7 Upper Oldfield Park, Oldfield Park, Bath

7 Upper Oldfield Park is a semi-detached Victorian villa, identified as a Non-Designated Heritage Asset within the Bear Flat & Oldfield Park CACA, situated within the Bath conservation area and World Heritage Site. The area is characterised by its mid-density volume, consisting of Victorian and Edwardian villas placed centrally within generous private gardens. The reduced building density and frequent gaps between buildings allows for broader townscape views across the site and glimpses of the wider landscape setting of the World Heritage Site. Whilst the street-facing elevation of 7 Upper Oldfield Park remains most visually significant, its rear elevation and roofscape is visible from Oldfield Road to the south and therefore participates within ‘glimpsed’ townscape views through the conservation area.

In light of the declared Climate Emergency, the Trust welcomes opportunities for the suitable implementation of energy-efficient measures and micro renewables within historic buildings and landscapes so long as these retrofits are sensitive to the significance of their context, although we maintain that the suitability of installation should continue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Whilst BPT acknowledges that the rear roof slope of 7 Upper Oldfield Park is of limited visibility and is set back from the road, it does have some public visibility as part of wider views through the streetscape. We therefore maintain the need to appropriately mitigate potential visual harm.

We emphasise the need for further design details, and recommend the use of monochrome panels with a matt finish to reduce reflectivity and associated visual harm, in accordance with Policy SCR2 of the Core Strategy and Placemaking Plan.