There aren't 'weak rooted' plants, the best you can do is choose shrubs which are smaller in size, which will mean the roots are unlikely to damage the foundations, so probably nothing with a height over four to five feet. What you haven't said is how much sun the area gets, but you'll be choosing from a relatively restricted range of plants to try to keep to that size limit. Some that spring to mind are Spiraea varieties (such as S. 'Goldflame' or 'Goldmound', S bumalda 'Anthony Waterer), Euonymus fortunei varieties (but not 'Silver Queen', that one will form quite a thick trunk over time), Euonymus microphyllus, Sarcococca varieties, and Potentilla fruticosa. Spiraea and Potentilla are decidous, but do flower, whereas Euonymus are evergreen, but don't flower -the variegation on their leaves will provide colour year round though. Sarcococca prefer shadier conditions and damp soil, and flower in early spring. There are smaller Hebes, but I'm not sure how hardy they'd be in your part of the world, most are listed as H4 or H3, so depends how cold your winters get really.

You could add some herbaceous perennials into the mix - they would contribute colour and height during the summer months without causing a risk to the foundations.

I forgot about Skimmias, they should be okay...

Thanks Bamboo, It is shaded until after 14:00 hrs. Soil is fairly dry too as it's sheltered by overhanging eaves.
I like spirea, so will look into that, and I have a smallish hebe at the back of the house which I could move, it's obviously hardy enough as it's been planted out 2 or 3 years.
I had to look up sarcoccoca, hadn't heard of it, but I like the thought of the perfumed flowers, so I might look at that to replace the hebe when I move it.