39 Milsom Street, City Centre

The Trust objects strongly to this application on the basis that the addition of a so-called Dutch blind intrudes upon and therefore detracts from the special interest of the listed building. Somersetshire Buildings is listed asset of particular note within the Milsom Street heritage ensemble, and it has special architectural and artistic interest and significance in relation to the highly decorated composition of the curved façade. In our view this façade should not be cluttered by extraneous branded additions as this detracts from the appreciation of the overall architectural rhythm of the elevation.

The applicant already has intrusive signage pin mounted to the frontage, and this in our view is just about acceptable; a further sign with lettering could be included on the panel above the doorway. We also regret that the blind has already been installed, meaning that no doubt historic fabric has been damaged as a result of the fixings. We cannot imagine the blind provides any meaningful rain cover given it does not protrude far out onto the pavement. The blind also impacts negatively on the visual amenity of the streetscene and if agreed would set an alarming precedent for Milsom Street.

The proposed scheme would harmfully impact on the special interest of the listed building and would fail to maintain or enhance the character of the conservation area. It would therefore detract from the special qualities of the WHS. The scheme would be contrary to the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, Section 16 (Conserving and Enhancing the Historic Environment) of the NPPF, policies B1, B4, and CP6 of the B&NES Core Strategy and policies CP6, HE1, D9, BD1, B.4, of the Placemaking Plan. We would therefore recommend the application be refused.