60 Caledonian Road, Twerton, Bath

60 Caledonian Road is an unlisted late 19th century terraced dwelling situated within the Bath conservation area and World Heritage Site. The streetscape is of a mixed variety of elevational treatments such as Bath stone ashlar, and coursed rubblestone with Bath stone dressings, and bay windows at ground floor. The street is representative of the typical Victorian and Edwardian residential terraces within Bath, particularly to the south of the River Avon.

In principle, BPT is supportive of sensitive sustainability retrofits, where deemed appropriate, within the historic environment.

We would recommend that the LPA considers this application taking into account the ‘Whole Home’ principle, and that the applicants energy hierarchy should be considered, i.e. the applicant should be required to demonstrate that other energy saving and energy efficiency measures are being implemented within this home ahead of the proposed energy generation which has a wider impact.
We maintain some concerns regarding the proposed mounting of standardised PV panels, that do not take special care about visual appearance, on street-facing roof slopes, where it would be highly visible from the public realm,. This application will be likely to set a significant precedent for the similar installation of PV panels throughout the historic unlisted late 19th century residential suburbs of Bath with a resulting cumulative impact on the character and appearance of the conservation area.

There is insufficient information provided regarding the proposed panels’ finish or position, and there is some inconsistency in the proposed location and volume of panels presented in the proposed drawings. In accordance with Policy SCR2 of the Core Strategy and Placemaking Plan, panels should have a monochrome, non-reflective appearance and utilise a regular, rhythmic pattern to mitigate visual harm. We additionally strongly recommend that panels sit flush with the roof tiles rather than being raised and consequently more visually prominent.
We highlight the significance of getting this application right to ensure an appropriate baseline of microrenewable installations that does not compromise the appearance and character of the Bath conservation area and World Heritage Site.