3 Milsom Street, City Centre, Bath

BPT is generally supportive of the extent of proposed cleaning, repointing, and repair works where this would be of benefit to the appearance and special interest of a Grade II listed building. The works have already been undertaken and the application is retrospective; BPT maintains a general preference for relevant listed building consent to be secured ahead of the commencement of any works.

As part of works, it is regrettable that scaffolding has already been installed “proprietary restraint brackets fitted into masonry joints.” Where possible, we maintain scaffolding should be freestanding to minimise the need to drill into the stonework of a listed building and associated loss of historic fabric. Where fixings are unavoidable, these should be limited to the mortar joints to minimise irreversible damage. Where scaffolding has already been installed, it is indicated that NH lime mortar repairs have been undertaken; these should be of a close colour match to ensure fixing points blend in against the stonework.

Reference is made in the Schedule of Works and the Historic Environment Statement to the use of Lithomex for stone repair works, although we have some concerns about the apparent use of a cement-based/cement-mix system for works to a listed building. However, the application form indicates that the use of Lithomex has been omitted from the Schedule of Works; we recommend this aspect of the scheme is further clarified and express a preference for repairs to be undertaken in a suitable lime mix.