Mr P Koscien
21 First Ave
Acton
London W3 7JP
9 May 2019
TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (CONTROL OF ADVERTISEMENTS) (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2007
ADVERTISING AT THE STABLES MARKET, CHALK FARM ROAD, CAMDEN NW1 8AH
Dear Sir/madam,
Advertisement consent is sought to regularise the position regarding the 10 display boards located on the wall of the Stables Market fronting Chalk Farm Road.
The display boards received  listed building consent in November 2015 (your reference 2015/4302/L) under a comprehensive application for signage across the whole of the market which contains several listed buildings and is within the Regents Canal Conservation Area. All heritage matters were fully considered when granting consent.
The Heritage Statement attached to the application stated that there was currently no unified approach towards the installation of signage across the whole of the market, there being a variety of dimensions, styles and colours used. Furthermore that much of the existing signage was out of character with the historic buildings and had created a cluttered appearance.
The Heritage Statement prepared by Stephen Levant Heritage Architecture, proposed some 50 signs across the whole of the market site to replace the signage which had evolved in an ad hoc manner , and consideration took in to account the character and appearance of the conservation area and listed buildings on site. All the signs were granted listed building consent in 2015.
In relation to the display boards the subject of this regularising application, the report noted that the Chalk Farm wall exterior has historically displayed poster boards, and illustrations are given in the report.
The wall fronts the roadside in front of the former Horse Hospital building, a grade2* listed building.  No longer used for its original purpose the building and its surrounds now forms part of the internationally famous Camden Stables Market.
The general street scene around is overwhelmingly comprised of shops, stalls, cafes and restaurants mirroring the hustle and bustle of the market and area around it.
Altogether the wall fronting the road contains a series of 29 bays divided by brick piers where ad hoc advertising used to occur over the years. The heritage Statement proposed that no more than 10 of the bays should be used for display boards, and these were granted listed building consent each to display a timber framed non-illuminated advertising board measuring 1.3 x 2.75m.
Following the grant of listed building consent in 2015 the display boards and other signage was erected and there appears to have been no perception from the market owners to seek advertisement consent. This may have been because all the important heritage issues had been considered and planned methodically from the start.
However, notwithstanding that planning permission and listed building consent under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas )Act 1990 had been applied for and granted by the council a regularising application has since been requested to be made under the relevant Advertising Regulations 2007.
In terms of the main consideration in advert applications, that of amenity impact, in this case this would relate predominantly to the effect on any heritage assets including the character and appearance of the conservation area and listed buildings on the site. Indeed the Advertisement Regulations highlights factors relevant to amenity as including particularly the general characteristics of the locality, including the presence of any features of historic, architectural, cultural or similar interest. These issues were fully explored and considered during the consideration of the application for planning permission and listed building consent, which granted consent for signage across the whole of the market site.
Signage on the outside of the wall fronting Chalk Farm Road was specified to comprise 10 poster display boards all of a uniform and consistent size, each made of timber and to be non-illuminated. The 10 display boards were to be sited within only 10 of the 29 bays separated by brick piers and each of a uniform size rather than the ad hoc sizes which had evolved over the years. This creates a consistent theme and did not overwhelm the historic frontage or create advertising clutter..
Further displays are evident in the street scene around the Roundhouse listed building further north along Chalk Farm Road, although these appear larger and more randomly located than the Stables market thus emphasising the benefits of a planned approach for the whole site.
The proposed carefully designed and limited signage contributes towards the enhancement of the market as a whole while promoting its use and enjoyment by local and tourists alike. There was no harm identified from the proposals to the significance of the buildings and the established market use of the former stables is not challenged by the proposals.
The general street scene along this stretch of Chalk Farm Road is predominantly commercial with shops, stalls and cafes lining the road and creating a vibrant and busy environment at street level consistent with the market itself. The rationalised display boards carefully planned within the listed building consent complement the character of the vibrant commercial street scene whilst not damaging any heritage assets.
It is not considered that any further planning and amenity issues are raised by this application and it is therefore requested that this regularising application under the Advertisement Regulations be granted.
The application is submitted via the planning portal,
Yours faithfully,