Bristol Beacon, Bristol Heritage Statement for proposed amendments to approved scheme Prepared for Bristol City Council April 2021
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 0 Alan Baxter
Bristol Beacon, Bristol Heritage Statement for proposed amendments to approved scheme Prepared for Bristol City Council April 2021
Contents
Executive Summary ...... 2 Introduction ...... 3 Understanding Bristol Beacon...... 7 Heritage analysis of the proposed amendments ...... 10 Summary table and conclusion ...... 66 Sources ...... 77 Appendix A Entry on the National Heritage List ...... 78 Appendix B Conservation Area map ...... 80 Appendix C Historic Environment Record search results ...... 81 Appendix D Planning Policy ...... 82
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 1 Alan Baxter
Executive Summary
Bristol Beacon is a music venue in the centre of the city of Bristol. It is owned by Bristol City Council and administered by the Bristol Music Trust. Phase 2 of an extensive programme of rebuilding and refurbishment of the venue is currently underway (planning refs: 17/02916/FB and 17/02917/LA). During the course of demolition and detailed design works, and following detailed structural analysis, new conclusions and discoveries have prompted changes to the proposed design, externally and internally.
The architects and engineers have addressed the new requirements using the same architectural language and respect for architectural significance which guided the original proposed scheme. This Heritage Statement has been commissioned by Bristol City Council to research the history of the areas of proposed change, and to assess the impact of the proposed changes on the significance of Bristol Beacon.
The exterior envelope of Bristol Beacon is only affected by the proposed changes in minor ways, and they will cause no harm to the surrounding conservation area. The amendments to the scheme have throughout aimed to focus change on those areas of the structure of neutral or moderate significance, while repairing and better revealing those elements of highest significance. Overall, the proposed changes constitute only minor harm to the listed building, and include many items which bring a heritage benefit to the scheme. This slight harm will be mitigated by the public benefit of the newly refurbished and well-serviced Bristol Beacon.
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Introduction 1.1 Purpose of the Heritage Statement Bristol Beacon Steps Conservation Area in the City of Bristol (See Appendix B for further information on the conservation area). The building is owned by Bristol City Council and administered by the Bristol Music Trust. The Council and the Trust have embarked on a two-phase development project to transform Bristol Beacon into a world-class music venue and community resource.
Phase 1 of the Bristol Beacon project was completed in 2009. This involved the demolition of the former Gas showroom and headquarters Colston House (formerly Radiant House), on the site adjoining the hall to the south, and the construction of a new foyer extension in its place. The extension created an enlarged foyer, administration offices, education spaces and cafés. It is much appreciated by the staff of the hall, and has proved very popular with the public.
Phase 2 includes the complete rebuilding of the auditorium in the Great Hall, the refurbishment of the Lantern Building (which includes the historic entrance on Colston Street and the Lesser Hall (Hall 2) above it), and the transformation of the Lower Cellars. This achieved planning and listed building consent in February 2018 and at the time of writing demolition works are underway. As the project has progressed, new discoveries and other practicalities have prompted minor proposed changes to the design. A summary list of these proposed changes can be seen in section 1.2 below.
The listed building and the conservation area are designated heritage assets, as defined in annex 2 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2019 (the NPPF). Alan Baxter Ltd have been appointed by Stride Treglown to prepare this Heritage Statement to support an application for listed building consent for the proposed changes to the consented scheme. The statement describes the contribution that identified elements make to the significance of Bristol Beacon, and how the significance will be affected by the amended designs. It provides the planning policy context for determining the applications, and sets out a reasoned justification for the proposals.
Following the renaming of the former Colston Hall to Bristol Beacon in 2020, references throughout the document to the extant building have been changed to Bristol Beacon.
1.2 Site and scope Bristol Beacon stands on a triangular block just off The Centre (the A38 route through Bristol city centre). It is bounded by Pipe Lane to the south, Colston Street to the east, and Trenchard Street to the west. Originally completed over two phases in 1867 and 1873, Bristol Beacon has been substantially rebuilt on several occasions: in 1898 1900, 1936, 1950 51 and 2009. Much nineteenth-century fabric survives: the historic entrance and Lesser Hall (Hall 2), the Upper and Lower Cellars and the external walls of the Main Hall (Hall 1). The Main Hall auditorium, backstage and circulation spaces dated from 1950 51 and have largely been stripped out as part of the demolition works of Phase 2.
This document is concerned only with the proposed changes to the approved scheme and does not cover any other elements of the building. For the approved scheme please refer to 17/02916/FB and 17/02917/LA. The list of proposed amendments is below. Note that throughout of changes document.
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Description
Matrix of changes No. changes of Matrix 1 Blocking up north windows in the Lesser Hall (Hall 2)
2 Lowering of the stage roof
4 Replacement of Colston Street gate
6 Hall 1 parapet copings and string courses
7 Hall 2 south-west pilaster base to be demolished
8 South-west corner louvred door plant room extract increased in size
9 Omission of the platform lift stop at loggia level
12 Kitchen ranges covered by separate application*
15 Lantern stair arches south side
18 Removal of part of 1873 ceiling and joists to route ducting around green-painted beam and its corbel bracket
22 Demolition of lean-to slab at level 5 and reconstruction of 1900 wall below
23 Lantern arch stabilisation
24 Get-in staircase wall demolition and reconstruction
26 Demolition and reconstruction of 1951 plain brick parapet on Trenchard Street above the stage.
27 Structural reinforcement of 1900 brick piers either side of main stage
28 Amendment to existing air intake grille at low level on south elevation of Lantern Building
29 Trenchard St Lintel above infilled opening to be removed and mansard roof pitch increased
30 Hall 2 south-east corner pad-stones
32 Changes to the Old Fan Room
33 Remove existing vestibule slab and 1950's terrazzo floor to enable infill of voids below
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Description
Matrix of changes No. changes of Matrix 34 Addition of 3 new steel columns in restaurant and reconstruction of brick pier adjacent to restaurant entrance
35 Remove vestigial timber beam from 1873 originally part of 'third room' ceiling
36 Change of hauling arch new lean-to external walling from brick to rough cast render at northern end
38 Lower cellar flagstones not to be salvaged
40 Hauling Arch beam alteration
41 Get-in-yard air handling room façade demolition
42 (former Retiring Room ceiling) partial demolition
43 Bricking up non-original windows at level 5 in Main Hall (Hall 1) south elevation
45 Infilling of newly uncovered colonnade void (historic air duct)
46 Lead gutter modifications, Hall 2 roof and hauling arch roof
47 Lesser Hall (Hall 2) roof covering modifications
48 Amend listed building consent condition to retain WC pan in hauling arch
50 Masonry infill on Trenchard Street elevation
51 Dismantling and reconstructing roof structure of Careta
52 Demolition of parapet bearing on former backstage stair wall, get-in-yard
53 Extend ductwork above louvres on north elevation
*A separate listed building consent application has been submitted (ref 19/04278/LA) regarding a pair of Victorian kitchen ranges uncovered in the basement during demolition works.
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AlanBaxter
Figure 1 Site block plan
1.3 Methodology, sources and limitations Alan Baxter have been associated with Bristol Beacon since 2006, when we were commissioned to write a Conservation Plan for the building to inform decision making. In 2017 we produced the Heritage Statement which supported the recent planning application. This document draws on our existing work, supplemented by fresh research. Alan Baxter carried out a site visit on 14 May 2019 and again on 04 February 2020.
A full list of sources is included in Section 5.0 .
It is the nature of existing buildings that details of their construction and development may be hidden or may not be apparent from a visual inspection. The conclusions and any advice contained in our reports particularly relating to the dating and nature of the fabric are based on our research, and on observations and interpretations of what was visible at the time of our site visits. Further research, investigations or opening up works may reveal new information which may require such conclusions and advice to be revised.
This report does not deal with archaeology.
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Understanding Bristol Beacon
Bristol Beacon (originally named Colston Hall) was constructed on the site of a sixteenth-century mansion house in two phases, 1864-7 and 1869-73. Its large performance space, the Great Hall, has been destroyed by fire twice, in 1898 and again in 1945, and has now been stripped out for Phase 2 of the current refurbishment. 2.1 Summary history For the purposes of this document, only a brief summary history is included. For a more in-depth history of the former Colston Hall, please refer to Alan Baxter 17/02916/FB and 17/02917/LA.
In the late thirteenth century, the city of Bristol diverted and widened the River Frome, to form a straight broad channel called St Augustine's Reach which became a busy quay and boosted the prosperity of the city. A Carmelite friary, Whitefriars, was founded next to this channel in 1267. The friary was dissolved in 1538 and purchased by the Bristol Corporation, and in 1568 Sir John Young acquired the land and built a mansion, known as the 'Great House'. The mansion became a sugar refinery in 1653 and was then converted into a boy's school in 1710 by Edward Colston, when it became known as Colston's Hospital. The school moved out in 1861 and the house was
purchased by the Colston Hall Company and demolished in 1863.
Know your place, date accessed 10 June 2019 place, your accessedKnow June date 10
Figure 2 l
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The Colston Hall Company commissioned the noted Bristol architectural practice Foster and western part of the site, and a 'Lesser Hall' above a loggia on Colston Street to the east. The first phase the cellars and the Great Hall was built in 1864-67 and the Great Hall opened to the public on 20 September 1867. The second phase, incorporating the 'Lesser Hall' and the Loggia
was begun in 1869 and opened in March 1873.
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Figure 3 1885 Ordnance Survey (surveyed 1880-1882) showing the completed Colston Hall
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In 1892 Colston Hall lost its dockside location when the Docks north of Baldwin Street were infilled and the river culverted, being replaced by a busy intersection of roads and tramway
On 1 September 1898, a fire from an adjacent factory destroyed the Great Hall. A competition was held for architects to rebuild the building, which now included a parcel of land to the north where the burned factory had stood. The competition was won by Hall-Jones and Cummings, who recreated the Great Hall with balconies and galleries, and rearranged the stairs and loggia of the Lantern Building, as well as the internal arrangements of the Lesser Hall (Hall 2). The works
were completed by 1900.
Know your place, date accessed 10 June 2019 place, your accessedKnow June date 10
Figure 4 1903 Ordnance Survey (re-surveyed 1901) showing the larger footprint of Colston Hall after the 1900 rebuilding. The site to the north remains empty after the filled, though the channel remained open south of this image.
Between 1919 and 1936 a number of modifications and modernisations took place, including converting the Lesser Hall (Hall 2) into a theatre by constructing a proscenium arch and stage at its southern end, and adjusting the Great Hall for more flexible use. The refurbished Colston Hall opened in December 1936. In 1938 the immediate setting changed still further, when the remaining stretch of the Frome south of Baldwin Street was culverted, leaving little trace of the busy river channel that had defined the area.
The Great Hall was once again destroyed by fire in February 1945, caused by a dropped cigarette. Rebuilding work began in 1950 and the first test concert was held on 5 June 1951. This major rebuilding was to be the last large-scale work undertaken on Colston Hall until the construction of the Phase 1 foyer building in 2009.
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Heritage analysis of the proposed amendments 3.1 Structure and introduction We have arranged the analysis as a sequence of small heritage statements in this Chapter, one for each amendment. Each item includes a history and description, an assessment of significance, and an assessment of heritage impact.
3.1.1 Significance Assessing significance Assessing significance is the means by which the cultural importance of a place and its component parts is identified and compared, both absolutely and relatively. The purpose of this is not merely academic, it is essential to effective conservation and management because the identification of elements of high and lower significance, based on a thorough understanding of a site, enables owners and designers to develop proposals that safeguard, respect and where possible enhance the character and cultural values of the site. The assessment identifies areas where no change, or only minimal changes should be considered, as well as those where more intrusive changes might be acceptable and could enrich understanding and appreciation of significance.
Statutory designation is the legal mechanism by which significant historic places are identified in order to protect them. The designations applying to Bristol Beacon are its Grade II listing, and its . However, it is necessary to go beyond these in order to arrive at a more detailed and broader understanding of significance that considers more than matters archaeological and architectural-historical. This is achieved here by using the terminology and criteria from the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF, 2019). This document places the concept of significance at the heart of the planning process.
Annex 2 of the NPPF defines significance as:
The value of a heritage asset to this and future generations because of its heritage interest. That interest may be archaeological, architectural, artistic or historic. Significance derives not only fr
Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance (2008) includes a methodology NPPF terms are used because their adoption simplifies the preparation and assessment of planning and listed building consent applications, but the equivalent HE heritage values are given in brackets for reference.
Annex 2 of NPPF defines in the following way:
There will be archaeological interest in a heritage asset if it holds, or potentially may hold, evidence of past human activity worthy of expert investigation at some point. Heritage assets with archaeological interest are the primary source of evidence about the substance and evolution of places, and of the people and cultures that made them.
18a-006-20190723) gives these definitions for the other types of interest:
• These are the interests in the design and general aesthetics of a place. They can arise from conscious design or
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fortuitously from the way the heritage asset has evolved. More specifically, architectural interest is an interest in the art or science of the design, construction, craftsmanship and decoration of buildings and structures of all types. Artistic interest is an interest in other human creative skill, like sculpture.
• Historic Interes An interest in past lives and events (including pre- historic). Heritage assets can illustrate or be associated with them. Heritage assets with o provide an emotional meaning for communities derived from their collective experience of a place and can symbolise wider values such as faith and cultural identity .
Historic England has helpfully sought to clarify the distinction between archaeological interest and historic interest that NPPF intends. ng in the historic environment (published 27 March 2015) begins:
Archaeological interest, as defined in the NPPF, differs from historic interest because it is the prospects for a future expert archaeological investigation to reveal more about our past that need protecting.
The assessment of significance is usually an amalgam of these different interests, and the balance between them will vary from one case to the next. What is important is to demonstrate that all these interests have been considered. This is achieved by assessing the significance of the whole site relative to comparable places, and the relative significance of its component parts.
Summary statement of significance The following statement, from Alan Baxter significance of Bristol Beacon:
Evidential value: Bristol Beacon provides evidence of how a live performance venue operated in the late-nineteenth, early-twentieth and mid-twentieth centuries. The historic entrance and the Lesser Hall (Hall 2) have survived almost as completed in 1867 73. The Upper and Lower Cellars also survive largely intact. Originally storage space for a bonded warehouse, they are a direct
Broad Quay.
Historical value: the historical importance of Bristol Beacon derives from its origins as a and families. The combination of warehouse and concert hall speaks volumes about the interdependence of commerce and culture in the city. The location just off Broad Quay bears witness to the former extent to which the port of Bristol penetrated the historic centre. Bristol Beacon leading concert halls and performance venues.
Aesthetic value: Bristol Beacon is a prime example of the Bristol Byzantine style. The external façade on Colston Street presents a striking and handsome example of a Renaissance palazzo by the leading local architects Foster & Wood. Their work also survives to a great extent in the interior. The 1900 stair in the Lantern Building, and the interior of the 1951 auditorium also have some aesthetic value.
Communal value: The fact that the Main Hall is the fourth on the site indicates the importance of a public hall in this location to the people of Bristol. The communal value of Bristol Beacon derives from the role it has played as a focus of civic investment, cultural activity and personal meaning for a wide range of Bristol citizens and visitors to the city, over a long period of time.
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The survival of the cellars, built into the rising ground of the hill to the north, points to the medieval origins of the earliest buildings on the Whitefriars site. Their use during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as a bonded warehouse for a local wine and spirit merchant played a part in one of the traditional trades of the port of Bristol. The founding of the Colston Hall Company and the commitment of its investors to the project of making a new public hall is within a long local tradition of successful individuals investing in the civic life of Bristol. Their employment of an important local architectural practice that did much to form the Bristol Byzantine character of the city bears witness to their faith in the project.
That faith has been amply repaid by enthusiastic audiences for a wide range of events in the hall, whether they attended for reasons of political engagement, love of classical music, the obligation ncert, performance as a professional or amateur artist, or in pursuit of euphoric communion at a rock concert. An evening spent at the former Colston Hall is part of the collective experience of Bristolians, whether natives, incomers or visitors. This confers a high degree of communal value on the site.
The name Colston Hall commemorated Edward Colston (1636 1721) for his philanthropic activities, not his participation in the slave trade. The recent decision to rename the Hall affirms e important for reminding us of uncomfortable events, attitudes or
Bristol worthies incorporated into the interior decoration of the hall also carry commemorative value.
This unique combination of high evidential, historical, aesthetic and communal value, therefore, give Bristol Beacon high significance.
Grades of significance The different grades of significance of Bristol Beacon, as summarised by Alan Baxter in our 2017 Heritage Statement, use the following terminology:
High significance: architecture of the very highest national (and international) significance.
Significant/Considerable significance: original features that contribute to the historical and architectural interest of the heritage asset; or non-original features which are of sufficiently high quality that they maintain a high degree of architectural or historic interest.
Some/Moderate significance: original features which contribute to the historical and architectural interest of the heritage asset, but which are not in themselves (or as a group) of particular importance; or non-original features which contribute to maintaining the overall architectural or historic interest of the asset.
Neutral: features of little or no interest, which do not contribute positively to the historic and architectural interest of the asset. This can include original fabric where this is of minimal special interest and is located in an area that has undergone notable change.
Detracts: features that obscure or detract from the significance of the heritage asset.
3.1.2 Planning policy The designation of Bristol Beacon as a Grade II listed building and its position within the St Area, means that any proposals that affect its special interest will be subject to particular controls in addition to normal planning regulations and procedures. These include the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and the National Planning Policy Framework 2019 (NPPF). approach for planning development in Bristol. Reference is also made to the Site Alterations and
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Development Management Policies and the Bristol Central Area Plan.
A summary of heritage policies relevant to Bristol Beacon is included in Appendix D .
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 13 Alan Baxter
3.2 Item 1: Blocking up north windows in the Lesser Hall (Hall 2) 3.2.1 History of element and description of proposed change In the north wall of the Lesser Hall (Hall 2), three Crittal windows face onto the northern courtyard. The Lesser Hall was built in 1873, with a stage at its southern end. In 1900 following the rebuilding of the Great Hall, the Lesser Hall was reconfigured to accommodate a stair and small ancillary rooms and circulation spaces at its northern end and the stage was moved to the southern end. Window openings were probably originally made to light these new rooms in c. 1900, but the existing windows are metal-framed with concrete sills, typical of the 1920s onwards .
The consented scheme includes the remodelling of the Lesser Hall to reinstate the stage at its northern end the windows are in the rear wall of the proposed stage. As consented these windows were to be retained and boxed in, however there are concerns that simply boarding in the windows would cause unsightly cracking to the rear wall of the stage, and that the boarded windows would not perform well acoustically. It is proposed to brick in the windows instead. It is proposed to fill the openings with red bricks, slightly recessed from the external face of the wall,
to contrast with the rubble stone and allow the outline of the windows to still be read.
er AlanBaxt
Figure 5 Plan of the Lesser Hall before demolitions, with windows outlined in blue
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AlanBaxter
Figure 6 The windows viewed from within the lesser Hall looking north, after demolition of partition walls and stairs
Baxter Alan
Figure 7 The windows looking south from the courtyard
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3.2.2 Significance As outlined in Alan Baxter building is assessed as highly significant and the window openings themselves have some significance (as later additions which tell the story of the building). However, on further analysis, though the openings themselves may originally have been made as early as 1900, the concrete lintels and metal framed windows are certainly later. They are generic products of the time with no architectural interest. The windows can therefore be considered of neutral significance.
3.2.3 Heritage Impact Because the windows are not original 1873 windows and are of neutral significance, their removal constitutes no harm. By contrast, the restoration of the integrity and appearance of the highly significant north wall of the lantern building is a significant heritage benefit. The outline of the window openings will still be readable in the north exterior elevation through the use of a contrasting material (brick) which is recessed from the main elevation, telling the story of the many alterations this elevation has witnessed.
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3.3 Item 2: Lowering of the stage roof 3.3.1 History of element and description of proposed change The former stage roof dated from 1951 and comprised a lightweight steel structure from which the canopy and stage winches were hung. It had a felted roof finish and unsightly external ventilation ducts. The consented scheme included the removal and rebuilding of the stage roof to a different profile, in order to accommodate the thermal, acoustic and servicing requirements of the modernised stage space. The new stage roof is to be clad in zinc.
As the design has developed, it has emerged that the finished ridge height of the new roof will be lower than anticipated, from +43,523 at the ridge to +42,793 (730mm lower).
3.3.2 Significance The former stage roof has now been removed. Though the roof had some historical value as evidence of previous major rebuilding, its appearance detracted from the significance of the Bristol Beacon.
3.3.3 Heritage impact The consented new roof is beneficial to the appearance of the building, as a well-designed mansard in a complementary material. The proposed reduction in height will have no negative effect on that benefit, indeed it will marginally improve the beneficial effect of the new roof by slightly reducing its height and visual impact.
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Figure 8 East elevation consented scheme, showing stage roof highlighted
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Figure 9 East elevation proposed amendments to scheme, showing stage roof highlighted
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3.4 Item 4: Replacement of Colston Street gate 3.4.1 History of element and description of proposed change The gate into the service yard from Colston Street is a pair of panelled timber doors. Though the building in which it is situated is later in age, the doors may date to the 1900 extension of Colston Hall, when the site of the adjacent shoe factory was developed by the venue.
In the consented scheme the gates were to be retained, but ventilation requirements and security requirements necessitate that they must be replaced with a ventilated modern door. The
gates have been earmarked for potential re-use elsewhere in the building.
AlanBaxter
Figure 10 Street Gate
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Baxter Alan
Figure 11 Colston Street gate
3.4.2 Significance Because the Colston Street gate is located in a passage in the façade of 15 Colston Street, the Colson Street gate does not form part of Bristol Beacon east façade and does not date to either of the earliest phases of building. It is a utilitarian entrance to a back of house service area, so it holds little aesthetic value, and because it opened into a private area and was not accessible to the public it holds little communal value. Its only value is historical, in that it is a much-used and worn gate which may be over 100 years old. Because of its age the gate should be considered to have some significance in itself, but it is not one of the elements which contribute to Bristol Beacon significance.
3.4.3 Heritage impact Though the gate has some significance in itself, its removal will cause no harm to the significance of Bristol Beacon. The replacement gates are to be made of timber in a steel frame, which retains the utilitarian aesthetic and material quality of the original, while significantly improving the practical performance.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 20 Alan Baxter
3.5 Item 6: Hall 1 parapet copings and string courses 3.5.1 History of element and description of proposed change The parapet and string course at the roofline of Hall 1 date to the 1950s rebuild of the Hall roof, when the upper segments of the walls were dismantled and reconstructed to accommodate the roof structure and supporting beams.
The consented new roof for Hall 1 requires the dismantling and reconstruction of the upper parapet and string course once more, in order to accommodate a new ring beam to support the and string course are then to be reconstructed to incorporate the ring beam, to match the old appearance, with the string course extending into the corner pier.
Originally assumed to be stone, the parapet and string courses have been found to be concrete. It is proposed to rebuild them in in-situ concrete rather than stone, which will give them greater
structural integrity.
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Figure 12 The east elevation of Bristol Beacon, showing the parapet and string courses 3.5.2 Significance The existing parapet and string course date to the 1951 rebuild and are assessed in Alan Baxter 2017 Heritage Statement as having some significance.
3.5.3 Heritage impact The reconstruction of the parapet forms an essential part of the beneficial consented rebuilding of the inadequate and leaking Hall 1 roof. Now that it is known that the 1950s coping and string course were constructed in concrete, their replacement in concrete can be deemed a suitable like-for-like replacement, and as such causes no harm.
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3.6 Item 7: Masonry plinth base in the south-west corner of the Lesser Hall (Hall 2) 3.6.1 History and description In the south-west corner of the Lesser Hall (Hall 2) the plinth of a former pilaster survives. Its pair survives complete in the south-east corner. These pilasters originally decorated the rear or south wall of the room and supported the coved ceiling and a balcony (though no images of the balcony survive). When the southern end of the Lesser Hall was reconfigured as the stage these pilasters became a form of proscenium. Later, when the stage was extended and deepened northwards to create th in 1923, the south-west pilaster would have become an encumbrance blocking access for scenery and materials so it is probably at this point that it was demolished.
The consented scheme specifies the replacement of this lost pilaster in masonry. However, on investigation it became clear that there is no supporting structure on the floor below, and the pilaster base is supported only on the joists of the floor. Structural concerns about re-loading this arrangement have prompted an amended proposal. The plinth base, which is probably hollow, is unlikely to survive all of the structural interventions necessary to support and strengthen it, so it is proposed to demolish the surviving plinth base and replace the entire base and pilaster in
lightweight materials in facsimile of the original.
AlanBaxter
Figure 13 Location of the surviving plinth base in Hall 2
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Figure 14 - The south-east pilaster Figure 15 - The south-west pilaster base as existing
Figure 16 - Acro-prop supporting the joists below the south-west pilaster base
3.6.2 Significance As an element of the original 1873 structure and decorative scheme, the surviving plinth base is highly significant.
3.6.3 Heritage impact Restoring the lost pilaster will be of great benefit to the balance and composition of the room, complementing and restoring the surviving 1873 finishes. Though usually like-for-like materials are always preferred, in this case the loadings would be unsafe, and a facsimile reproduction in lightweight materials is the most seamless way to restore the pilaster. Overall, there is slight harm to significant fabric because the pilaster base will be removed, but the restored pilaster will enhance the significance of the highly significant space.
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3.7 Item 8: South-west corner louvred door plant room extract increased in size 3.7.1 History of element and description of proposed change In the south-west corner of the south elevation, a louvred opening is consented to ventilate the new south-west plant room. It is proposed to enlarge the size of this proposed opening, making it
400mm taller and 200mm wider.
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Figure 17 The south elevation showing (left) the consented louvred door and (right) the proposed door
3.7.2 Significance This area of the southern wall of Bristol Beacon is part of the original 1867 structure and as such is highly significant, having high historical value. However, Bristol Beacon abutted other buildings at this point and until the demolition of Colston House for the construction of the Phase 1 Foyer building much of this elevation was obscured. As a result it does not have the high communal value or aesthetic value of the other street elevations.
3.7.3 Heritage impact The consented opening is small and recessed below the pavement line, having a minimal impact on the Trenchard Street facade. The proposal to enlarge this opening causes a very minor change in appearance as outlined in the comparative image above, and cause no harm to the elevation.
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3.8 Item 9: Omission of the platform lift stop at loggia level 3.8.1 History of element and description of proposed change Within the lantern building the consented scheme had a platform lift for disabled access, which travels from street level to the floor level of the restaurant. This lift was to stop half way to the restaurant floor level on the loggia level, to allow level access to the loggia.
The loggia stop has proven impractical in execution, as it is not possible to achieve a compliant escape route from loggia level. It is proposed that the platform lift will not stop at the loggia level, and will only travel from street level to the restaurant floor.
3.8.2 Significance The entrance area and loggia are highly significant elements of the original 1873 lantern building.
3.8.3 Heritage impact The platform lift is a vital addition to allow level access to this area of the building, however all other areas will still be accessible. In heritage terms, removing level access to this area will allow the reinstatement of the sills at the foot of the former windows, which restores some of the 1873 appearance of the entrance loggia area and is a heritage benefit.
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3.9 Item 12: Kitchen ranges – see separate report, (planning ref 19/04278/LA)
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3.10 Item 15: Lantern stair arches – south side 3.10.1 History of element and description of proposed change The original 1873 entrance Loggia was formed of rows of columns and arches, receding into the was compromised and changed by the significant remodelling of 1900, when several of the east west aligned arches were infilled to accommodate the realigned staircases.
During demolition work, one of the blocked arches was uncovered after the removal of the 1900 stair (see Figure 19). In the consented scheme this part of wall was to be largely removed and replaced with two large portal frames. It has now been redesigned to retain the fabric of the arch. It is proposed to open up and expose this arch and incorporate it into the design of the
mezzanine bar area.
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Figure 18 Section showing the proposed internal arrangement of the lantern building. The formerly blocked arch is outlined in blue
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AlanBaxter
Figure 19 The uncovered arch, before the 1900 stairs were demolished, May 2019
3.10.2 Significance As a surviving element of the grand 1873 entrance to the Colston Hall, this arch has high historical, aesthetic and communal value and is highly significant.
3.10.3 Heritage impact Exposing and revealing the historic arch is a heritage benefit for the space, allowing more of the original fabric to be seen and more of the original concept of the space to be revealed.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 28 Alan Baxter
3.11 Item 18: Removal of 1873 ceiling and joists to route ducting around green-painted timber beam and its corbel bracket 3.11.1 History of element and description of proposed change 05, an original 1873 beam (painted green) with decorative corbel bracket supports the ceiling.
A clash has been identified whereby the air extract ducting needs to pass through where the beam is located. In order to preserve the beam in situ, it is necessary to redirect the ducting
around it, thus necessitating the removal of some of the 1873 ceiling and joists.
AlanBaxter
Figure 20 Detail of the level 05 floor plan showing the
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 29 Alan Baxter
AlanBaxter
Figure 21
3.11.2 Significance As a structural part of the original 1873 fabric and an attractive decorative feature, the green- painted beam has high historical and aesthetic value. However, its communal value is low because it is located in what was always a private room. Overall, the green-painted beam and its ceiling is significant.
3.11.3 Heritage impact Removing a small area of ceiling and joists has a far lesser impact than removing part of the decorated beam, of which there is only one. Adjusting the design to retain the decorated green- painted beam is a heritage benefit which outweighs the minor harm of losing a small area of 1873 ceiling and joists.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 30 Alan Baxter
3.12 Item 22: Demolition of lean-to slab at level 5 and reconstruction of 1900 wall below 3.12.1 History of element and description of proposed change A small lean-to structure dating to the 1920s is located between the lantern building and the Great Hall (Hall 1). Supporting this lean-to within the rooms below is a wall of several different ages but principally dating to the 1900 remodelling works.
As part of the consented scheme, the small lean-to structure was to be demolished and replaced with a new structure containing circulation and lift access, while its slab and the supporting wall were to be retained. However due to the number of new openings proposed in the supporting wall, engineers have advised that its retention is impracticable and it is necessary to demolish
both the wall and the concrete slab, and rebuild them both.
© Copyright 2020 Google Copyright ©
Figure 22
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 31 Alan Baxter
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Figure 23 Detail of the consented stage level plan, showing the wall which needs to be reconstructed
3.12.2 Significance The lean-to is a late addition to Colston Hall dating to the 1920s, and does not have architectural merit. As an element with low aesthetic, historical and communal value it is marked as neutral in Alan Baxter n-to is also neutral.
The supporting wall below the lean-to principally dates to 1900, when it was built to support new circulation stairs to the new great tier. It is assessed in Alan Baxter being significant. However, the wall has only moderate historic value as a 1900 element, and as an ancillary architectural element (not part of the principal spaces such as the halls or the entrance and lantern areas) it has limited aesthetic value, so after a more detailed assessment we conclude it has some or moderate significance.
3.12.3 Heritage impact The removal of the neutral lean-to slab causes no harm to significance. The demolition and reconstruction of the 1900 supporting wall below it causes minor harm due to the loss of fabric, but this harm is outweighed by the huge improvement in circulation and movement which will be afforded by the new openings. In order to achieve this and open up the Hall for future use, it is not possible to retain this wall in place and it must be demolished and rebuilt.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 32 Alan Baxter
3.13 Item 23: Lantern arch stabilisation 3.13.1 History of element and description of proposed change Originally the 1873 Lantern building had arches between the lantern and the east wall of the Great Hall, which braced the upper structure. These arches were demolished in 1900 to allow for the insertion of a large landing to access the The removal and the demolition of the landing has removed the lateral stability of the surviving lantern arches. In order to brace them, new arches have been designed, to span between the lantern columns and the east wall of the Great Hall. The new arches are to be detailed in brick, to highlight that they are a new insertion compared with the
original stone arches, but using the same palette of materials as the rest of the lantern building.
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Figure 24 Section through the lantern looking north, showing the new proposed arch top left
In order to key in the new arches, small amounts of masonry will need to be removed, including part of the remnants of the original springer stones of the lost arches.
3.13.2 Significance The masonry which will need to be removed to install the arches is highly significant, as surviving elements of the original scheme. The new arches will support the highly significant lantern arches, which will form the centrepiece of the restored Lantern Building.
3.13.3 Heritage impact Though some minor fabric removals will be necessary to install them, the new arches will cause no harm to the heritage significance of Bristol Beacon. They will restore the form of what was lost in 1900, and the form and materials of the arches will complement the existing arches while providing the structural bracing required. The new arches will be detailed in brick to show that they are new interventions.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 33 Alan Baxter
3.14 Item 24: Get-in staircase wall demolition and reconstruction 3.14.1 History of element and description of proposed change To the east of the stage an internal wall separates the Main Hall (Hall 1) space from the get-in stair. This wall was built in 1900 at the same time as the rear stage area and the get-in stair itself.
In the consented scheme the get-in stair is to be demolished and replaced with a lift and circulation space, while the adjoining wall was to be retained, but pierced on many levels. On the advice of structural engineers, the retention of this wall would be inviable considering the many new openings and the complexities of keeping the wall while demolishing so much fabric on
either side of it.
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Figure 25 Detail of the consented stage level plan, showing the wall which needs to be reconstructed
3.14.2 Significance The wall is marked as only moderate historic value as a 1900 element, and as an ancillary architectural element (not part of the principal spaces such as the halls or the entrance and lantern areas) it has limited aesthetic value, so after a more detailed assessment we conclude it has some or moderate significance in line with the adjacent get-in stair and the facades which face the courtyard.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 34 Alan Baxter
3.14.3 Heritage impact The demolition and reconstruction of the 1900 get-in stair wall causes minor harm due to the loss of fabric, but this harm is outweighed by the huge improvement in circulation and movement which will be afforded by the new openings. In order to achieve this and open up the Hall for future use, it is not possible to retain this wall in place and it must be demolished and rebuilt.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 35 Alan Baxter
3.15 Item 26: Demolition and reconstruction of 1951 plain brick parapet on Trenchard Street above the stage. 3.15.1 History of element and description of proposed change The parapet of the roofline of the stage dates to the 1950s rebuild of the Hall 1 roof, when the upper segments of the walls were dismantled and reconstructed to accommodate the stage roof structure.
The consented new roof for the stage originally retained this parapet, but now it has emerged that the parapet will need to be dismantled and reconstructed in order to accommodate the stage equipment.
3.15.2 Significance The existing parapet dates to the 1951 rebuild and is assessed in Alan Baxter Statement as having some significance.
3.15.3 Heritage impact The demolition and reconstruction of the parapet causes minor harm, but the parapet will be reconstructed to the same outline and with matching materials, and the reconstruction of the parapet forms an essential part of the beneficial consented rebuilding of the inadequate stage roof.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 36 Alan Baxter
3.16 Item 27: Structural reinforcement of 1900 brick piers either side of main stage 3.16.1 History of element and description of proposed change Two brick piers on either side of the stage date to the 1900 stage extension.
After structural investigations it has been established that the piers need to be strengthened in order to support the new stage machinery to be installed above. In addition, some masonry will need to be removed in order to insert a steel supporting structure.
3.16.2 Significance As part of the interior of Hall 1, and part of the 1900 structure of the building, the piers have historic value. However they are unadorned and plain so have little aesthetic value. Overall the piers are of considerable significance.
3.16.3 Heritage impact The strengthening works will cause minor harm to the brick piers, as the addition of the new steel structure will cause the loss of some historic fabric. However, the structural strengthening allows the maximum amount of historic fabric to be retained, and when strengthening works are complete the columns will be made good to their original appearance.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 37 Alan Baxter
3.17 Item 28: Amendment to existing air intake grille at low level on south elevation of Lantern Building 3.17.1 History of element and description of proposed change The lower half of the southern elevation of the lantern building was partially obscured for much a gated entrance allowed only private access to the bonded warehouse. As a result, the south elevation was designed by Foster and Wood with high ornamental detail from the first floor upwards, and plain utilitarian detail from the first floor downwards. The ventilation grille in the western corner of this elevation is part of the original 1873 fabric of the lower part of this elevation, and provided fresh air to the basement levels below.
In the consented scheme, this grille is to be used as an air ventilation extract, with a louvred screen installed behind it. However the vault behind the grille restricts the required air flow. In order to maximise the size of the ducting behind the grille it is necessary to cut back the internal
vaults behind the grille and replace the grille with a new replica incorporating the louvre.
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Figure 26 The south elevation of the lantern building with the grille highlighted.
3.17.2 Significance The ventilation grille has historical value as an original element of the 1873 building, but limited communal value because this part of the elevation was not designed for public view. As a practical utilitarian grille it has limited aesthetic value. The whole lower half of the south elevation was assessed in Alan Baxter some or moderate significance. The vaults behind the grille were assessed by Alan Baxter in our 2017 Heritage Statement as having neutral significance
3.17.3 Heritage impact The proposed alterations are internal within the vault area, to minimise the impact on the visible elevation. The grille will be replaced with a new replica, and the appearance of the grille and opening on the south façade is unchanged, causing only no harm to heritage significance.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 38 Alan Baxter
3.18 Item 29: Trenchard St lintel above infilled opening to be removed and mansard roof pitch increased 3.18.1 History of element and description of proposed change To the west of the stage is a large opening at first floor level. This opening dates to the 1951 rebuilding works.
The opening is to be infilled as part of the consented scheme, and its lintel retained, however it has emerged that the lintel is not capable to withstanding the proposed loadings. It is now proposed to also remove the lintel and infill the void up to the eaves level. It is also proposed to steepen the pitch of the proposed new mansard roof above the former opening.
3.18.2 Significance This 1951 area of the west elevation has little historical aesthetic or communal value, and is assessed by Alan Baxter in our 2017 Heritage Statement as having neutral significance.
3.18.3 Heritage impact Because the opening and its lintel are of neutral significance, their removal causes no harm to the significance of Bristol Beacon. Adjusting the steepness of the new mansard roof also causes no harm in heritage terms, and the addition of the new roof is an overall heritage benefit.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 39 Alan Baxter
3.19 Item 30: Hall 2 south-east corner pad-stones 3.19.1 History of element and description of proposed change Below Hall 2, a joisted ceiling supported on stone corbels is visible in the Loggia area. This ceiling and corbels is part of the original 1873 structure of the building.
Due to the new loadings of the acoustic floor of Hall 2, it is necessary to introduce new pad stones into the south-east corner of the building, which will then support the weight of new beams. In order not to impact on the visible 1873 ceiling in the Loggia area, it is proposed to remove a small amount of masonry, insert the new concrete padstone, and refix the corbel front
to cover it (see Figure 28)
AlanBaxter
Figure 27 The loggia ceiling, showing the joists and corbels
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 40 Alan Baxter
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Figure 28 Detail showing how the proposed new padstone will be added, and the corbel-front reattached
3.19.2 Significance The ceiling of the Loggia, with its corbels and timber joists, is highly significant as a highly visible and well-designed aspect of the original 1873 building.
3.19.3 Heritage impact Though the removal of the masonry and corbel constitutes minor harm, the works allow the strengthening of the floor without unsightly additional structure being visible on the ceiling of the Loggia space. The addition of the new acoustic floor in Hall 2 is a significant overall heritage benefit.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 41 Alan Baxter
3.20 Item 32: Changes to the Old Fan Room 3.20.1 History of element and description of proposed change Colston Hall, bridging over the narrow alley that separates it from 15 Colston Street to the north.
It is proposed to lighten this structure and relieve its load, while avoiding the party wall impacts of demolition. The proposed works include the removal and reinstatement of the roof of the structure.
Below the fan room, some 1900 windows facing the get-in yard which were to be encapsulated need to be infilled to give the wall enough stability to carry the new structures above.
3.20.2 Significance The existing fan room is marked as a neutral element in Alan Baxter has low historic, aesthetic and communal value as a utilitarian structure hidden from public view.
As part of the 1900 fabric of the building the windows facing the get-in yard have some historic value, however they are unadorned utilitarian openings with little aesthetic value, designed to face an enclosed yard not accessible to the public. As such they have some or moderate significance.
3.20.3 Heritage impact Because the fan room is a neutral element, the proposed changes will cause no harm to the significance of Bristol Beacon.
The infilling of the 1900 windows will cause minor harm, but this is mitigated by the fact that the infilling allows the retention of the surrounding masonry without the loss of further fabric, while enabling the increased loads of the consented scheme. The infilled areas will be slightly recessed, allowing the outline of the windows to still be read.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 42 Alan Baxter
3.21 Item 33: Remove existing vestibule slab and 1950's terrazzo floor to enable infill of voids below 3.21.1 History of element and description of proposed change The floor slab immediately within the entrance vestibule of the Lantern Building dates to the original 1873 phase of the building. However, the floor finish has been replaced and updated in subsequent years, and the current checkerboard terrazzo is thought to date to the 1950s
refurbishment.
LevittBernstein
Figure 29 The vestibule looking south, before demolition of the stairs
The 1873 Loggia entrance to Colston Hall supports the Lesser Hall (Hall 2) on rows of columns and arches. Though compromised by the 1900 remodelling and later works, the rows of columns remain. During demolition works, opening up works were carried out on these columns, and many were found not to be solid but hollow, and were lined as if they were flues. As the floor was taken up around the stairs, a hypocaust system of channels and brick arches was revealed. These voids were found to continue below the vestibule floor. These hollow columns and voids are thought to be the remains of a hot air style heating system, which would have heated Hall 2 via the hollow columns.
Following the discovery of the voids below the floor slab, it is now necessary to break into the floor slab in the entrance vestibule area, in order to fill those voids with granular material and add shuttering to allow the columns to be filled with concrete. These works allow the increased weight of the new acoustic floor to Hall 2 above to be borne on the existing columns with no additional support.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 43 Alan Baxter
3.21.2 Significance The vestibule floor is marked as Highly Significant in Alan Baxter survivor of the original 1873 floor level. However, on more detailed analysis, the 1950s floor covering should probably be recorded as having considerable significance, in line with the other 1950s elements of the hall such as the main auditorium.
The slab below the floor is an original element of the 1873 building, as are the heating voids within it. These elements have high historical value as remnants of the original fabric and servicing of the building, but have little architectural or communal value as hidden utilitarian elements. As such the slab and voids have considerable significance.
3.21.3 Heritage impact The proposed works to the slab and floor will involve the removal and replacement of historic fabric, so constitute minor harm. However, these works will allow the existing columns to bear all of the weight of the proposed acoustic floor above without the need for any additional structure, so are necessary for the wider benefit of restoring the Loggia area to its original appearance. Filling the voids with granular material constitutes no harm, as the fill is removable and reversible.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 44 Alan Baxter
3.22 Item 34: Addition of 3 new steel columns in restaurant and reconstruction of brick pier adjacent to restaurant entrance 3.22.1 History of element and description of proposed change In order to support the increased load of the acoustic floor to Hall 2, it is necessary to add three new columns to the restaurant floor level, two on the south (flanking the new entrance area) and one on the north (in the new kitchen area). The support cannot be incorporated within the existing columns in these locations because these particular columns are not hollow, and their masonry core is not stable enough for the load.
As part of the same works, it is necessary to remove and reconstruct a small section of internal
wall and a pier, which have been found to have inadequate strength to take the new loadings.
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Figure 30 Proposed restaurant entrance plan showing the two new columns and wall and pier to be replaced
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 45 Alan Baxter
In order to insert the new columns on the south side, it is necessary to remove and reinstate one of the historic ceiling joists, which would then be bolted to the new steel beam in the floor above. Three of the other existing historic joists will be slightly relocated to return them to their original
positions. It is also proposed to remove one non-historic joist.
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Figure 31 Detail showing the relocation of joists. The yellow joists are to be relocated, the red joist removed
3.22.2 Significance The wall, pier and ceiling joists have high historical value as part of the original 1873 fabric. Overall, however, these areas of the Lantern building have been much altered, and are assessed as being of some or moderate significance in Alan Baxter They have some historical value but because they have been so altered and did not form part of the grand central entrance area their communal and architectural value are limited.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 46 Alan Baxter
3.22.3 Heritage impact The removal and reconstruction of the internal wall and pier causes minor harm, due to the removal of historic fabric. The relocation of the joists causes no harm, because all historic fabric is to be retained and reused. The minor harm caused by the demolition and reconstruction of the wall is mitigated by the great benefit afforded by the improved acoustic floor in Hall 2. The addition of columns to the entrance space and the kitchen area will cause no harm to the appearance or the heritage significance of these spaces.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 47 Alan Baxter
3.23 Item 35: Remove vestigial timber beam from 1873 - originally part of 'third room' ceiling 3.23.1 History of element and description of proposed change Demolition works have exposed a vestigial timber beam. The beam in question is a remnant of the 1873 ceiling of the north room of the Lantern building, which is no longer in place.
The beam obstructs the structure required to strengthen the floor of Hall 2 to accommodate the
new acoustic floor. It is proposed to remove the beam and re-support the joists.
AlanBaxter
Figure 32 The beam, currently supported by props
3.23.2 Significance As an original element of the Lantern building this beam has high historic value, however it has lost its use so now does not have great architectural value. It has been obscured for many years so its communal value is also low. Overall, this beam has some or moderate significance.
3.23.3 Heritage impact The removal of this beam will cause minor harm, however this is mitigated by the great benefit of installing the acoustic floor
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 48 Alan Baxter
3.24 Item 36: Change of hauling arch new lean-to external walling from brick to rough cast render at northern end 3.24.1 History of element and description of proposed change The new lean-to replaces the demolished lean-to described in section 3.12. In the consented scheme this structure was to be clad entirely in brick, however concerns about the structural loading of the northern element of the lean-to on the newly re-opened arches in the Loggia have led to a proposed change in materials. It is now proposed that the northern element should be constructed from lightweight materials and rendered.
3.24.2 Significance The previous lean-to was assessed in Alan Baxter neutral significance (see section 3.12).
3.24.3 Heritage impact The new finish will have a minimal effect on the elevation, and on overall views of the Bristol Beacon, being at high level and obscured behind the roof of the Lantern building. Overall, this change will cause no harm to the character of Bristol Beacon.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 49 Alan Baxter
3.25 Item 38: Lower cellar flagstones not to be salvaged 3.25.1 History of element and description of proposed change The lower cellar below Hall 1 is paved with stone flags. Under the consented scheme these were to be retained, however their condition has degraded due to moisture and they have become too friable and uneven for the space to be adequately accessible, many having lost their upper
surface entirely.
AlanBaxter
Figure 33 Badly damaged flagstones in the lower cellar
3.25.2 Significance The flagstones date from the first phase of the 1864-67 Great Hall (Hall 1). As such they are highly significant.
3.25.3 Heritage impact The loss of the stone flags is harmful, however they are already so badly damaged it is impossible to retain them and achieve the desired accessibility standards. The loss of the fabric is outweighed by the community benefit of opening and using this historic space.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 50 Alan Baxter
3.26 Item 40: Hauling Arch beam alteration 3.26.1 History of element and description of proposed change Within the consented new entrance lobby in the former Hauling Arch area, an historic timber beam clashes with the location of the new lift shaft from the entrance lobby, so it is proposed to trim the beam and support it on a new masonry wall.
3.26.2 Significance This beam is likely to be part of the original fabric of the Lantern Building, but is in an area which has been heavily altered over the years and has lost much of its significance. As a result, the beam is of some or moderate significance.
3.26.3 Heritage impact Though the trimming of the beam constitutes minor harm, this is mitigated by the great public benefit which will be achieved by the addition of a lift in this location.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 51 Alan Baxter
3.27 Item 41: Get-in-yard air handling room façade demolition 3.27.1 History of element and description of proposed change The façade of the air handling room facing the get-in-yard dates to the 1951 refurbishment. Under the consented scheme a small area of this façade was to be retained, with fabric demolished above and below it to accommodate the new courtyard extension.
Below the air handling room the right hand half of a 1900 window header arch was partially to be retained. The window, which was to be retained and encapsulated, is now to be infilled (see Item 32 in section 3.20)
The works required to retain these two areas of façade are extensive, including the scaffolding and propping. Revised estimates of these works will add considerable time and cost to the programme, which has prompted the proposal to remove these areas of masonry as well. The remainder of the 1900 arch would be removed but the right hand quoin of the lower window arch would be retained.
annotations
AlanBaxter
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Figure 34 The consented courtyard elevation, showing the consented demolitions in grey hatching. The additional demolitions are highlighted in blue
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 52 Alan Baxter
3.27.2 Significance some or moderate significance. However, on further analysis we feel that as a modern unadorned addition to a hidden courtyard elevation, this fabric is of neutral significance.
The window arch has some historic value as part of the 1900 fabric of the building, and has some or moderate significance.
3.27.3 Heritage impact Because it is of neutral significance, the demolition of the 1950s façade segment will cause no harm to the significance of the Bristol Beacon. The removal of the 1900 arch fragments will cause minor harm due to the loss of fabric, but the area of masonry to be removed is so small that its loss is far outweighed by the potential costs of retaining it. Overall the minor harm is outweighed by the huge improvement in circulation and movement which will be afforded by the new courtyard extension. In order to achieve this without additional expense, it is not possible to retain these fragments of wall in place and they must be demolished and rebuilt.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 53 Alan Baxter
3.28 Item 42: Caretaker’s flat floor (former Retiring Room ceiling) partial demolition 3.28.1 History of element and description of proposed change During demolition works, a timber floor/ceiling was uncovered in the northern rooms of the Lantern Building. The ceiling was known to be in this location but demolition revealed its full extent and decorative finish. The ceiling is in the same style as the ceilings of surviving original public areas of the Lantern Building (visible joists with ceiled interstices) and is decorated Tuscan red and olive similar colours to the original Lesser Hall (Hall 2) decorative scheme revealed by paint analysis. In the original 1873
AlanBaxter
Figure 35 The uncovered ceiling of the former retiring room
The 1873 retiring rooms were public areas . They flanked the stairs at first floor level to north and south. Following the 1898 fire and the remodelling of 1900, the western third of the retiring rooms was sliced away to accommodate the long landing of the Grand Stair and the dog-leg staircases to the Grand Tier above. The truncated western end of the northern retiring room ceiling was supported on the structure of the adjacent dog-leg stair. The reduced northern retiring room area became a foyer, and its
ceiling was enclosed within a lower ceiling structure.
om om
. 1900fr plan . The Building News, 30 November Building The 1900.
Figure 36 Comparative plans showing the location of the northern retiring room as built in 1873 and (right) following the reconfiguration of 1900. Builder, The 24 1898 December built principal plan published As the floor, in of
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 54 Alan Baxter
Under the consented scheme, the former retiring room area is to be used as a back-stage area for Hall 2, and partition walls will be added to create changing rooms and circulation space. The ceiling is to be encapsulated to achieve the required fire protection. Following the consented demolition of the landing and dog-leg stair, the existing ceiling was to be supported on a new beam.
Now that the stair has been demolished as part of the consented scheme, structural investigations have shown that the adjacent wall does not have the structural integrity to support the proposed beam. It is proposed to remove the central third of the surviving ceiling where it is unsupported, and to retain the eastern third and the decorated beam which supports it. These surviving ceiling structures will be encapsulated within the proposed fire-retardant structure. Before removal, it is proposed to archaeologically record the structure and appearance of the ceiling.
3.28.2 Significance The retiring room area is recorded as highly significant as a surviving original high-status public space. The ceiling has high evidential value, because it tells scheme and the original appearance of part of a public space. However its fragmentary nature, and the fact it has been hidden from view for 119 years, mean its communal value and aesthetic value are limited. Overall, this ceiling is of considerable significance.
3.28.3 Heritage impact Though the fabric has considerable significance, the removal of a portion of it will cause only minor harm to the significance of the overall building. The significance of the ceiling lies in its survival as a record of the form and appearance of the original ceiling of the retiring room, but this form and appearance can still be discerned from the area of ceiling and ornamented beam which will be retained. No unique element (such as the beam) will be destroyed, and all fabric will be recorded before removal.
In the consented scheme, the area of the former northern retiring room has been chosen by the architects as the best possible location for the back-stage spaces required to enable Hall 2 to be used effectively as a modern performance space. This use requires the encapsulation of the ceiling and the addition of partition walls within the former retiring room. Even if the maximum amount of fabric were retained, the space would not be publicly accessible, and the ceiling would not be visible the public benefit of retention would be minimal.
The removal of this piece of fabric would cause little harm to the public appreciation or the significance of Bristol Beacon as a whole, while the cost of retention would divert funds from other more public-facing areas such as Hall 2 or the entrance area. The minor harm is justified as part of the overall aim of the project to deliver a world class concert hall to the community of Bristol.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 55 Alan Baxter
3.29 Item 43: Bricking up non-original windows at level 5 in Main Hall (Hall 1) south elevation 3.29.1 History of element and description of proposed change Three twentieth-century windows pierce the 1867 southern wall of the Main Hall (Hall 2) at level 5. Structural analysis of the loads required to support the new roof structure and plant has shown that the original load paths of this wall need to be restored i.e. that these twentieth-century window openings need to be filled with masonry in order to provide adequate support.
The windows were originally inserted in the 1930s refurbishment to light toilets and a store room. They currently open into a service void within the 2009 Phase 1 foyer building. Under the consented proposals, these windows are within the newly refurbished balcony toilets. From the inside only one window would be visible, in the male WC, the remaining two windows being boxed in to the rear of the toilet cubicles in the female WC. From the outside
the windows would only be visible from the private service area of the foyer building.
,25 1936 December , with Alan Baxter annotations ,with
The Builder The
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Figure 37 1936 detail (rotated) Figure 38 Detail of level 5 plan of the consented scheme, showing the three windows highlighted in blue 3.29.2 Significance As outlined in Alan Baxter west wall of the Main Hall is assessed as highly significant. The 1930s windows were not specifically analysed, however as utilitarian standard twentieth century fittings inserted to service toilets, they have no evidential, historical, aesthetic or communal value. They are therefore of neutral significance.
3.29.3 Heritage Impact Because the windows are of neutral significance, their removal constitutes no harm. By contrast, the restoration of the integrity of the highly significant western wall of the Main Hall is a heritage benefit.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 56 Alan Baxter
3.30 Item 45: Infilling of newly uncovered colonnade void (historic air duct) 3.30.1 History of element and description of proposed change Slab preparation works in the colonnade area of the Lantern building have exposed a brickwork channel in the floor which is assumed to be a further stretch of historic air heating duct. This analysis continues that for Item 33 in section 3.21 (page 43), which covered the impact of infilling former air heating ducts in the entrance vestibule area.
The colonnade within the original 1873 entrance to Colston Hall supports the Lesser Hall (Hall 2) on rows of columns and arches. As outlined in Item 33 in section 3.21 (page 43), demolition and opening up works have revealed that the columns and slab of the Loggia entrance contained a concealed network of ducts, apparently used as a hot air heating system to heat the Lesser Hall from a stove in the basement. The recent discovery of a brickwork duct in the slab of the colonnade area is assumed to be a continuation of this heating system.
Following the discovery of this further duct, it is necessary as with the floor ducts of the entrance
vestibule to fill the duct with granular material to allow the consented floor to be laid.
AlanBaxter
Figure 39 Detail of the lower cellar (level 0), showing the location of the newly uncovered duct highlighted in blue
3.30.2 Significance The heating duct is an original element of the 1873 building. This element has high historical value as remnants of the original fabric and servicing of the building, but has little architectural or communal value as a hidden utilitarian element. As such the duct has considerable significance.
3.30.3 Heritage impact Filling the duct with granular material constitutes no harm, as the fill is removable and reversible.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 57 Alan Baxter
3.31 Item 46: Lead gutter modifications, Hall 2 roof and hauling arch roof 3.31.1 History of element and description of proposed change The gutters of the roof of the Lesser Hall (Hall 2) are leaking and their configuration does not meet current standards. It is proposed to modify the design of these gutters to improve their performance.
The 1873 parapet gutter along the northern parapet of Hall 2 does not have enough depth to accommodate rainwater without overflowing and leaking. It is proposed to remove the lowest row of tiles from the roof covering, and replace the lead gutter lining so that it laps further up the
roof slope in the area of the removed tiles.
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Figure 40 Roof plan of lantern building showing the parapet gutter along the northern parapet highlighted in blue
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Figure 41 Architect sketch of the lower row of tiles it is proposed to remove
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 58 Alan Baxter
The drainage of the hauling arch roof has suffered from poor modifications over the years, and the southern channel of it roof (facing the new plaza) has lost the lead gutter channel which was evident in drawings from the 1930s, which connected directly with the gutter on the east elevation. The channel of this area of the roof is now cut off from the east gutter by the corner ridge tiles of the roof, and is drained via a sump. It is proposed to reinstate the lead gutter channel to improve the performance of this area of the roof. To replace the lead channel, remove the sump, and reconnect the channel with the eastern gutter, it is necessary to remove the lowest of the intervening ridge tiles of the roof and dress a lead channel over the top of the roof member below it. The plastic gutter on the east (Colston Street) elevation of the hauling arch is to
be replaced with ogee-profile guttering, reinstating the g
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Figure 42 Detail of the haulage arch roof in the lantern building, highlighting the area of the proposed lead channel (1) and the area of the proposed ogee-profile guttering (2) 3.31.2 Significance As outlined in Alan Baxter the roofs of Hall 2 and the hauling arch are highly significant.
3.31.3 Heritage impact The existing gutter arrangements are leaking and do not meet modern standards. Leaking or failing gutters present a significant risk to maintaining the significant fabric of the building so it is essential they are improved. Though the proposed redesign of the guttering arrangements includes the removal of the lowest row of roof tiles on the north elevation and the corner ridge tile of the hauling arch roof, which constitutes minor harm, these changes will result in an improved roof drainage arrangement which will secure the long-term future of the structure. The replacement of the eastern plastic guttering with a profiled gutter of an appropriate form and appearance to the historic hall is a heritage benefit which will improve the appearance of this elevation.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 59 Alan Baxter
3.32 Item 47: Lesser Hall (Hall 2) roof covering modifications 3.32.1 History of element and description of proposed change The east and south pitches of the 1873 roof of Hall 2 has an unusual channel gutter embedded in the tiles approximately 1.5m from the roof edge. The repair and refurbishment of all gutters was agreed as part of the 2017 consented scheme, however as work began on this task it became clear that the inaccessibility of this gutter meant that the surrounding tiles had to be removed. When the tiles were removed, it emerged that the tiles were not resting directly on the roof structure but were bedded in a thick bed of mortar below which were fragmentary remains of earlier roof surfaces. It was impossible to remove the tiles without breaking them and the discovery necessitated another repair strategy. It is proposed to replace the damaged tiles with replacement pantiles, fixed by inlaying battens in the mortar and dry-fixing the tiles onto those battens. All tiles in the lower slope of the roof, as well as damaged ones on the remainder of the
roof slope, will be replaced with new facsimiles.
AlanBaxter
Figure 43 View of the southern slope of the roof of the Lesser Hall, showing the channel gutter embedded in the pantile roof
3.32.2 Significance As outlined in Alan Baxter the roofs of Hall 2 and the hauling arch are highly significant.
3.32.3 Heritage impact Repairing and restoring the roof and guttering is an essential component of the consented scheme. Though the removal and replacement of these tiles constitutes minor harm, the damaged tiles have reached the end of their functional life, all new tiles will be like-for-like replacements and the works will improve the roof drainage which will secure the long-term future of the structure. It is clear from the underlying layers that this is not the original roof surface, which has been much altered by layers of mortar and new tiling.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 60 Alan Baxter
3.33 Item 48: Amend listed building consent condition to retain WC pan in hauling arch 3.33.1 History of element and description of proposed change Within the hauling arch at street level an historic WC pan has survived, possibly from the early twentieth century. Under the conditions applied to the consent, this WC pan as an historic fixture was to be retained and reused on site.
The client has concerns that retaining and reusing this historic WC pan would be both difficult and demanding to maintain and potentially risk damage to the item. It is proposed to remove it from site and donate it to a local museum, possibly the M-shed.
3.33.2 Significance It is extremely unusual for historic sanitaryware to survive, which bestows some historic value and some evidential value on this fixture specifically, however the pan makes little or no contribution to the historic, evidential, and communal values of Bristol Beacon as a whole. Bristol Beacon is most significant for its history as a music venue and its Bristol Byzantine architecture and this WC pan is a utilitarian element from an early twentieth century build phase which cannot be said to add to either of those qualities. It is therefore of neutral significance to Bristol Beacon. As an historic item in its own right it has some or moderate significance.
3.33.3 Heritage impact Removing the historic WC pan from site will cause no harm to the significance of Bristol Beacon as a whole, however care should taken not to damage the pan itself in the process.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 61 Alan Baxter
3.34 Item 50: Masonry infill on Trenchard Street elevation 3.34.1 History of element and description of proposed change As described in Item 29 in section 3.18 (page 39), to the west of the stage on the Trenchard Street elevation is a large opening at first floor level. This opening dates to the 1951 rebuilding works.
The opening is to be infilled as part of the consented scheme, and it was to be filled with blockwork, however it has emerged that this infill needs to be toothed in to the surrounding masonry to give the wall sufficient stability. The material of the wall therefore needs to change from rendered blockwork to red brickwork in imitation of the surrounding 1940s masonry.
3.34.2 Significance This 1951 area of the west elevation has little historical aesthetic or communal value, and is assessed by Alan Baxter in our 2017 Heritage Statement as having neutral significance.
3.34.3 Heritage impact Because the opening is of neutral significance, a change in in the infill materials causes no harm to the significance of Bristol Beacon.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 62 Alan Baxter
3.35 Item 51: Dismantling and reconstructing roof structure of Caretaker’s flat 3.35.1 History of element and description of proposed change though it did not form one of the principal spaces. Under the consented scheme this roof is to be modified and amended, to accommodate plant. As part of these works a new truss needs to be installed in the roof structure, and it has emerged that the installation of this new member will require the dismantling and reconstruction of the entire roof. In addition, serious decay has been identified in the roof members, wall plate and gutter support timbers of the north and east slopes, and these elements will need to be patched and in some cases replaced.
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Figure 44
3.35.2 Significance significant in
3.35.3 Heritage impact Though the fabric is highly significant, the dismantling and reconstructing of it will cause only minor harm to the significance of the overall building. The significance of this roof lies in its external profile and covering materials, and the appearance of its internal structure. Because its appearance both internally and externally will be retained (with the addition of the consented new roof elements), the impact of the reconstruction and partial replacement of the fabric is minimal. The removal and replacement of the decayed members is necessary for the long life of the building, and the maximum amount of historic fabric will be retained and reused.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 63 Alan Baxter
3.36 Item 52: Demolition of parapet bearing on former backstage stair wall, get-in-yard 3.36.1 History of element and description of proposed change The parapet dates to the 1900 modifications, when a backstage stair was added to the get in yard. necessary to demolish this parapet structure. It is proposed to rebuild it like for like when
remedial works are complete.
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Figure 45 Detail of lantern building roof showing the parapet marked in blue
3.36.2 Significance As a non-original element in with no communal, aesthetic or historic value, the parapet is neutral significance.
3.36.3 Heritage impact This parapet is of neutral significance and its demolition and reconstruction will therefore cause no harm to the significance of the Bristol Beacon. In addition, it will be hidden behind the new courtyard extension when works are complete.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 64 Alan Baxter
3.37 Item 53: Extend ductwork above louvres on north elevation 3.37.1 History of element and description of proposed change Within the narrow alleyway next to the north elevation, a pair of ducts are consented to service the touring kitchen. As the mechanical and electrical designs have been developed it has emerged that the intake and extract air ducts are too close together, and it is proposed to extend the extract duct further up the elevation.
3.37.2 Significance As an element of the 1900 extension to the backstage area of the Main Hall (Hall 1), the northern wall of Bristol Beacon is marked as some or moderate significance Heritage Statement.
3.37.3 Heritage impact Though it is a principal of the high-quality refurbishment to avoid all possible external ductwork and services, the minor addition in height to this extract duct will be invisible from all public facing elevations and is necessary to provide adequate ventilation to the touring kitchen. It will cause no permanent damage to this elevation. As such, it will cause no harm to the significance of Bristol Beacon.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 65 Alan Baxter
Summary table and conclusion
The proposed changes to consented works outlined in this document were generated during works and emerging designs for Phase 2 of the redevelopment of Bristol Beacon, which is listed Grade II and in the St Michaels Hill and Christmas Steps Conservation Area. The Phase 2 development of Bristol Beacon has been approved by Bristol City Council, who have recognised that the extensive refurbishme optimum viable use as a music venue (NPPF Para 196 are to be specifically supported and promoted according to Bristo Policy BCAP42).
The proposed amendments only affect the exterior envelope of Bristol Beacon in minor ways, and will cause no harm to the surrounding conservation area. The amendments to the scheme have throughout aimed to focus change on those areas of the structure of neutral or moderate significance, while repairing and better revealing those elements of highest significance. Overall, the proposed changes constitute only slight harm to the building, and include many items which bring a heritage benefit to the scheme. This slight harm will be mitigated by the public benefit of the newly refurbished and well-serviced Bristol Beacon.
Description Heritage Level of harm Mitigation
significance of to identified significance
element Matrix of changes No. changes of Matrix 1 Blocking up north Neutral No harm The restoration of the windows in the Lesser significance integrity and appearance Hall (Hall 2) of the highly significant north wall of the lantern building is a significant heritage benefit
2 Lowering of the stage The former roof Beneficial The proposed reduction roof detracted from in height will have no significance negative effect on that benefit, indeed it will marginally improve the beneficial effect of the new roof by slightly reducing its height and visual impact
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 66 Alan Baxter
Description Heritage Level of harm Mitigation
significance of to identified significance
element Matrix of changes No. changes of Matrix 4 Replacement of Colston Some No harm Street gate significance as an old fixture, but it is not one of the elements which give Bristol Beacon its significance
6 Hall 1 parapet copings Some No harm Now that it is known that and string courses significance the 1950s coping and string course were constructed in concrete, their replacement in concrete can be deemed a suitable like-for-like replacement.
7 Hall 2 south-west Highly Slight harm The reconstructed pilaster pilaster base to be significant will enhance the demolished significance of the highly significant space but cannot be solid masonry due to structural loading concerns
8 SW corner louvred door Highly No harm The proposal to enlarge plant room extract significant this opening causes a very increased in size (Nom minor change in 400mm taller and appearance as outlined in 200mm wider) the comparative image in Figure 17
9 Omission of the platform The entrance Heritage Removing level access to lift stop at loggia level area and Loggia benefit this area will allow the are highly reinstatement of the sills significant at the foot of the former elements of the windows, which restores original 1873 some of the 1873 lantern building appearance of the entrance Loggia area
12 Kitchen ranges in separate Alan Baxter report
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 67 Alan Baxter
Description Heritage Level of harm Mitigation
significance of to identified significance
element Matrix of changes No. changes of Matrix 15 Lantern stair arches Highly No harm Exposing and revealing south side significant the historic arch is a heritage benefit
18 Removal of part of 1873 The green- Minor harm Adjusting the design to ceiling and joists to painted beam, retain the green-painted route ducting around ceiling and joists beam is a heritage green-painted beam and are significant. benefit which outweighs its corbel bracket the minor harm
22 Demolition of lean-to The slab of the The removal of The harm is outweighed slab at level 5 and lean-to is of the lean-to by the huge improvement reconstruction of 1900 neutral slab causes no in circulation and wall below significance. harm. movement which will be afforded by the new The supporting The demolition openings. wall has some and or moderate reconstruction significance. of the 1900 supporting wall below it causes minor harm
23 Lantern arch The masonry Though some The new arches will stabilisation which will need minor fabric restore the form of what to be removed removals will was lost in 1900, and the to install the be necessary form and materials of the arches is highly to install them, arches will complement significant, as the new arches the existing arches while surviving will cause no providing the structural elements of the harm to the bracing required. The new original scheme. heritage arches will be detailed in The new arches significance of brick to show that they will support the Bristol Beacon. are new interventions. highly significant Lantern arches
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 68 Alan Baxter
Description Heritage Level of harm Mitigation
significance of to identified significance
element Matrix of changes No. changes of Matrix 24 Get-in staircase wall Some or Minor harm Outweighed by the huge demolition and moderate improvement in reconstruction significance circulation and movement which will be afforded by the new openings.
26 Demolition and Some or Minor harm The parapet will be reconstruction of 1951 moderate reconstructed to the same plain brick parapet on significance outline and the Trenchard Street above reconstruction of the the stage. parapet forms an essential part of the beneficial consented rebuilding of the inadequate stage roof.
27 Structural reinforcement Considerable Minor harm The structural of 1900 brick piers either significance strengthening allows the side of main stage maximum amount of historic fabric to be retained, and when strengthening works are complete the columns will be made good to their original appearance.
28 Amendment to existing The grille has No harm With this solution, only air intake grille at low some or moderately significant level on south elevation moderate fabric is removed and the of Lantern Building significance, appearance of the grille the vaults and opening on the south behind have façade is unchanged. neutral significance.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 69 Alan Baxter
Description Heritage Level of harm Mitigation
significance of to identified significance
element Matrix of changes No. changes of Matrix 29 Trenchard St lintel above Neutral No harm The addition of the new infilled opening to be roof is an overall heritage removed and mansard benefit. roof pitch increased
30 Hall 2 south-east corner Highly Minor harm The works allow the pad-stones significant strengthening of the floor without unsightly additional structure being visible on the ceiling of the Loggia space. The addition of the new acoustic floor in Hall 2 is a significant overall heritage benefit.
32 Changes to the Old Fan Neutral Changes to Structural investigation Room Old Fan Room showed that the walls and - no harm windows could not take Infilling of the additional loads. The 1900s infilling allows the windows retention of the minor harm surrounding masonry without the loss of further fabric, while enabling the increased loads of the consented scheme. The infilled areas will be slightly recessed, allowing the outline of the windows to still be read.
33 Remove existing Considerable Minor harm. These works will allow the vestibule slab and 1950's significance Filling the existing columns to bear terrazzo floor to enable voids with all of the weight of the infill of voids below granular proposed acoustic floor material above without the need constitutes no for any additional harm structure, so are necessary for the wider benefit of restoring the Loggia area to its original appearance
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 70 Alan Baxter
Description Heritage Level of harm Mitigation
significance of to identified significance
element Matrix of changes No. changes of Matrix 34 Addition of 3 new steel Some or The removal The minor harm caused columns in restaurant moderate and by the demolition and and reconstruction of significance reconstruction reconstruction of the wall brick pier adjacent to of the internal is mitigated by the great restaurant entrance wall and pier benefit afforded by the causes minor improved acoustic floor in harm, due to Hall 2. the removal of historic fabric. The relocation of the joists causes no harm, because all historic fabric is to be retained and reused. The addition of columns to the entrance space and the kitchen area will cause no harm to the appearance or the heritage significance of these spaces.
35 Remove vestigial timber Some or Minor harm Mitigated by the great beam from 1873 moderate benefit of installing the originally part of 'third significance acoustic floor to Hall 2, room' ceiling which will maximise the viable use.
36 Change of hauling arch Neutral No harm new lean-to external significance walling from brick to rough cast render at northern end
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 71 Alan Baxter
Description Heritage Level of harm Mitigation
significance of to identified significance
element Matrix of changes No. changes of Matrix 38 Lower cellar flagstones Highly Some harm It is impossible to retain not to be salvaged significant the flagstones and achieve the desired accessibility standards. The loss of the fabric is outweighed by the community benefit of opening and using this historic space.
40 Hauling Arch beam Some or Minor harm Though the removal of alteration moderate the beam constitutes significance minor harm, this is mitigated by the great public benefit which will be achieved by the addition of a lift in this location
41 Get-in-yard air handling Some or Minor harm Harm is outweighed by room façade demolition moderate the huge improvement in significance circulation and movement which will be afforded by the new courtyard extension. In order to achieve this without additional expense, it is not possible to retain these fragments of wall in place.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 72 Alan Baxter
Description Heritage Level of harm Mitigation
significance of to identified significance
element Matrix of changes No. changes of Matrix 42 floor Considerable Minor harm The form and appearance (former Retiring Room significance of the ceiling can still be ceiling) partial discerned from the fabric demolition which is to be retained. No unique element (such as the beam) will be destroyed, and all fabric will be recorded before removal.
The public benefit of retention would be minimal, while the cost of retention would divert funds from other more public-facing areas.
43 Bricking up non-original Neutral No harm windows at level 5 in significance Main Hall (Hall 1) south elevation
45 Infilling of newly Considerable No harm uncovered colonnade significance void (historic air duct)
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 73 Alan Baxter
Description Heritage Level of harm Mitigation
significance of to identified significance
element Matrix of changes No. changes of Matrix 46 Lead gutter Highly The removal of The existing gutter modifications, Hall 2 roof significant the lowest row arrangements are leaking and hauling arch roof of roof tiles on and do not meet modern the north standards, so it is essential elevation and they are improved. The the corner hip proposed changes will tile of the result in an improved roof hauling arch drainage arrangement roof which will secure the long constitutes term future of the minor harm. structure. The replacement of the eastern plastic guttering with a profiled gutter is a heritage benefit which will improve the appearance of this elevation.
47 Lesser Hall (Hall 2) roof Highly The removal Repairing and restoring covering modifications significant and the guttering is an replacement of essential component of roof tiles the consented scheme. All constitutes replacement tiles will be minor harm. like-for-like replacements and the works will improve the roof drainage which will secure the long-term future of the structure. It is clear from the underlying layers that this is not the original roof surface, which has been much altered by layers of mortar and new tiling.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 74 Alan Baxter
Description Heritage Level of harm Mitigation
significance of to identified significance
element Matrix of changes No. changes of Matrix 48 Amend listed building The WC pan is of No harm consent condition to neutral retain WC pan in hauling significance to arch Bristol Beacon as a whole. As a separate historic item it has some or moderate significance.
50 Masonry infill on Neutral No harm Trenchard Street significance elevation
51 Dismantling and Highly Minor harm Because its appearance reconstructing roof significant both internally and externally will be retained flat (with the addition of the consented new roof elements), the impact of the reconstruction and partial replacement of the fabric is minimal. The removal and replacement of the decayed members is necessary for the long life of the building, and the maximum amount of historic fabric will be retained and reused.
52 Demolition of parapet Neutral No harm bearing on former significance backstage stair wall, get- in yard
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 75 Alan Baxter
Description Heritage Level of harm Mitigation
significance of to identified significance
element Matrix of changes No. changes of Matrix 53 Extend ductwork above Some or No harm Though it is a principal of louvres on north moderate the high-quality elevation significance refurbishment to avoid all possible external ductwork and services, the minor addition in height to this extract duct will be invisible from all public facing elevations and is necessary to provide adequate ventilation to the touring kitchen. It will cause no permanent damage to this elevation
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 76 Alan Baxter
Sources
Alan Baxter. September 2017. Colston Hall Bristol: Heritage Statement
Bristol City Council. October 2008. Christmas Steps: Character Appraisal
Current Archaeology 36, pp. 36 44
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 77 Alan Baxter
Appendix A Entry on the National Heritage List
Date accessed: 10 June 2019
Heritage Category: Listed Building
Grade: II
List Entry Number: 1202145
Date first listed: 01-Nov-1966
Statutory Address: Colston Hall, Colston Street, Bristol, BS1 5AR
District: City of Bristol (Unitary Authority)
National Grid Reference: ST 58528 73037
This List entry was subject to a Minor Enhancement on 04/06/2018
ST5873SE 901-1/11/86
BRISTOL COLSTON STREET (West side) The Colston Hall
01/11/66
II Entrance and lobby to concert hall. 1867. By Foster and Wood. Rebuilt 1900. Rebuilt internally 1950-51 by J Nelson Meredith, Bristol City Architect and contractors William Cowlin.
Yellow brick with limestone, sandstone, terracotta and faience dressings, roof not visible. Rectangular open-plan lobby with stair to hall above. Two storey; seven-bay range. A symmetrical front has a ground-floor arcade of semicircular arches with plinths to columns with acanthus capitals, alternate arches have rope mouldings, carved hoods, the blind outer arches contain windows with eared, segmental-arched architraves, with chamfered end responds and banded end sections to an impost band; inside is a matching arcade of square pilasters. A carved cornice of acanthus leaves above a blue faience leaf-pattern band. First-floor blind arcade has plinths to paired columns with foliate capitals and volutes, a full-width entablature band of relief panels, rope-moulded arches, hoods and arches of alternate yellow and brown brick. Top cornice has a Lombard frieze, faience and terracotta decoration, and a moulded glazed modillion cornice, and returns to the left. Alternate arches have c1950 relief panels of performing arts designed by Bristol art students. INTERIOR: entrance hall with two aisles divided by four-arch arcades on square pilasters. Two 1950-51 stair flights run up from the second and fourth arches to a first-floor front hall, with a central area three by two bays with a pointed-arched vault, and paired columns with enriched capitals to the cross passage. HISTORICAL NOTE: the original Great Hall had a classical interior after St George's, Liverpool, with aisles, columns to an entablature, and coffered barrel-vaulted ceiling. It was reached by an Imperial stair from the entrance to the first-floor landing.The hall was burned down in 1898, rebuilt several times, burnt down again and rebuilt 1950-51.
Colston Hall wa (WSPU), the militant suffrage organisation founded in Manchester by Emmeline Pankhurst in 1903. In 1906 the Union moved its headquarters to London and built up a network of branches across Britain. Bristol developed a thriving WSPU branch under the leadership of Annie
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 78 Alan Baxter
from 1907-1912.
The WSPU used large public meetings as a way of building local branches, and Christabel Pankhurst and Emmeline Pankhurst both came to address meetings at Colston Hall. It was also a venue for more militant suffragette activities; its windows were smashed as part of a suffragette protest in November 1909, and meetings by Liberal politicians were disrupted. The most prominent protest was in May 1909 when Elsie Howey and Vera Holme hid in the hall
They interrupted the meeting from
This list entry was amended in 2018 as part of the centenary commemorations of the 1918 Representation of the People Act.
Listing NGR: ST5852873037
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Appendix B
Conservation Area map
Bristol C ity Council ity BristolC
Figure 46 Bristol Beacon outlined in red
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Appendix C Historic Environment Record search results
Alan Baxter consulted the Historic Environment Record to support the consented scheme in 2017. Please see Alan Baxter 17/02916/FB and 17/02917/LA.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 81 Alan Baxter
Appendix D Planning Policy
The designation of Bristol Beacon as a Grade II listed building and its position within the St that any proposals that affect its special interest will be subject to particular controls in addition to normal planning regulations and procedures. These include the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and the National Planning Policy Framework 2019 (NPPF).
out the overall approach for planning development in Bristol. Reference is also made to the Site Alterations and Development Management Policies and the Bristol Central Area Plan.
5.1.1 National policy Planning (Listed Building & Conservation Areas) Act 1990 The Act places a duty on the of special and the Secretary of State when decision- the desirability of preserving the building or its setting or any features of
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) Listed buildings and Conservation Areas are both defined as a designated heritage asset in Annex 2 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Any works that might affect their significance are subject to statutory control as set out in the NPPF, and Government guidance.
The updated NPPF was adopted in 2019, replacing all previous Planning Policy Statements. Section 16, Conserving and Enhancing the Historic Environment, contains guidance on heritage assets. Paragraphs 193-4, 195 and 196 are of particular relevance to Bristol Beacon.
Paragraph 193.
When considering the impact of a proposed development on the significance of a designated
the asset, the greater the weight should be). This is irrespective of whether any potential harm amounts to substantial harm, total loss or less than substantial harm to its significance.
Paragraph 194.
Any harm to, or loss of, the significance of a designated heritage asset (from its alteration or destruction, or from development within its setting), should require clear and convincing justification. Substantial harm to or loss of:
a) grade II listed buildings, or grade II registered parks or gardens, should be exceptional;
b) assets of the highest significance, notably scheduled monuments, protected wreck sites, registered battlefields, grade I and II* listed buildings, grade I and II* registered parks and gardens, and World Heritage Sites, should be wholly exceptional.
Paragraph 195 sets out the tests for justifying substantial harm
Where a proposed development will lead to substantial harm to (or total loss of significance of) a designated heritage asset, local planning authorities should refuse consent, unless it can be demonstrated that the substantial harm or total loss is necessary to achieve substantial public benefits that outweigh that harm or loss, or all of the following apply:
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a) the nature of the heritage asset prevents all reasonable uses of the site; and
b) no viable use of the heritage asset itself can be found in the medium term through appropriate marketing that will enable its conservation; and
c) conservation by grant-funding or some form of not for profit, charitable or public ownership is demonstrably not possible; and
d) the harm or loss is outweighed by the benefit of bringing the site back into use.
Paragraph 196 sets out the tests for justifying less than substantial harm
Where a development proposal will lead to less than substantial harm to the significance of a designated heritage asset, this harm should be weighed against the public benefits of the proposal including, where appropriate, securing its optimum viable use.
Paragraphs 200 and 201 address conservation areas.
Paragraph 200
Local planning authorities should look for opportunities for new development within Conservation Areas and World Heritage Sites, and within the setting of heritage assets, to enhance or better reveal their significance. Proposals that preserve those elements of the setting that make a positive contribution to the asset (or which better reveal its significance) should be treated favourably.
Paragraph 201
Not all elements of a Conservation Area or World Heritage Site will necessarily contribute to its significance. Loss of a building (or other element) which makes a positive contribution to the significance of the Conservation Area or World Heritage Site should be treated either as substantial harm under paragraph 195 or less than substantial harm under paragraph 196, as appropriate, taking into account the relative significance of the element affected and its contribution to the significance of the Conservation Area or World Heritage Site as a whole.
5.1.2 Local policy Development Plan Planning law requires that applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the Development Plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The Development Plan for Bristol is made-up of several adopted policy documents. Those relevant for this site are:
• Core Strategy Adopted June 2011 • Site Allocations and Development Management Policies Adopted July 2014 • Bristol Central Area Plan Adopted March 2015 • West of England Joint Waste Core Strategy Adopted March 2011 The key heritage related policies identified at this stage within the above plans are:
Bristol Development Framework - Core Strategy (June 2011) BCS22: Conservation and the Historic Environment - Development proposals will safeguard or enhance heritage assets and the character and setting of areas of acknowledged importance including:
• Scheduled ancient monuments • Historic buildings both nationally and locally listed • Historic parks and gardens both nationally and locally listed
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• Conservation areas • Archaeological remains
Bristol Development Framework - Site Allocations and Development Management Policies (July 2014) • DM26: Local Character and Distinctiveness Expects the design of proposals to contribute towards local character and distinctiveness, including (point ii) Respecting the building upon or restoring the local pattern and grain of development, including the historical development of the area. Development should retain existing buildings and structures that contribute positively to local character and distinctiveness. • DM30: Alterations to Existing Buildings Extensions and alterations to existing buildings will be expected to: i. Respect the siting, scale, form, proportions, materials, details and the overall design and character of the host building, its curtilage and the broader street scene; and ii. Retain and/or reinstate traditional or distinctive architectural features and fabric; and iii. Safeguard the amenity of the host premises and neighbouring occupilasters; and iv. Leave sufficient usable external private space for the occupilasters of the building. • DM31: Heritage Assets o General Principles Development that has an impact upon a heritage asset will be expected to conserve and, where appropriate, enhance the asset or its setting. − Archaeology: Scheduled monuments and other non-designated archaeological sites of equivalent importance should be preserved in situ. In those cases where this is not justifiable or feasible, provision should be made for excavation and record with an appropriate assessment and evaluation. The appropriate publication/curation of findings will be expected. − Listed Buildings: Alterations, extensions or changes of use to listed buildings, or development in their vicinity, will be expected to have no adverse impact on those elements which contribute to their special architectural or historic interest, including their settings. − Conservation Areas: Development within or which would affect the setting of a conservation area will be expected to preserve or, where appropriate, enhance those elements which contribute to their special character or appearance. − Registered Historic Parks and Gardens: Development will be expected to have no adverse impact on the design, character, appearance or settings of registered historic parks and gardens and to safeguard those features which form an integral part of their character and appearance. − Locally important heritage assets: Proposals affecting locally important heritage assets should ensure they are conserved having regard to their significance and the degree of any harm or loss of significance. o Understanding the asset Development proposals that would affect heritage assets will be expected to demonstrate, by a thorough understanding of the significance of the asset, how any change proposed would conserve and, where appropriate, enhance that significance. o Conserving heritage assets Where a proposal would affect the significance of a heritage asset, including a locally listed heritage asset, or its wider historic setting, the applicant will be expected to: I. Demonstrate that all reasonable efforts have been made to sustain the existing use, find new uses, or mitigate the extent of the harm to the significance of the asset; and II. Demonstrate that the works proposed are the minimum required to secure the long term use of the asset; and III. Demonstrate how those features of a heritage asset that contribute to its historical, archaeological, social, artistic or architectural interest will be retained; and IV. Demonstrate how the local character of the area will be respected.
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 84 Alan Baxter
o Recording the asset Where a proposal would result in the partial or total loss of a heritage asset or its setting, the applicant will be required to: I. Instigate a programme of recording of that asset; and II. Ensure the publication of that record in an appropriate form. o Energy efficiency measures and renewables The installation of energy efficiency measures and micro-renewables in historic buildings (including listed buildings) and in conservation areas will be permitted, provided that the works are the minimum required to achieve the energy efficiency improvements and do not conflict with the general principles described above, prioritising low-impact measures over invasive measures.
Bristol Central Area Plan The Bristol Central Area Plan was adopted in March 2015. It explores how Bristol City Centre will develop to 2026. importance of cultural activities to Bristol city centre. Bristol Beacon is specifically mentioned at paragraph 4.17: There has been substantial investment in culture, leisure and tourism in Bristol City Centre in recent years, with the completion of the M-Shed museum, Colston Hall extension and Cinema De Lux at Cabot Circus, as well as ongoing investment in attractions such as the S.S. Great Britain, Bristol Old Vic and City Museum. It remains the intention to complete the Colston Hall project with the re
last few years. The paragraph also addresses existing cultural facilities and states that these
Policy BCAP42 notes: The Approach to West End - Development will be expected to preserve and enhance the retail,
visitor attractions and delivering improvements to the public realm of key shopping areas and pedestrian routes. Development in West End will be expected to preserve or enhance local and long distance views and respect the dominance within the existing townscape and skyline of existing historic landmark buildings. The design of new development should take account of the
area and reflect the prevalent local materials.
Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs): There are a number of SPDs that are relevant for the heritage related aspects of this site and proposal. These are as follows:
• Appraisal • Archaeology and Development (SPD7) • Conservation Area Enhancement Statements (PAN2) • Responding to Local Character A Design Guide (PAN15)
Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 85 Alan Baxter
Alan Baxter
Prepared by Gemma Fowlie Reviewed by Vicky Simon Draft issued March 2020 Final issued April 2020
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Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 86 Alan Baxter
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Heritage Statement for proposed amendments / 04/21 87 Alan Baxter