Development Control Committee - 27/03/2008
W/07/02809/PP
Grid Ref: E:396114.01 N:255660.21
Parish:
Ward:
Grafton Flyford
Upton Snodsbury 32
Description: ALTERATIONS AND EXTENSIONS TO EXISTING BUNGALOW TO
FORM FIRST FLOOR ACCOMMODATION INCLUDING INCREASED
ROOF HEIGHT AND EXTENSION TO FRONT
Site:
Friars Mead, Grafton Flyford, WR7 4PG
Applicant:
Mr R Thompson
Agent:
DJD Architects
Date Valid:
10/12/2007
Expiry Date: 04/02/2008
Member(s): Cllr Linda Robinson
Case
Officer:
Tel:
Fran Juckes
01386 565322
This would normally be a Delegated Item but comes before the Committee at the
request of the Local Member, Cllr. Mrs Robinson, who has also requested a site visit.
1.
Site Description and Details of Proposal
Friar's Mead is a modern (1960's) bungalow of traditional brick construction with a
shallow, pitched roof of plain interlocking concrete tiles set within an extensive
garden on an elevated site, close to The Old Rectory and St. John's Church and
Village Hall in Grafton Flyford. Apart from Glebe House on the other side of the lane,
the site is generally surrounded by open countryside, but not in any designated
Special Landscape Area.
The proposal is for an increase in roof ridge height to provide first floor
accommodation (rather than an extension of the ground floor plan), but utilising the
existing building footprint and involving a basic redesign. The garage would remain
integral and the primary vehicular access would remain from the lane. Amended
plans (received 19th February) have been negotiated reducing the pitch of the roof to
42 degrees and thereby reducing the overall mass and scale of the proposed building
as originally submitted. A further plan is anticipated showing an extension to the
existing hedgerow along the lane frontage and the planting of some semi-mature
specimen trees between the ornamental pond and the track leading to the Church.
The scheme also incorporates renewable energy facilities with the installation of a
Ground Source Heat Pump, solar panels and a Rainwater Harvesting Tank.
2.
Planning Policies
Worcestershire County Structure Plan
Relevant Policies are:
D10 (Housing in the open countryside)
Wychavon District Local Plan June 2006
Relevant Policies are:
GD2 (General Development Control)
SUR1 (Built Design)
SUR6 (Extensions to Buildings)
ENV1 (Landscape Character)
RES2 (Renewable Energy Facilities)
ENV8 (Protection of Hedgerows, Trees and Woodland)
West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy
Relevant Policies are:
QE3 (Creating a High Quality Environment for All)
3.
Planning History
No previous planning history
4.
Consultation Responses
Parish/Town Council:
Objection to originally submitted plans - considers that nearly doubles size of
property and the design has little architectural reference to the locality. Choice of
materials is inappropriate and concerns expressed about drainage difficulties.
The amendments make very little difference to the scheme and their opinion is
broadly the same.
County Highways:
No objections subject to the imposition of a condition regarding an improvement to
the existing gated access.
5.
Representations Received
Mr & Mrs Klein, Glebe House, Grafton Flyford
Mr & Mrs Deller, The Old Rectory, Grafton Flyford
6.
Representations Made
Both neighbours are generally supportive of the alterations to the existing bungalow
but both have specific concerns about the potential for overlooking from either the
new Master Bed balcony on the south-west elevation and also the new north-east
elevation Bed 3 window.
7.
OFFICER APPRAISAL
The main policy issue involved in the consideration of this application is essentially
one of built design/compliance, visual impact, but also secondly the issue of
residential amenity.
Built Design
The existing 1960s bungalow is rectangular in footprint with a shallow pitched roof,
which is not considered characteristic of this area especially in comparison to the
traditional steeply pitched roofs of the Church, the Village Hall and the two immediate
residential neighbours at The Old Rectory and The Glebe House, both being
substantial period houses.
The amended plans received on (19th February) depict a building which principally
retains the original bungalow eaves level, as well as the footprint, and also shows a
ridge level reduced by 0.75 metres from the originally deposited plans. Whilst the
proposal appears to be a substantial extension to provide first floor accommodation,
the alterations proposed, in fact, only involve increasing the roof pitch to a more
traditional 42 degrees and incorporating gable features, both which are essentially
regarded to be more sympathetic to the local vernacular form. This would then
enable the use of small roof tiles, which again is more sympathetic to those on
neighbouring properties. The visual impact of the proposal would be further softened
by the use of untreated larch boarding on the first floor gable elevations and the
extension of the hedge along the lane and the planting of some specimen trees on
southeastern boundary beside the pond.
On balance, it is considered that the various design elements proposed in the
amended scheme, received on 19th February, would result in an improved built form
especially with the retention and reinforcement of screen planting along the site
boundaries. Accordingly, it would comply with relevant adopted local plan design
policies.
The proposal also involves solar hot water panels to the south-westerly roof slope
which supplement the proposed ground source heat pump installation as well as a
rainwater harvesting system, which combined, help to fulfill local planning policy
requirements in producing a sustainable development.
Residential Amenity
The proposed enlarged dwelling would have a balcony on the south-west elevation
which potentially could result in an oblique view into the front/side garden of Glebe
House some 65 metres distant However, it is considered that this is a reasonable
separation distance, especially as there is mature planting in both gardens and the
lane in between the two dwellings.
There would also be a new window to Bed 3 on the north-east gable elevation.
However, it is again considered that as there is a reasonable separation distance of
approx. 60 metres between the rear of Friar's Mead and the front of The Old Rectory,
and this is sufficient, especially with mature planting intervening to minimise any
possibility of overlooking. An appropriate condition can be imposed to ensure the
retention of existing boundary planting that is under the control of the applicant.
8.
RECOMMENDATION
T002
Approval
The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of
three years from the date of this permission.
Reason - In accordance with the requirements of Section 91 (1) of the Town
and Country Planning Act 1990 as amended by Section 51 of the Planning
and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
T009
The permission shall relate to the originally submitted plan(s) and to the
amended plans received on 19th February 2008 and ..........
Reason - To define the permission.
A004
Samples of the external facing bricks, larch boarding and roof materials
shall be subject to the approval, in writing, of the Local Planning Authority
before any work on the site commences.
Reason - To ensure that the development is visually satisfactory.
LS05
All existing trees and hedges on site, or branches from trees on adjacent
land that overhang the site, unless indicated on the approved plan(s) to be
removed, shall be retained and shall not be felled or pruned or otherwise
removed within a period of five years from the completion of the
development without the previous written consent of the Local Planning
Authority.
Temporary fencing for the protection of all retained trees/hedges on site
during development shall be erected, to a minimum height of 1.2 metres,
below the outermost limit of the branch spread, or at a distance equal to half
the height of the tree, whichever is the further from the tree.
Such fencing should be erected in accordance with BS 5837:2005, before
any materials or machinery are brought onto site and before any demolition
or development, including erection of site huts, is commenced.
This protective fencing shall be maintained on site until the completion of
development, and nothing should be stored or placed, nor shall any ground
levels be altered, within the fenced area without the previous written consent
of the Local Planning Authority.
There shall be no burning of any material within 10 metres of the extent of
the canopy of any retained tree/hedge.
If any retained tree/hedge is removed, uprooted or destroyed or dies,
replacement planting shall be carried out in the first available planting
season of such species, sizes and numbers and in positions on site as may
be specified by the Local Planning Authority.
Reason - To prevent existing trees/hedges from being damaged during
construction work and to preserve the amenities of the locality. In
accordance with ENV8 (for protection of existing hedgerows, trees &
woodland) of the Wychavon District Local Plan (June 2006).
U003
The development, hereby permitted, shall be used solely for purposes
incidental to the enjoyment of the dwelling house and for no other purpose
including any use as independent residential accomodation.
Reason - To retain planning control over the use of the building hereby
approved.
U008
The garage hereby approved shall only be used for the domestic storage
purposes incidental to the domestic use of the dwelling and shall not be
used for commercial or business purposes or converted into habitable
accommodation.
Reason - To retain planning control over the use of the building hereby
approved and to protect the amenities of the area.
EX01
No part of the development shall be commenced until full details of hard
landscape works have been submitted to and approved in writing by the
Local Planning Authority. The details submitted must include:
[existing and proposed finished levels or contours]
[hard surfacing materials]
Reason - To preserve and enhance the visual amenities of the area and to
ensure the satisfactory development of the site - in accordance with Policy
GD2 and Policy ENV1 of the Wychavon District Local Plan (June 2006).
H01
Before any other works hereby approved on the application site are
commenced, the existing gated entrance shall be set back 5 metres from
the nearside edge of the adjoining carriageway. On each side of the set
back entrance, splays shall be formed at an angle of 45 degrees with the
highway boundary and the whole of the splayed areas shall be graded and
cleared so that no part thereof exceeds a height of 0.6m above the relative
level of the adjoining carriageway.
Reason - In the interests of highway safety
LS02
All planting comprised in the submitted landscape scheme, plan no...........
hereby approved, shall be carried out in the first planting season following
the completion or first occupation of the dwelling, whichever is the sooner.
All planting shall be watered as necessary and competitive weed growth
controlled to ensure successful establishment.
Any trees or plants which, within a period of five years from the completion
of the planting, die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased
shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and
species, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.
Reason - To protect and enhance the visual amenities of the area and to
ensure the satisfactory development of the site - in accordance with Policy
GD2, Policy ENV1 and ENV8 of the Wychavon District Local Plan (June
2006).
Notes:
The decision to grant planning permission has been taken having regard to the
policies in the approved Worcestershire County Structure Plan, the Wychavon
District Local Plan (June 2006), and the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy
(RPG11), and to all relevant material considerations, including Planning Policy
Guidance Notes, Planning Policy Statements and Supplementary Planning
Guidance.
The following policies in the approved Worcestershire County Structure Plan are
relevant to this decision: D10.
The following policies in the Wychavon District Local Plan (June 2006) are relevant
to this decision:GD2, SUR1, SUR6, ENV1, RES2, ENV8.
The following policies in the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy (RPG11) are
relevant to this decision: QE3.
The development is considered to comply with these policies and guidance notes
and it is not considered that it will cause material harm to the amenities of the area.
Note
"Failure to comply with the above planning Conditions may result in the
permission hereby granted being invalidated".