Antica Pulteney Bridge, 5 Argyle Street, Bath

5 Argyle Street forms part of a Grade II late 18th century terrace situated within the core of the Bath conservation area and World Heritage site. It is situated overlooking the principal facades of, and is contemporary to, the Grade II* late 18th century terrace 8-17 Argyle Street. It forms part of the traditional, commercial streetscape around and over the Grade I Pulteney Bridge, and therefore we emphasise the importance of maintaining the existing, historic appearance, materiality, and character of this part of the conservation area.

We note the previous presence of awnings on the shop front, as in the photographs provided, in what appear to be plastic or laminate. However, we emphasise that this does not establish an acceptable precedent for the use of similar awnings or materials as these have now been removed to the benefit of the appearance of a listed building.

We maintain that awnings within the city should accord with the traditional material and colour palette of the streetscape, and utilise high quality canvas rather than plastic. We note that minimal details regarding the proposed design of the “waterproof” awning have been included, such as its colour or finish. We therefore ask that these are submitted to the LPA for further clarification, and suggest that should the lettering on the awning fringe be deemed acceptable, the lettering should match that of the fascia board to retain aesthetic homogeneity across the shopfront.

We also emphasise the need for the awning to be closed, and sit flush with the shop front, when not in use.