A proposed expansion of Frenchay Village Museum has been granted permission by councillors against the advice of planning officers. South Gloucestershire Council development management committee voted 7-0, with two abstentions, to approve the listed building application to demolish the existing single-storey extension and garage and build a single-storey rear and a two-storey side extension with disabled toilets.
The local authority’s conservation officer said it would cause “substantial harm” to the historic importance of the former lodge and recommended refusal. But councillors gave the go-ahead after deciding the public benefits would far outweigh this.
Two cross-party ward councillors, the cabinet member for planning, Winterbourne Parish Council and 19 residents supported the plans. Similar proposals were approved by the committee in 2022 but because the building is classed as “curtilage listed” as it is associated with the nearby Grade II-listed Frenchay Park House, listed building consent was also required.
This was refused by officers last December because the scale of the alterations were deemed too big. So, Frenchay Tuckett Society, which runs the local history museum, made some changes to the designs, which members accepted on Thursday, October 24, despite officers’ recommendation to refuse, although a fresh planning application is now needed because it is slightly different to the scheme that previously got the green light.
Society chair Hugh Whatley told the meeting that over the last 10 years, 450 homes had been built on the former Frenchay Hospital which now separate the old lodge from the main listed building, so the historic context between the two had been eroded. Architect John Page said: “The extension has been designed with every care to make sure that the original lodge retains its identity and to ensure its scale and pretty appearance are not smothered by the new extension.”
He said the extension would be set well back from the tiny museum to ensure it could not be seen from the front of the building.
Cllr Cllr Liz Brennan said: “The application proposes removing an eyesore of a modern pebble-dash flat-roof garage and replacing it with an extension to the lodge.
“I want to emphasise the considerable community benefits that the museum brings to our residents and the wider area. The museum, supported by dedicated volunteers, serves as an invaluable resource.
“It allows our community, including local schools, to engage in and learn about the history of Frenchay, a history that would likely be lost without this museum’s efforts. The modern housing development now surrounds the gatehouse lodge and the significance to the main house is no longer visible.
“The society and the architect have approached the extension with a deep respect for heritage and preservation.”
