Clarkson House, 5 Great Stanhope Street, Kingsmead, Bath

Clarkson House is an unlisted 1980s residential block located with the Bath City-Wide Conservation Area and World Heritage Site. It is a late 20th century replica of a pre-existing war-damaged Georgian property and is therefore of limited historic significance. However, it remains a prominent, four storey façade within the streetscape, and forms the setting for a high concentration of Grade II late 18th century terraced townhouses along Great Stanhope Street and New King Street. Whilst aspects of its form and articulation, such as the visible height and pitch of the roof profile from street level, mark it out as a later addition, the building was originally constructed to mirror the traditional materiality, form, and balance of the terraced streetscape. Its current value is therefore derived from its material consistency with a Bath stone ashlar frontage and detailing such as traditional-effect rainwater goods and timber 6-over-6 sash windows. Despite its significant scale, it remains fairly inconspicuous due to its sympathetic elevational treatment and conformity to the established architectural style of the streetscape. Consequently, any further alteration to the frontage would need to be sensitive and thoughtful, in a materiality and design that would complement its context.

Application 19/04196/FUL was originally granted planning permission for the wholescale replacement of the existing single glazed timber sash windows with slimlite double glazed equivalents. This planning permission has since expired, and the current proposals are intended to be a renewal of this planning permission with some minor alterations.

We continue to be supportive of the proposed replacement of all existing, non-historic windows timber sash windows, and we commend the use of a traditional, multi-pane sash design across key, street-facing elevations to reinforce the use of traditional joinery within the local streetscape, and sustain the setting of multiple heritage assets.

In response to the Climate Emergency, BPT is supportive of sensitive sustainability retrofits, where deemed appropriate, within the historic environment, as well as the sympathetic upgrade of traditional and listed housing stock to better meet modern standards of living.

The replacement of the existing single glazed windows within a 20th century building offers a positive opportunity to install a more thermally efficient glazing type with NO loss of historic fabric and negligible harm to streetscape character, where the replacement windows are indicated to be of an acceptable thickness, profile, and design.

All replacement window units would be timber-framed sashes with through glazing bars, and would be, in principle, materially in keeping with the character and appearance of the area.
The proposed glazing bar profile, glazing thickness, and thickness of the proposed sash frame and meeting rails would be exactly the same as previously proposed and granted planning permission as part of application 19/04196/FUL.

We note a minor amendment to the previous scheme in which it is currently proposed to install traditional-style 6-over-6 sash windows across all publicly visible elevations only (identified as elevations A-F), where the existing windows already utilise a 6-over-6 fenestration style. All internal elevations that currently utilise a 1-over-1 sash would be replaced in a like-for-like style. Where 6-over-6 sash windows are proposed, this would reinforce the traditional fenestration type of the local area and help ensure a cohesive visual relationship between Clarkson House and the wider terrace. Where 1-over-1 windows are proposed, these would be situated in areas of restricted public visibility and would not be experienced as part of the wider streetscape, and as such this distinction is considered to be acceptable.

BPT is very interested in the proposed upgrade of windows on this scale within the historic environment, and we are keen to engage with the applicant throughout the planning process regarding the potential to compile a case study that could inform similar retrofit works elsewhere in Bath.