Ferry Road, Southwold

The Council’s decision to refuse a replacement building hinged on the suitability of a new building in a conservation area where the setting of the sea, beach and town were important. The key area of disagreement with the Council was that the proposal to demolish an outdated building would have an impact on the special architectural and historic interest of the Conservation Area. Our case was built on assessing the form, scale and appearance of the replacement dwelling and its relationship to the character and appearance of the street scene. Our case relied on several arguments, highlighting the fact that a contemporary replacement continues the variety of buildings as seen along the road. We argued the proposal responded to the special local characteristics by creating a scheme that is sympathetic with the varied built context. We urged the Inspector to acknowledge the streetscape perspective, where the replacement building would be subordinate to the character of the Conservation Area, allowing the staccato rhythm to remain and forming an integral built pivot between the sand dunes on one side and the marsh land on the other.