15 Lansdown Place East, Lansdown
15 Lansdown Place East is part of a Grade II Georgian terrace designed by John Palmer located within the Bath conservation area and World Heritage site. It forms an integral part of the contextual setting of Bath’s internationally-recognised architectural ensembles such as the Grade I Lansdown Crescent and associated landscaping. Whilst this application proposes changes made to the rear of the building, consideration must be made for the setting of a series of Grade II Victorian mews, as well as any impact on the rear elevation of 15 Lansdown Place East. The rear faces of Georgian buildings are as important as their carefully-designed frontages due to their diversity of architectural design and numerous later additions indicative of a narrative of changing residential functions and fashions.
BPT does not object to the proposed rear single-storey extension. Whilst the design is strikingly contemporary, this adheres to the historic tradition of visible changes of construction to the rear of many Georgian terraces. We are supportive of the continued use of vernacular materials such as Bath stone, and feel that the large glazed sliding doors make the structure lighter and less prominent.
Significantly, the low position of the extension in relation to the existing boundary wall ensures minimal visual disturbance to the appearance of a listed building, the setting of adjacent historic assets, or the Bath conservation area. We would emphasise the importance of high-quality materials and construction methods to ensure the extension will preserve and enhance the historic, architectural, and evidential significance of 15 Lansdown Place East.
However, the Trust has some concerns regarding the proposed garage facing onto Upper Lansdown Mews. Whilst we appreciate the existing garage is not appropriate for modern use and of a low standard of construction that does not complement its context, the scale of the new garage presented in the application seems superfluous. Its new height sits significantly above the boundary wall, and therefore would considerably impact both the streetscape and the setting of adjacent listed properties, and has not been specifically justified.
Furthermore, the proposed use of materials remains ambiguous. The application states that timber cladding with a standing seam roof will be used; however, this does not explain the garage’s green colour as presented in the 3D Views provided which is not consistent with the colour palette of the character area of the Bath conservation area and World Heritage site. We would therefore require greater detail regarding the garage’s proposed finish, and suggest that other materials such as stone would a preferable alternative when considering the high visibility of the proposed garage structure.
We would additionally appreciate the inclusion of an existing garage floor plan in order to enable a full understanding of the change in footprint size. Therefore, a complete and detailed set of documents needs to be submitted as part of the application before the Trust can make a full and informed decision regarding its suitability.