Extension Plans for Historic Putney House Turned Down

Scheme to extend Grade II listed home would be 'unsympathetic'

Rear extension to building deemed unacceptable. Picture: Andrew Catto

July 5, 2024

A scheme to add side and rear extensions to a Grade II listed house on Lower Richmond Road have been turned down by council planners, who felt it would be "unsympathetic" to the integrity of the historic property.

The application for alterations to the end-of-terrace early 19th century property involved creating a bathroom for each of its six bedrooms, as well as a larger kitchen.

The building, which is within the Putney Conservation area and pre-dates the arrival of the railway, is used as a 'house of multiple occupation' targeted at single professional women.

A report submitted to Wandsworth Council on behalf of the building's owners said they "want to improve the house to meet the growing expectations of this group by providing each bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, and enlarging the social areas."

They said that adding bathrooms without the loss of a bedroom requires extra space, so had proposed a ground-floor extension with a flat roof, as well as internal changes.

The report, by Putney-based Andrew Catto Architects, concluded: "The works proposed are modest changes to a low key building designed to allow it to remain viable in its current use."

But a report prepared by council Case Officer Lucia Sarisska said there had been five objections to the scheme, raising issues including "overdevelopment" of the site and the character of the Grade II listed building being altered.

Ms Sarisska said the cottage was one of three early 19th century houses in the terrace which represent "important survivors" in the history of Putney's development.

"The host property forms part of a group with Winchester House of surviving elements of early 19th century Putney, before the railway accelerated development in the latter half of the century, and the significance of the houses lies in their age and their surviving form and features," she said.

Nick Calder, Wandsworth's Head of Development Management, concluded in his letter of refusal for the application that it would "would be unsympathetic and would cause less than substantial harm to the special historic and architectural interest and integrity of the Grade II listed building and its contribution to Putney Embankment Conservation Area. There would be no heritage benefits to outweigh this harm".