New bid refused in battle over cottage
An historic cottage in Bath has been saved from development after a planning row that lasted ten months.
More than 100 people objected to the initial scheme to knock down Waterworks Cottage on Charlcombe Way and build three new houses in its place.
The site is owned by Jeremy Flavell and his wife Sarah, who run Point Three Design, an architecture and interior design practice with offices in Bath and London.
Waterworks Cottage was built in the 1850s and played a key part in the city’s industrial development, as the home of workmen who maintained Bath’s fresh water supply. Although it is part of the World Heritage Site, the cottage is outside the conservation area and has been vacant for several years.
Now, a revised application to extend the building, and fit two more houses onto the site, has been refused by the council’s planning committee.
A decision notice issued on
August 4 said: “The proposal results in overdevelopment of the site through its cramped and contrived form, particularly plot two and its poor relationship in the setting of the existing dwelling. Additionally, the proposal by reason of its design of the proposed dwellings, particularly the flat roofs of plot two, detracts from and fails to respond to the local context, failing to maintain the character and appearance of the surrounding area.”
Judith Burgess, 62, lives nearby and said: “Obviously we are all delighted that the cottage has been saved. We are all very happy. It’s not just that it has been saved, it’s that it’s going to be a locally listed heritage asset, which means it can still be altered, but it has to be sympathetic to its character.
“We would love to see the cottage as a family home and people could be living in it and enjoying the wonderful wildlife here.
“We don’t want it to lie empty and we welcome sympathetic plans for the future.”
Plans to demolish it and build a trio of four-bedroom houses on the site were submitted in October 2020 and within weeks more than 100 people had objected.
The Flavells were not put off, and in February this year, they revised their plans to extend – rather than demolish – the Victorian cottage.
Although this was a small victory for locals and history buffs, the updated plans showed two new homes with parking were still intended for the site. Another 200 objections came rolling in.
Councillor Rob Appleyard then referred the application to the planning committee for consideration and, after a ten-month row, a decision came on August 4.
As well as being “cramped and contrived” the committee explained that the plans went against several council frameworks for development, like the target net gain in biodiversity.