13 Burlington Street, Lansdown, Bath

13 Burlington Street is a Grade II late 18th century terraced townhouse situated within the Bath conservation area and World Heritage Site. It forms part of a wider terrace of individually Grade II listed late 18th century terraced townhouses which are largely attributed to John Palmer. The focus of this application is on the retaining wall at the rear which runs adjacent to Balance Street and forms part of the terrace’s distinctive, visually open character, with clear views along the shared terrace rear. The boundary wall is more informal in character, in a rubble stone of varying height as it ascends the north-south slope towards Portland Place, and is considered to fall within the curtilage of the Grade II terrace.

We acknowledge that the retaining wall as existing is in a poor structural condition, and has been subject to two significant collapses in 2017 and 2018. We therefore appreciate the pressing need for robust repair works and encourage that stonework is retained and reused where possible, and interventions are coherent with the traditional construction of the wall and its terraced setting (lime-based mortar). The proposed stabilisation works are fairly invasive, requiring the use of restraint anchor bars and concrete pad foundations, but this should be weighed against the heritage benefits of the rebuilding of the wall and its long-term stability, as well as the ‘tidying up’ of what has become a derelict site and removal of visually incongruous props and temporary fencing.

BPT does question the previous inaction on this site from 2018, and continues to emphasise the benefits of regular, ongoing maintenance to promptly address issues and prevent these from becoming more significant and damaging to historic fabric in future.