46 Sydney Buildings, Bathwick

46 Sydney Buildings forms part of a pair of Grade II semi-detached late Georgian dwellings situated within the Bath conservation area and World Heritage site, overlooking the boundary of the Bath and Bristol Green Belt and the Cotswolds AONB.

BPT does not oppose the principle of the construction of a side extension due to a precedent having already been established along the Sydney Buildings road. However, we maintain that any such extension should be complementary and recessive in its design and use of materials, with suitable justification provided regarding any possible loss of historic fabric or aesthetics.

We feel that the height and position of the extension is appropriate. It is well set back from the principle façade of the building, and is subservient in its height and massing.

However, we have some concerns regarding the use of slate cladding. Typically, this is a material prominent in Bath’s roofscape, and the complementary contrast between the use of natural slate and Bath stone ashlar helps to clearly differentiate between the roof profile and the main body of the building. We would therefore suggest that a material more in-keeping with the traditional vernacular of a street of largely Grade II designated Georgian building stock is considered for the walls of the extension, such as Bath stone ashlar. This will ensure that the clear, material delineation between the building body and the roof is sharply retained.

We would additionally suggest that, particularly on the principle east elevation, the extension window design is amended to better follow the established profile design and placement of 45 & 46 Sydney Buildings. We would recommend that the windows are centralised and remain of a size and shape consistent with one another, and could potentially adopt some aspects of traditional window detailing to better complement and enhance the appearance of a listed building.

There additionally appears to be a proposed change regarding the first floor window on the rear west elevation present in the existing and proposed elevations that is not elaborated within the D&A Statement or Heritage Statement. We would be grateful if this detail could be clarified as part of this application.