DATE INSPECTED: 14 MARCH 2014
Ribble Valley Borough Council
Ref: CB/CMS
Application No: 3/2014/0126/P
Development Proposed: Alterations to rear dormer replacing flat roof with slated pitched roof at Lower Stony Bank, Slaidburn, BB7 4TR
CONSULTATIONS: Parish/Town Council
Parish Council - No objections to this proposal.
CONSULTATIONS: Highway/Water Authority/Other Bodies
Environment Directorate (County Surveyor) – N/A.
Environment Agency – N/A.
CONSULTATIONS: Additional Representations
No representations have been received.
RELEVANT POLICIES:
Ribble Valley Districtwide Local Plan
Policy G1 - Development Control.
Policy ENV1 - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Policy ENV3 - Development in Open Countryside.
Policy H10 - Residential Extensions.
Policy SPG – “Extensions and Alterations to Dwellings”.
Ribble Valley Core Strategy (Regulation 22 Post Submission Draft including proposed main changes)
Policy DMG1 – General Considerations.
Policy EN2 – Landscape.
Policy DME2 – Landscape and Townscape Protection.
Policy DMH5 – Residential and Curtilage Extensions.
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
Achieving Sustainable Development.
Section 7 Requiring Good Design.
Section 11 Conserving and Enhancing the Natural Environment.
Section 12 Conserving and Enhancing the Historic Environment.
RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY
3/1992/0565 – Single storey extension to form dining room. Approved.
POLICY REASONS FOR REFUSAL:
G1, ENV1, ENV3, H10, SPG, DMG1, EN2, DMH5 – Detrimental to existing house and visual amenity.
COMMENTS/ENVIRONMENTAL/AONB/HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES/RECOMMENDATION:
The application relates to an isolated former farmhouse within the Area of Outstanding
Natural Environment on the road from Slaidburn to Tosside near to the four lane ends road junction where Dugdale Lane and Hole House Lane converge with Wigglesworth Road.
The former farmhouse has a flat roof dormer on the rear elevation of the property set below

the eaves level of the original house on the roof of a former dining room extension, approved by planning application 3/1992/0565/P. Planning permission is sought to replace the flat roof dormer with a pitched roof dormer. This would involve putting a slate pitched roof on the dormer measuring 1.2m higher than the existing dormer, giving it an overall height of 2.6m.
The roof of the dormer would run back into the main roof for a distance of 5.1m and would be set 300mm below the main ridge.
The landscape character type for this part of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is
‘rolling upland farmland’.
Scattered isolated stone farmsteads with stone barns are the dominant building type in this particular landscape. The NPPF states “great weight should be given in National Parks, the Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which have the highest status of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty”. Lower Stony Bank and its outbuildings including a detached stone barn form a traditional farmstead where the farmhouse stands as the prominent building in the group.
The group of buildings are located within an isolated position within the landscape and are highly visible when travelling in a north-east to south-west direction on Wigglesworth Road.
When travelling along this road, and also on Dugdale Lane, the gable ends of the house, its outbuilding, and the traditional stone barn form a visual hierarchy. The hierarchy of stone gables at this historic farmstead situated on the roadside make a significant contribution to the intrinsic character and visual amenities of this part of the Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty.
Whilst the plans illustrating the existing elevations show the cheeks of the flat roof dormer when viewing the north-east gable of the property this is inaccurate as, in reality, the flat roof dormer is not visible when viewing the property from the main road as the roof of the dormer sits level with the eaves of the original farmhouse. Therefore the current flat roof dormer is not visible when travelling down the road in a north-east to south-west direction.
The introduction of a pitched roof on the dormer, due to its bulk and massing, would appear over dominant bulky extension on the simple collection of roofscapes when viewed from
Wigglesworth Road to the detriment of the established hierarchy of gables on the farmhouse, outbuilding and stone barn, thereby having a significantly detrimental impact on the visual qualities of the AONB.
The pitched roof on this dormer would be visible from long range views when travelling from
Tosside towards Slaidburn and when looking towards the property from Dugdale Lane leading towards Stock Reservoir which adds further weight to my concerns regarding the visual amenities of the AONB.
In addition, when viewing the rear and south-eastern side of the farmhouse from within the curtilage, the flat roof dormer is unassuming whereby the creation of a pitched roof would increase the bulk and massing of the dormer to an extent where this would detract from the roofscape of this traditional farmhouse. I am mindful that there is a flat roof dormer in situ however I am of the opinion that the increased bulk and massing resulting from the proposals would increase the visual prominence of this element to an extent whereby it is considered inappropriate.
For these reasons I consider the proposal would have a seriously detrimental effect on the appearance of the former farmhouse and the visual amenities of this part of the AONB, and particularly the long range views when travelling towards Slaidburn along the main road.
RECOMMENDATION : That permission be refused.