From:
Eric Booth
Date:
Jul 03 16:59 UTC
Short link
I know there's been some discussion in the past about setting up a group to
consider and contribute to planning issues in the area, but the for the time
being the suggestion is for these to be raised here. I have a specific issue,
but it relates to some broader points that may be of interest to others so I
hope you won't mind be raising it.
We live in Alpha Road which is in a conservation area and is one of the oldest
streets south of the river; we think our house is about 1830. These houses have
lots of character, but they are fairly small and due to their age, design and
the work done over the years they tend to suffer from damp and other problems.
They also represent a challenge to improve their environmental performance. For
example the 'butterfly' roof means only limited insulation can be put in the
loft and there is a large cold bridge where the lead valley runs.
We've been working with Simon Lewis from The Green House Project
http://www.thegreenhouseproject.net/ and, from starting at looking at external
insulation, have come up with a plan to address a number of issue in the house
including insulation of walls and roof, solar PV and thermal, rainwater and
ventilation. There are various interesting ideas here but the one I want to
raise is that we want to change the roof. It might be possible to do this
without changing the external profile of the house, but the opportunity arises
to put a room in the loftspace - and that's the only way to really justify the
investment.
So, after that rambling introduction, the nub of the issue is that we find
ourselves in between two sets of planning priorities, both of which I'm
sympathetic to. One being to maintain the character of the area and in
particular to not permit changes to the skyline (see the Bristol Local Plan
link below). The other more recent priorities are about upgrading older
buildings and addressing environmental issues (see the PPG15 and SPD5 links).
Now I don't know which way our planning case officer will lean, but there does
seem a tension here. I'm also very aware that if our plan is approved then a
precedent will be set that will open the door to other applications that will
over time change the area.
My feeling (of course) is that our proposal represents a useful way forward for
houses like ours but I'd be interested in any other thoughts. (Of course if
anyone felt able to post a supportive comment on the planning portal that would
be helpful...)