CDC architects panel minutes - 27th June 2002

Cotswold District Council Architect's Panel

Minutes of meeting held at 2.00 p.m. on Thursday 27th June 2002 Present

David Butcher Rug Ellis Simon Cairns - Conservation & Design Officer CDC Peter Ashby - Principal Conservation & Design Officer CDC

1. Apologies Philip Wyn Davies Anthony Priddle Christopher Kubale Terry Hopegood John Whitton Jim Harboard David Heath

2. Minutes of Previous Meeting

Agreed as an accurate record.

3. Matters Arising, including an update on schemes previously considered by the Architect's Panel

None

4. Brimpscombe Park, Kingscote - Erection of country house, with garden, gate lodge, walled garden and associated park.

Reg Ellis and David Butcher declared an interest.

Simon Cairns outlined the overall scheme, together with the landscape context of the proposal within this remote incised valley. The quality of the submission in terms of presentation and depth was noted as impressive.

The Panel Members considered a site inspection was essential to evaluate the appropriateness of the scheme with regard to the requirements of paragraph 3.21 of PPGT.. It was agreed that a site inspection would be organised on the 19th July to permit a considered response to the scheme by the Panel.

Site Inspection 19th July, 2002

Present:

Malcolm Watt - Heritage Manager CDC
Simon Cairns - Conservation & Design Officer
Terry Hopegood
Jim Harboard
John Whitton

The visiting Panel members viewed the site from the opposite valley side to place the site in the context of the wider landscape and the chain of country houses (Lasborough Park, Boxwell Court, Ozleworth Park, Newark Park) which are dotted along the valley. The Panel noted the prominence of the site and its commanding position within the valley.

The Panel walked the site and examined the siting of the house which had been pegged out by the applicants to assist with the Council's consideration of the proposals. The design of the house, its landscape setting, the proposed lodge, walled garden, agricultural barn and associated landscape works were considered in context.

The Panel considered that the Lodge was sited irrationally and lacked the context appropriate to a lodge. The driveway was considered too functionally routed, lacking the drama normally associated with the approach to a country house.

The Panel considered the architectural quality of the scheme in the light of paragraph 3.21. The design of the house was considered generally well conceived and correctly detailed. The panel discussed the concept of "outstanding". In isolation, the design was assessed as probably approaching the standard required by the PPG7. However, the Panel noted that both the design of the buildings and landscaping must together achieve a significant enhancement. The Panel considered that it was a difficult task to impose an outstanding scheme on an already outstanding landscape. The Panel considered the landscaping proposals were insufficiently exciting, lacking the tension between the Palladian cube of the house and the serpentine line of the Park.

The Panel considered the Applicants had insufficient control over the surrounding landscape to achieve a substantive enhancement. The proposed tree planting was considered haphazard. A much lighter hand was considered appropriate. The Applicants holding was considered too small in extent to yield a substantial enhancement via maintenance alone.

5. Recommendations

The size of the Applicants holding was considered too small to facilitate a substantive enhancement;

The siting of the proposed Lodge was considered inappropriate and without context;

The landscaping scheme was considered weak and without rationale; The orientation of the house and drive failed to achieve the sense of drama and surprise essential to planned landscapes in the classical tradition;

The scheme as a whole failed to yield the substantial enhancement of its setting essential to satisfy paragraph 3.21 of PPG7.

6. Any Other Business

No other items of business were discussed.

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