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Gentlemen’s Shoes Shoe Repairs & Care

Samson & Son Shoes

37

Gentlemen’s Shoes Shoe Repairs & Care

Samson & Son Shoes

Who we areAbout us

Alterations to shopfronts require planning permission. Wakefield Council’s Conservation Team is here to offer FREE pre-application advise to you for any change or repair you might want to make to your shopfront. We can also help by telling you if your building is listed or in a conservation area.

Contact us

Conservation TeamDevelopment Management Wakefield CouncilWakefield OnePO Box 700Wakefield WF1 2EB

0345 8 506 506

conservation@wakefield.gov.uk

http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/

Acknowledgements

This guide is the result of the Pontefract Townscape Heritage Initiative, which was jointly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Wakefield Council to preserve and enhance the town's historic buildings and public spaces.

PontefractMarket PlaceMaking the most of ourtraditional shopfronts

Small but simple changes can have an immediate impact.

This property has been enhanced by:

removing external metal shutters

unblocking the shopfront to the left

restoring traditional shopfront details, and

giving the whole building a more suitable colour

scheme

What is this guide?Much of Pontefract’s charm is due to its historic marketplace and old streets, which includes a range of traditional shops and buildings.

This guide shows you how, by making the most of your building’s traditional historic features, you can increase its appeal and attract custom.

Good for business

Existing traditional fixtures and fittings, such as stained glass, ironmongery, cabinets or window screens, can help give your shop its charm and should be kept and shown whenever possible.

Traditional materials

Pontefract marketplace’s old buildings are made from traditional materials. They are invariably brick or sandstone buildings, sometimes rendered, with slate roofs, timber-framed sash windows, timber-framed shopfronts with paneled doors, and cast iron downpipes.

Making the most of your shop’s interior

Traditional shop interiors were often fitted out to a high standard and featured long counters, glass cabinets, and fitted shelves. As these are rare, they add to the charm of a shop and should be kept and used whenever possible.

Making the most of original features, such as ironmongery, and the appropriate use of suitable paint schemes helps draw attention to a shopfront.

Existing traditional shop fixtures and fittings act as a ‘feature’, helping your business standout from competitors.

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1. Slate roof

2. Cast-iron rainwater downpipes

3. Painted render or unpainted brick/stone

4. Timber-framed sash windows

5. Painted traditional timber shopfront

Types of traditional building materials typically found in the Pontefract market area.

Making a statement: traditional shopfronts

Traditional shopfronts add interest and variety to the streetscape. They make a shop distinctive and can increase footfall. By comparison, modern shop-fronts on traditional buildings can be jarring, look out of place and distract custom. Traditional shopfront features should therefore be celebrated and retained whenever possible. Where shopfronts need to be replaced, the design should be in keeping by respecting traditional features and proportions.

Speak to the Council’s Conservation Team for FREE specialist advice

In designing your shopfront, consider:

How will the design fit in with neighbouring shops in the wider streetscene?

What is the look or condition of the building as a whole (e.g. including upper floors)?

Is the existing shopfront appropriate for the proposed use of the shop?

Are there any surviving traditional shopfront features that can be kept and re-used?

Are there historic photographs available to show what the shop traditionally looked like?

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Gentlemen’s Shoes Shoe Repairs & Care Family Firm. Est. 1974

Samson & Son Shoes

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Eyelashes

Waxing

worldof nails

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Historic buildings generally conform to classical design rules. They look pleasing to the eye if they have balanced and symmetrical horizontal and vertical sightlines (shown above in pink).

Good shopfront design should also mean that your shopfront is in keeping with the rest of the building. There should be symmetry between the vertical and horizontal sightlines of the floors above with the shop below it.

Often it is subtle signage schemes and designs, such as individual, fret-cut lettering on a timber fascia board, which are the most effective advertising in traditional shopfronts. In contrast, the use of signs of an inappropriate scale or design can seriously detract from a traditional shopfront.

CCTV, burglar and fire alarms should be minimal in size and mounted on less prominent parts of the front of the building.

Mechanical security devices can give a shop extra physical protection, but also have negative effects on shopping areas, especially when the shop is closed. Where there is no other option, toughened security glass or internal open mesh roller grilles are recommended. External roller shutters are not appropriate in the conservation area.

The colour of your shopfront should not be unsuitable or distracting with the area. The use of heritage colours are recommended.

Window vinyls are not encouraged as large opaque sheets deaden the frontage of the shop. The use of text-based transparent vinyls can look similar to traditional etched glass, and might be acceptable in moderation.

Making shopfront changesPlanning permission

Shops in Pontefract’s market area are in a conservation area and may also be nationally or locally listed buildings.

It is a criminal offence to carry out alterations, extensions or demolition of a listed building without Listed Building Consent from the Council.

You are also likely to need permission to make any building changes in the conservation area, whether they are listed or not. This can include:

Changing the shopfront sign

Changing the design material of the doors or windows

Adding or removing render or cladding

Adding security devices, such as CCTV, external lighting,

shutter grilles (nb. external shutters are not appropriate in the conservation areas)

Removing any architectural details

Demolishing, making alterations or adding extensions to

the building

For peace of mind, always seek FREE pre-application advice from the Council’s Conservation Team before starting any changes to your building. There is no additional charge for Listed Building Consent on top of the usual planning fees. Further details can be found on the Council’s website: www.wakefield.gov.uk/

Subtle changes can help bring out the best in a shopfront.

This building frontage (above) had undergone a series of inappropriate changes and deteriorated in condition, but has benefitted (below) from the following changes:

A. Repairing the pediment at the top of the building.

B. Repainting timber-framed windows.

C. Removal of graffiti.

D. Removing fascia boards to reveal existing traditional shop details, such as glazing features.

E. Integrating the timber shopfronts with the upper floors by using the same colour scheme.

F. Painting the pilasters (columns) dividing the shops in a neutral and unified colour to visually separate the individual shopfronts.

Shopfront design

Making the most of a traditional shopfront is a great way to attract custom....

The effect improves the unity of the building as a whole as well as helping to make the individuality of the shops standout.

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B

C

D E

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Your building is more than just the shopfront. This shop has recently had an attractive renovation that makes the most of traditional shopfront features. It has also smartened up the upper floor windows, slate roof and side elevation; all creating a positive impression with customers.

Like-for-like repairs

Windows and doors in a bad state of repair make a poor impression to customers. You usually will not need planning permission to make like-for-like repairs to your building using the same materials and colours.

Good maintenance

Make sure you check your building regularly for damage, including blocked gutters and drainpipes, and staining of walls.

Regular upkeep will help:

Retain its value

Encourage retail trade

Avoid more costly works in the long term

Water and dampness in traditional buildings are often the main cause of problems.

In dry weather, look for signs of algae growth or wall

staining

Look at all sides of the building during a heavy downpour

to see if there are any blocked or broken gutters, downpipes, gullies or drains

1. A clear gap should be visible between the top of the fascia and upper floor window cills.

2. Timber fascia boards should not be over large (60cm tall is a traditional size) and be in proportion with the glazed area.

3. Stallrisers support shopwindows and should not be set too low (40cm is a minimum height for a traditional shop).

4. Signage should be simple and use individual, fret-cut lettering.

5. Corbel brackets, either side of the fascia, help frame the shopfront and draw attention to the name of the business.

6. Traditional features - such as timber doors, a fanlight above an entrance or ironmongery - help give a shop character.

7. Security fittings, such as burglar alarms, can clutter a building’s facade and distract from its sightlines.

8. The shopfront on the left spoils the vertical sightline by encroaching on the shopfront space to the right.

9. The shopfront on the right spoils the horizontal sightline by having a fascia board that is too tall. It blocks the upper floor windows and makes the building and shop look cluttered.

10. Large window vinyls make a shopfront look ‘busy’, unattractive, and create a deadening effect. In comparison, windows without vinyls have an’active frontage’, where customers can see displayed goods inside.

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Gentlemen’s Shoes Shoe Repairs & Care

Samson & Son Shoes

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