9 Woodland Grove, Claverton Down, Bath, Bath and North-East Somerset, BA2 7AT.
Demolition of existing detached house and erection of 2no dwellings with associated works.
The proposal site is located within the World Heritage Site (WHS) and the defined ‘landscape setting of settlements’ (B&NES Policy NE2A – January 2023). The respective boundaries of the Bristol and Bath Green Belt and the Cotswolds National Landscape are nearby.
The existing dwelling is a 4no. bed bungalow in a good-sized plot and the character of buildings in the immediate vicinity is principally defined by dwellings of the twentieth and twenty first centuries.
It is noted that the scheme has been subject to pre-application advice from the Local Planning Authority (LPA).
The scheme presents an increase in built density; however, this is not detrimental given the immediate context.
The proposed material palette does not appear to be wholly in keeping with that of the immediate vicinity.
The proposed dwellings are likely to perform better in terms of energy efficiency, than the existing; however, the demolition and construction will entail the loss of embodied carbon and it is not evident how long it will be before the new building’s performance will off-set this loss.
The principle of development is broadly acceptable; however, there are concerns with the loss of embodied carbon via the proposed demolition and construction.