Heritage
The setting of a rural hamlet with almost 1,000 years of history.
Gaunt’s Earthcott has existed as a small rural settlement for almost 1,000 years. It is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086. A historic plan of the Tithing of Gaunt’s Earthcott dated 27 July 1639 shows the settlement surrounded by farms, fields, meadows and lanes.
Remarkably, Gaunt’s Earthcott remains recognisable today as a small historic hamlet surrounded by open countryside.
Heritage is more than preserving buildings; it means understanding a place’s history through its surviving buildings, landscape and setting. Once this relationship is lost to urban sprawl, it cannot be recreated.
The hamlet includes several listed buildings, notably the Grade II* Manor Farmhouse and Grade II Court Farm and Green Farmhouse — assets of national significance. These developed as part of a rural community with landholdings reaching into what is now the Woodlands site.
Conservation expert views
The proposal would bring over 4,500 residents, 1,800 homes, new roads, lighting and buildings up to six storeys on Green Belt land. While the listed buildings would remain, their setting would be fundamentally altered.
This change would permanently affect how Gaunt’s Earthcott’s heritage is seen and experienced. That is why planning law protects both listed buildings and their settings.
Historic England and the Council’s Conservation Officer identified these heritage assets as at risk, requiring detailed assessment and warning that the visual impact could be extensive.
Despite this, the applicant concludes the development would not affect the overall experience of the Manor House or its key setting.
What would it actually look like?
We don’t know.
The application does not provide clear visualisations or show the visual impact on surrounding communities. The Council needs solid evidence of how the historic setting would be affected before approving the development’s principle, scale, height or density.
Relevant planning policy
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 — s66(1): special regard to preserving a listed building or its setting.
NPPF — HE4, HE5 and HE6: significance, setting and conservation of designated heritage assets.
Core Strategy CS9 and PSP17: historic environment and heritage assets.
Questions for the Council
- How can the effect on the historic setting be assessed without clear visual evidence of the proposed height, density and scale?
- Has sufficient evidence been provided to demonstrate that the setting and significance of listed buildings will be conserved?
- How can the historic relationship between Gaunt’s Earthcott and surrounding countryside be conserved if the hamlet becomes substantially surrounded by urban development?