Basement Garden Flat, 74 Great Pulteney Street, Bathwick, Bath
74 Great Pulteney Street forms part of a Grade I series of late 18th century terraced houses at 66-77 Great Pulteney Street, situated within the Bath conservation area and World Heritage Site. It forms part of the wider streetscape setting of multiple clusters of high significance Grade I terraced buildings along Great Pulteney Street to form a cohesive architectural whole which creates an intentional visual thoroughfare between Pulteney Bridge and the Holburne Museum as part of an unfinished mid-18th century aspirations to extend the city to the east of the River Avon. It is therefore a significant evidential aspect of Bath’s Georgian Town Planning OUV as a World Heritage Site. The frontage of Great Pulteney Street as a whole remains paramount in its aesthetic, architectural, and historic value; the architect Thomas Baldwin was responsible for the homogenous design of the façade, but the actual structures were built individually, resulting in different internal layouts and features along the terrace.
In light of the declared Climate Emergency, BPT is generally supportive of the principle of energy efficiency retrofits where this is compatible with the special architectural and historic interest of a listed building.
The proposed window replacements would be visible as part of the principal façade; however, the lower ground floor windows are recessed in the below-pavement lightwell and therefore are of reduced visibility or architectural prominence as viewed as part of the Great Pulteney Street frontage. As such, retrofit in this location may be considered appropriate where it can be demonstrated that replacement windows would adequately reflect and replicate historic fenestration detailing and character.
From the Heritage Statement, it is unclear as to the age or provenance of the existing multi-pane sash windows at lower ground floor level, and therefore we are unable to comment on whether their replacement would result in a loss of historic fabric. We strongly recommend that this is clarified with the case officer to enable a fully-informed assessment of the potential impact to the special interest of the listed building.
Furthermore, there is insufficient information available as part of this application to assess the proposed appearance, profile, and finish of the proposed windows, as well as details such as the proposed glazing bar profiles and measurements. We maintain that sections of both the existing windows and the proposed double glazed units should be submitted for suitable comparison, and to ensure that the proposed replacements are congruous with the traditional appearance and character of a Grade I building.