2 Bathwick Hill, Bathwick

2 Bathwick Hill is a Grade II late Georgian villa situated within the Bath conservation area and World Heritage site.

BPT would like to emphasise our disappointment in response to works to a listed building without listed building consent. We do not condone any unconsented alterations or changes to the fabric of a listed building. We additionally note that no explanation has been provided with regards to the retrospective nature of this application; we suggest that suitable justification, such as relevant communications with a conservation officer, is included as part of this application.

The Trust is concerned with the volume of proposed CCTV to the exterior of 2 Bathwick Hill, with an increase of six cameras to eight that have all been mounted to historic fabric. In particular, we feel that the addition of cameras to the front and side elevations is unsuitable due to the building’s high visibility from Bathwick Hill and fine road-facing façade. The addition of cameras to the front elevation will result in an increasingly cluttered and asymmetrical appearance contrary to the building’s intended design. Whilst the side elevation is less aesthetically prominent, the clustering of four cameras in a position highly visible from the road renders them more visually prominent and intrusive.

We would therefore maintain that the front elevation, as the most significant elevation facing onto Bathwick Hill, should be kept clear of additional fixtures that will clutter the building’s existing appearance. We would also encourage that the cameras attached to the side elevation should either be reduced in number or spread out across the elevation to disperse their visual incongruity.

We remain concerned with the means of fixing the proposed cameras to the external walls of the building, on which no information has been provided. From the images and proposed bracket design submitted as part of the application, it appears that the new cameras will be drilled into the historic masonry, and constitute irreversible harm to historic fabric. We would strongly recommend that the proposed method of fixing is detailed and submitted before this application progresses further.