Grade II listed Old Portsmouth house denied rooftop sunroom revamp
Plans for a modern sunroom and glass balustrade on a Grade II listed house in Old Portsmouth have been refused.
The council’s planning committee accepted the officer’s recommendation to refuse plans for 60A High Street, on the corner of High Street and Grand Parade, within a conservation area.
The proposal sought to replace the existing fourth-floor sunroom. It also included enlarging the roof terrace and adding a 1.15m-high glass balustrade around the entire roof.
Officers argued the glass balustrade would sit close to the edge of the roof and would be highly visible in long views. They also said the proposed “sky grey” fibre-cement cladding for the sunroom was not suitable for a listed building.
The council said the changes would cause “less than substantial” harm to heritage assets, but that no public benefit had been shown to outweigh that harm. Two public comments were received.
The applicant, speaking at the committee, described the existing sunroom as being in a “poor and deteriorating condition” which allows rainwater to penetrate to the floor below.
The proposed new sunroom would have been clad in sky grey cement fibre, replacing the current white UPVC cladding, despite officers preferring white painted timber, which the applicants argued would require more maintenance due to wind, sun and salt spray.
“Turning to the balustrade: we propose frameless glass with no top rail, no framing and no upright supports. It is deliberately minimal and visually recessive.
“By contrast, painted railings introduce vertical elements and a defined top line, increasing the perceived height and prominence of the building.”
“We fully recognise the significance of this Listed Building and its Conservation Area context. The revised proposal is modest, responds to officer advice, and we do not believe it results in harm to the building or the wider setting.”
Councillors moved to refuse the application on officers’ advice that the glass balustrade was inappropriate.
Cllr Lee Hunt said: “The truth of it is this is a very important conservation area where millions of people visit every year and they expect to see a preserved old Portsmouth.”