Planning and Development
The City of Bath has over 6,000 listed buildings and about two thirds of the city is in a conservation area. The Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty surrounds the city to the north, east and south, whilst the entire built-up area is surrounded by greenbelt. Bath is the UK’s only complete World Heritage City and is described by UNESCO (the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) as of “national importance for its contribution to the art of urban design”. The conservation of Bath’s built heritage and parks and gardens therefore is of great importance. The natural environment is also of value to the setting of World Heritage site, with the landscape, an integral part of the architecture.
Each week Bath And North East Somerset Council publishes a list of new planning applications, listed building consents and conservation area consents. The Trust’s Conservation Officer, along with a member of the Architecture and Planning Committee, visits the planning office every two weeks to examine proposals and make an assessment of the impact they may have on the very special architectural and historic qualities, and amenities of Bath.
Applications are short-listed for discussion by the Trust’s Architecture and Planning Committee, a group that consists of representatives of a range of professions including architects, planners, architectural historians and engineers. The Committee agrees comments to be submitted. Comments are intended to be helpful and informative but forceful opposition from time to time may be necessary.
For details of applications the Trust has taken an interest in visit the planning applications page.
We encourage our members to support our position on development proposals and submit comments on an application to the Council within 21 days of notification, either online or by writing to the case officer. For more information on the planning process and having your say go to the planning portal. To find out about planning applications in Bath use the planning finder website or visit the planning pages of the Council’s website
The Local Planning Authority determines applications by subjective assessment based on government guidance, Planning Policy Guidance Notes and Statements,
As well as their own planning policies, supplementary planning guidance and other “material considerations” including visual impact and the impact of noise and disturbance, they also rely on advice from statutory consultees such as English Heritage, the Environment Agency and the national amenity societies including the Georgian Group and SPAB, as well as non-statutory consultees which are recognised to have a valuable role including ICOMOS UK, CABE and the Bath Preservation Trust. Whilst the Trust will examine each proposal for development on its own merits it works to a set of broad principles:
- New development should be on ‘brown’ rather than ‘green’ land.
- The Trust supports the re-development of sites and buildings that jar in the local scene. It actively supported the redevelopment of Southgate including the bus station and the Ham Gardens car park.
- The Trust welcomes high quality contemporary architecture. Design is of course subjective, however we believe that height, scale and massing should respect not only the immediate surroundings, but also distant views and the hillside setting of the city, and that materials should be traditional and superior in quality. The Trust has actively supported contemporary schemes such as the Thermae Bath Spa building.
- The existing built fabric of Bath should be fully utilised to its full capacity and the Trust will encourage vacant buildings to be brought back into use.
- All major new developments should contain an appropriate mix of housing, employment, retail and other services to minimise need to travel.
- Reducing dependency on the car by the inclusion of car-club schemes in residential developments is supported.
- All forms of pollution are increasingly important consideration. The incidence and effects of pollution in the Bath basin are now well understood. The Trust opposes developments that will generate harmful levels of air, light or noise pollution.
- The River Avon is a magnificent, underappreciated and underdeveloped asset. The Trust will encourage proposals that seek to improve the riverside for public enjoyment, particularly in and near the City Centre.
- The Trust will oppose developments in and erosion of the Greenbelt and will strive to maintain open space between Bristol and Bath.
- The Trust opposes out of town shopping centres and will carefully watch proposals for leisure developments.
Buildings and Public Spaces
The conservation of historic buildings is fundamental to the role of the Trust, which since 1934 has campaigned to save hundreds of listed buildings from demolition and to prevent developments that would cause irreversible harm to the historic environment.
The Trust’s Architecture and Planning Committee monitor applications that could harm the character and setting of historic listed and non-listed buildings.
The most obvious changes to Bath’s historic buildings comprise:
- Alterations to windows, usually by extension downwards and by the removal of glazing bars in favour of plate glass, and the installation of new window openings in both façades and roofs.
- The use of artificial slate and non-traditional roofing materials,
- Removal of cast iron rainwater goods.
- Loss of railings and boundary walls.
- Alterations to stone parapets and ornamental balustrades.
- The application of paint to stone wall surfaces.
- Stone cleaning.
- The subdivision of larger properties in the creation of flats and houses in multiple occupation.
- Loss of internal decorative features including plasterwork, fire surrounds, stairs, doors, door cases, shutters, joinery details, floors.
- Alterations to shop fronts, security grilles and blinds,
- Signs, advertisements and illumination.
The need to preserve what remains of the historic city covers much more than individual buildings. It includes gardens, parks, roadways, pavements (particularly raised ones), lamps, paving and setts. The Trust is concerned about the street scene as a whole and has worked with B&NES Council to produce a Streetscape Manual.
Teh Trust encourages the use of traditional materials and promotes a principle of ‘repair rather than replace’ whenever possible.
The Government has committed to measures to tackle climate change. The Trust is supportive of aims to improve energy efficiency provided that character and appearance of historic sites is protected and buildings are adapted to improve efficiency without damaging their architectural and historic integrity. English Heritage has produced practical guidance for reducing energy consumption in traditional buildings, which can be downloaded by clicking here.
It is now compulsory for anyone selling a building to complete a Home Information Pack (HIP) for buyers, which contains recommendations for carrying out energy efficiency improvements. For more information and useful guidance of how this applies to historic buildings can be accessed on the English Heritage website
Other web links to guidance on energy efficiency
Meeting the energy challenge: a white paper on energy, Department of Trade and Industry. The Energy Bill 2007-2008. http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/whitepaper/page39534.html
Climate Change and the Historic Environment
http://www.helm.org.uk/server/show/nav.9256
Building Regulations and Historic Buildings
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/ign_partl_buildingregs.pdf
Micro Wind Generation and Energy Conservation in Traditional Buildings
http://www.helm.org.uk/upload/pdf/MicroWind.pdf