Flat 1, St John’s Court, St John’s Road, Bathwick

St John’s Court is an unlisted assisted living block situated within the Bathwick character area of the Bath conservation area and World Heritage site.
BPT supports the sensitive retrofit of existing buildings to extend their sustainability of use, reduce carbon emissions in light of the recent Climate Emergency, and enhance the comfort of residents.

However, we strongly object to the replacement of timber window frames with uPVC equivalents. The Trust feels that this will degrade the visual character of the conservation area due to the scale and massing of the existing building. The proposed scale of change will therefore have a significant, detrimental effect on the streetscape that will consequently impact the ancillary surroundings of Grade II properties such as Brompton House Hotel, the Church of St John the Baptist, and Bathwick School. We do not feel that the explanation for the preference of uPVC frames justifies this proposal, and a suitable consideration for how the conservation area will be affected needs to be demonstrated.

We are also unsure regarding which windows are being replaced. Whilst all necessary elevations are supplied, the current timber windows are not adequately annotated. The precise location of windows to be altered would need to be clarified before this application could be fully considered.

Whilst BPT encourages the sustainable retrofit of existing buildings, we object to the replacement of timber window frames with uPVC and would prefer a like-for-like instalment in style and materials. The use of uPVC will neither preserve nor enhance the historic environment. This application is therefore contrary to the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Area) Act 1990, Section 16 of the NPPF, and Core Strategy and Placemaking Plan Policies B1, B4, BD1, CP1, CP6, D1, D2, D3, D5, and HE1, and should be refused.