A Heritage Statement led to a successful planning application on a residential scheme in south east London.
A new ground floor extension was proposed to the rear of a property located within a (Brookmill Road) Conservation Area. This meant a heritage assessment and justification was required. The urban context was assessed and issues concerning the addition of external alterations were reviewed in light of their impact on the architectural and historical significance of the site and its setting.
The Conservation Area was developed as a later part of Deptford New Town between the 1850s and 1870s, Its character is of a planned sequence of buildings running up one side of the road, as presented by a uniform skyline and a line of front railings. The building derived its significance from it being an example of a late Victorian building, purposefully created as a block of 3 paired buildings. The building acted as a counter to the change in the development of the street; as it is the last in the small group of 1890’s buildings that abut the majority of 1850’s buildings that characterise the street.
An existing extension on the rear side offered the building little width or depth and from an aesthetic point of view created an irregular reading of the building. The appearance of the lean-to at the rear compromised the more interesting roof pitch, brick and fenestration of the main building.
The design included a structure contained within the rear envelope of the building that would not have any impact on the principle front elevation of the building. It would be in keeping with the local terrace so as to create a contextual response.
The extension reflected the design details of the existing building. It introduced a contemporary yet congruous form of development to the rear of the building that related to the roof format of the terrace.
“Feedback from the planners said that both the DAS and the Heritage Impact Statement are amongst the best they have ever seen. They further said they use them in internal meetings as the benchmark when discussing other applications.
All in all your input was extremely valuable and of very high quality.
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