider an applied finish to exposed timber framing due to decay or other technical problems, it is traditional within the area to use a suitable black paint system or stain.
  
• Openings.
  Where possible, existing openings in walls should be retained and re-used. Where new openings are required they should be of a scale, form and detail that is appropriate to existing openings found elsewhere on the building or, where no precedent exists, on similar existing local building.

Barn door openings should be retained. Where it is necessary to infill the opening, this should be by a glazed screen to retain the character of the large opening. Door and window details should employ the existing traditional patterns where they exist or, where no precedent exists on the existing building, as used locally on similar types of buildings.

• Roofs
  Where possible, traditional roofing materials should be retained, reused or restored.  Dormer windows or "cat slide" dormers are inappropriate and should not be used unless there is a precedent on the existing building.

Any "Velux" type roof lights should be generally small scale and should be fitted so that the external face of the window does not project and is broadly flush with the face of the roof finish.