Catholic Church of The Good Shepherd, Northend, Batheaston, Bath, Bath and North-East Somerset, BA1 7EN.
Erection of four dwellings with associated landscaping and parking following demolition of existing mass centre [revision].
BPT submitted comments on the initial proposals on 11 December 2023. The following is in light of revisions and additional material, principally of 22 July 2024.
The B&NES Council Conservation Officer in their comments of 21 February 2024 recommended the church as a Locally Listed Heritage Asset, a non-designated heritage asset (NDHA). The same officer compiled a report recommending that the subject building be locally listed on 7 March 2024. The building being recognised as a NDHA by the Local Planning Authority (LPA), is acknowledged by the applicant in their Heritage Assessment (22 July 2024) at para. 9.1, p.22.
BPT had concerns with the initial design for the housing and acknowledge the improvement in the design of the proposed dwellings via the revisions of 22 July 2024.
With regard to the proposed demolition of the church, the LPA will need to engage with paragraph 209 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (December 2023) and paragraphs 205 to 208 as appropriate, in terms of any impact on the significance of the conservation area, a designated heritage asset.
With reference to the ‘balancing exercises’ of paragraphs 207, 208 and 209 of the NPPF. The LPA may of course give due regard to the provisions of dwellings as being a public benefit.
If the LPA are minded to permit the application, then we would expect engagement with paragraph 210 of the NPPF, “Local planning authorities should not permit the loss of the whole or part of a heritage asset without taking all reasonable steps to ensure the new development will proceed after the loss has occurred” and paragraph 211 “Local planning authorities should require developers to record and advance understanding of the significance of any heritage assets to be lost…”.