4 Greenway Crescent, Greenway Lane, Lyncombe, Bath

4 Greenway Crescent forms part of a contemporary residential development situated within the Lyncombe Vale character area of the Bath conservation area and World Heritage Site. The main focus of this application is on the the associated woodland site to the immediate south-east of the crescent, located within the Ecological Network, Green Infrastructure Network, and a Site of Nature Conservation Interest. This woodland site is significant as a strong contributor to the “secluded and semi-rural character” (Conservation Area Character Appraisal 2018) of the Lyncombe Vale area and in southerly views towards Perrymead, and makes a positive aesthetic contribution to the verdant character of the conservation area and the wider setting of the World Heritage Site. A strip of this woodland area is in joint ownership with 4 Greenway Crescent, and this application proposes an improved access point between the two.

The Heritage Statement notes that the proposed access would “enable the client to manage the woodland and conservation efforts in the area of the Site”, which is to be encouraged. However, we note that direct access may result in increased pressure on this woodland site to function as a domestic extension of the house and upper-level garden, with increased pressure for associated garden structures or paraphernalia, or increased illumination to the detriment of the densely-planted, rural appearance and character of the area. We therefore recommend that necessary conditions to restrict lighting and ancillary development should be attached to any forthcoming planning permission to ensure that change is appropriately managed in this sensitive area.