Design Access Statement: 4 St Mary’s Close, Bathwick, Bath, BA2 6BR.
Proposed two-storey extension to front and rear and improvement of vehicular and pedestrian access.
Introduction
4 St Mary’s Close is a 1950’s detached 3 bedroom house and lies within the Bath Conservation Area.
The house is constructed of sand faced concrete blocks under a concrete tiled roof.
The owners wish to;
 replace a flat roofed attached garage with a two-storey extension to the side,
 extend across the rear of property,
 improve both vehicular and pedestrian access to the property.
The Local Context
The property is set in a Cul-de-Sac within an established residential area and with properties of
similar but varying design. Since their construction, many properties have been altered with one or
two storey extensions, garages converted to living spaces, new and changed dormers, attic
conversions, and alterations to front landscapes and vehicle access. There is a mix of both families and
retired people living in the close.
The site slopes both from side to side and front to back. There is vehicular access and on-site parking
to both the front and rear of the property. There are side passages linking from front to back on either
side of the property. The house itself is in good condition with no alterations since it was originally
built apart from some of the original windows have been replaced with white powdered aluminium /
UPVC windows.
Current issues
The current property does not meet either current or future needs in terms of access, number of
bedrooms, bathrooms or family living space. The owners have lived in this property for just over 16
years and have 3 teenage boys. The owners envisage living in the house when retired.
Ramped concrete/grass driveway that is cracking in a number of places.
The flat concrete roof of the garage roof has started to crack and is no longer waterproof. The garage
is too small to take a modern car.
Pedestrian access is via the drive and a steep path. Pedestrian access is restricted when a car is parked
in the drive.
The energy efficiency of the property is poor.
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The Proposal
On the ground floor the garage will be replaced with a study and downstairs WC and the rear
extensions will provide an enlarged kitchen and living area. The stairs will be moved to accommodate
the downstairs WC.
On the first floor an extra bedroom with en-suite will be built above the former garage and the family
bathroom and two bedrooms will be enlarged.
The study, the bedroom above and the en-suite will initially be used as part of the main house but the
design allows them to also be used as a separate annexe at a future date, the study becoming a
kitchen/diner. This may be initially used to provide a independent living space for the oldest son who
is studying at Bath University and then in the future to provide generational living space in the form of
a granny annexe.
The slope of the drive will be reduced and at the same time widened to accommodate two cars.
A dedicated footpath to the front door will be created with a reduced slope.
Design Features
All of the design features in the proposal may be found in surrounding properties in St Mary’s Close, St
Catherine’s Close and St Ann’s Way. Build materials will be chosen to match as closely as possible with
existing. The aim of the design is to produce a house that could have been built at the time that the
estate was established.
The proposed design is for a bigger house. However the footprint will be smaller than other
properties in St Mary’s Close e.g. Nos. 5 and 16.
Sustainability
The house will be benefit from improved insulation.
The current heating system will be replaced with under floor heating powered by an energy efficient
boiler.
Funds permitting solar panels will be used to provide hot water.
Funds permitting PV panels will be used to provide electricity.
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The front of the property (north)
The width of the property remains unchanged, thus retaining both side access passages and thus
preserving the distance to properties on either side of 4 St Mary’s Close. The proposal will not come
forward of the existing frontage.
The two proposed dormer windows to the front of the property on the first floor are to be found on a
number of other properties in the close. E.g. No 3 and No 19.
No.3 frontage
No. 19 frontage
East side of property (next to No 3)
The new window for the family bathroom on the first floor of east side of the property will be
obscured glass. There will be two velux windows in the attic. One will be clear and will provide light
for the stairs up to the attic. The other will be obscured glass providing light to a potential future
bathroom in the attic.
Although a new small side and rear extension to the kitchen of number 3 currently being built means
that there is an extra kitchen window closer to our property we believe that the proposed extension
will block out no more light to No 3 than an existing tree between the two properties.
Note that the damp-proof course of No 3. (and therefore the ground floor) is 1.5m higher than No 4.
Photos showing No4 and No3 boundary
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West side of property
The front of no. 5 St Marys Close is set back by 6.3m from the front of no 4.
The proposed window for the kitchen on the west side
of the property overlooks a storage area for 5 St Mary’s
Close. There is also a fence between the two properties.
The door for the utility room will be of UPVC or GRP
construction, half gazed with obscured glass.
The study window will look down the close.
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As with the existing design, there will be two windows on the first floor on the west elevation. The
front most window will be 0.25m nearer to the front of the house than the existing one but will be
2.1m closer to 5 St Mary’s Close. It will not impact the privacy of 5 St Mary’s Close. All windows on the
east elevation of 5 St Mary’s Close are obscure glass providing light to a downstairs WC and stairwell.
On the second floor, the attic room, there will be a new window on the west elevation. The position of
this window will not impact the privacy of 5 St Mary’s Close.
Current view from inside No 4 from landing window looking at No
5.
Photo taken from garage rooftop from
proposed window position. 25cm nearer the
front of the house and 2.1m closer to No. 5
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Proposed Roof
The proposal continues to use the same pitch as existing and is found on all of the other properties in
the close. This results in the height of the roof increasing. The height / volume of the roof space will be
smaller than each of the larger semi’s in the close e.g. 5/6 10/11 and 15/16. The apex of the roof will
also still be 0.4m below No 3. The following section provides more detail.
Current roofline. Taken from the alley at the back of the gardens
Numbers 3, 4 and 5 St Mary’s Close are positioned on a slope. 3 St Mary’s Close is sited 1.5m above 4
St Mary’s Close which in turn is sited 0.85m above 5 St Mary’s Close. 3 and 4 St Mary’s Close have an
identical gable height, whilst 5 St Mary’s Close has a gable height 1.3m greater than 4 St Mary’s close.
This results in the roofline of 3 St Mary’s Close being 1.5m higher than 4 St Mary’s Close and 4 St
Mary’s Close being 0.45m below 5 St Mary’s Close
The proposed design will result in 4 St Mary’s Close having a 1.1m higher gable height. This would
result in the roofline of 4 St Mary’s being 0.4m below 3 St Mary’s Close and 0.65 above 5 St Mary’s
close.
The following page shows the current rooflines of numbers 3, 4 and 5, followed by the proposed
rooflines.
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