Issue - meetings

Erection of a single storey annexe for ancillary residential use with glazed link between the annexe and the existing house

Recommendations: Refusal

RESOLVED: That the application be deferred for a site visit

Erection of a single storey annexe for ancillary residential use with glazed link between the annexe and the existing house.

Officers introduced the application.

The petitioner organiser was in attendance and addressed the Committee in support of the application.

The petitioner was speaking on behalf of 25 people who had signed the petition, and who all knew the applicant and their family. Petitioners were aware that this application was based on health requirements. It was noted that the proposed annex would allow the resident to avoid the use of stairs in the home. The applicant was only trying to improve the quality of life of the resident. Most of the signatories of the petition were from Fringewood Close and six letters of support had been submitted. It was noted that the property directly next to the proposed annex were supportive of the proposals.

The petitioners all disagreed with each of the officers’ reasons for refusal:

Reason one – principle of development: the applicant could attest to the fact that the resident and their family had no intention for the annex to be used as an independent dwelling.

Reason two – character and appearance: following engagement with the planning officers and after an exercise of design auctioneering the design team had arrived at a solution of the smallest possible footprint of the development whilst retaining the functionality and accessibility and establishing an appropriate relationship with the host dwelling. Given the reduction in the scale, the visual impact on the street scene of Fringewood Close was minimal. The annex would be partially screened by trees. Residences on Ducks Hill Road would be screened by tall hedges. As the annex would be lower than these houses, the units would not be visible from the road scene.

Reason three – substandard living conditions: the existing garden in 22 Fringewood Close was 573 square meters. The gardens within the Close average from 150 to 200 square meters. The resulting garden once the annex had been built would be 440 square meters. The remaining garden area would be double the size of the largest garden within the Close, and so the annex would enjoy a large amenity space.

Reason four – neighbour amenity: petitioners disagreed that the proposed annex would cause harm to the living conditions of the existing neighbouring occupiers. The separation distance between the proposed one-storey annex and 20 Fringewood Close was 3.5 meters. The average separation distance between two-storey houses within the close was 1.5 meters. The annex would be considerably smaller than the houses in the Close and the separation distance would be twice the average. The proposed development would sit outside of the 45 degree line of sight from the nearest window to the habitable room of 20 Fringewood Close, which proved that there would be no loss of outlook, loss of privacy or overshadowing on this property. The hedge along the annex closest to 20 Fringewood Close was considerably taller than the annex would be. The visual impact and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20