4.4.22

Salmon Lane forms part of the Kite Conservation Area. The houses (mostly Grade II listed buildings) and the coach houses were built in the 1820s. The present development offers an opportunity to enhance Salmon lane. However, it is very important that a number of points are considered:

(1) Salmon Lane cannot accommodate more traffic access. The entrance by the Hopbine Pub is already busy with cars, delivery vans and bin lorries and residents already often have to queue in the morning to get onto fair street. The houses between Maids Causeway and Salmon lane have no front access for cars and so Salmon Lane is their only access.
- No further access to cars to Salmon Lane should be permitted. This means the approach for vehicles to any new dwellings should be via the Grafton Centre not Salmon Lane.

(2) Scale, Height and Density of Buildings. The outline speaks of 2-3 storey houses being built. There are no 3 story buildings currently on Salmon lane. The current coach houses are low pitch two storey houses or single story with attic rooms. They are also currently of a low density. Any building on the Salmon lane should be keeping with height, scale and density of the rear coach houses currently on Salmon lane.
- The scale, height and density of any proposed new building on the Lane side of the Centre should be in keeping with the look and feel of current coach houses.

(3) The houses and coach houses between Maids Causeway and Salmon Lane are of a regency style of the 1820s. Any new building on Salmon lane must be of a similar style. This would follow the recent president set by the excellent improvements to the University Arms Hotel by the Architect John Simpson.
- The architecture of any new dwellings should fit the Regency style of Maids Causeway, Salmon Lane and the wider Kite area.

(4) It is important that Salmon Lane is not narrows and that the grass and tree strip on the Grafton side of Salmon Lane is maintained and enhanced.
- The new dwellings should be set behind the current trees, grass strip and wall.

If the new housing on the Grafton side of Salmon Lane were of a similar height, density and historic period as the coach houses on the Maids Causeway side of Salmon Lane then I think that this development offers an excellent opportunity to restore Salmon lane as a Regency mews. This would continue the excellent recent work by the Council in the Kite area in redeveloping the University Arms Hotel.