Plans have been submitted to demolish a property in Shenstone to make way for a replacement.
The proposals would see 5 Church Road knocked down and a four bedroom house built in its place.
A planning statement said the development would be an improvement on the current property.
“It is recognised within the conservation area appraisal that the quality of design of the existing dwelling is poor and dated. The materials used are of poor quality.
“The building as it stands performs extremely poorly with regards to its thermal qualities and energy efficiency.
“The aim of these proposals are to provide the applicant with an updated modern family home, injecting life back in to the dwelling and its context, while enhancing its fabric for more efficient living.
“The proposals look to tidy the site up, including the removal of the low quality flat roof features, adding a more traditional character that is more sympathetic to the conservation area and enhancing the immediate vicinity.”
Planning statement
Full details can be seen on Lichfield District Council’s planning website.
Personally I find the design of the replacement dwelling bland and predictable. The windows look small, which is good for thermal efficiency but not so good for natural daylight and ventilation during summer. There is nothing wrong with bold architecture, even in a conservation area.
Adam… It is hardly a conservation area if it admits bold new architecture and in that context there is everything wrong with it. I would concede that the case for conservation is a concept of our times. The Victorian’s destroyed things wholesale if they were no longer fit for purpose. Our multicultural society would suggest that things that were important to our culture is less so in the new reality. I would, however, offer one thought (not my own)… If you want to know where you are going it helps to know where you have come from.
Philip, lots of conservation areas have bold new architecture: Many of the new colleges in Oxford and Cambridge have new buildings that add to their neighbours rather than detract. Perhaps my use of the word “bold” was slightly enthusiastic though, there are plenty of examples of the wrong building in the wrong place. This is a great publication with some good examples: I hope you find it as interesting as I have; Building in context: new development in historic areas (designcouncil.org.uk)