158 The Hollow, Southdown, Bath

158 The Hollow is an unlisted late 20th century semi-detached dwelling, situated within the Bath World Heritage Site and the indicative townscape setting of the Conservation Area. The focus of works is to the existing garage at the rear of the site accessed off Haycombe Drive; the street is residential in character but is backed onto by dwellings along The Hollow. As such, the south-western extent of the road in particular is characterised by a high density of garages. The area is of a high residential density that was largely built up from the 1940s. This area of the streetscape is fairly constrained and as such is restricted to visibility in immediate views from/along the road.

The proposed panels would be clearly visible due to their angled position on top of the garage’s flat roof. However, given the mixed 20th century character and appearance of this area and the enclosed character of the street, any limited visual impact to the townscape resulting from the proposed addition of PV panels would be considered to be outweighed by the public benefits of ‘green’ energy generation and associated reduction in carbon emissions, which would contribute towards B&NES Council’s objectives to reach Net Zero by 2030.

We do continue to recommend that further details about the scale, appearance, and finish of the proposed panels are provided due to the amount of variety seen in different panel specifications. We emphasise our preference for ‘frameless’ panels with a matt black finish to minimise reflectivity and possible brightness of appearance and blend in as best as possible with the existing roof covering. Panels should sit as flush with the existing roof slope as practicable to prevent a visible ‘increase’ in roof ridge height. Where possible it is recommended to establish a ‘template’ for other future PV panel installations to ensure a coherent and recessive appearance within this area.