02/P/1234/F PROPOSAL AND LOCATION AS IT APPEARS ON MVM IN BOLD FONT SIZE 12

 

SOUTH AREA COMMITTEE

27TH APRIL 2005

 

 

ITEM NO: 5.2

 

APPLICATION NO: 05/P/0393/F

 

 

TARGET DATE: 12-APR-2005

 

 

APPLICATION: Erection of a garage, automated gates and brickwork piers.

 

 

SITE ADDRESS: Flat Holme, Bridgwater Road, Dundry

 

 

PARISH/WARD: Dundry

 

WARD COUNCILLOR(S): Cllr Mrs Telling

 

The following plan is for illustrative purposes only, and cannot be guaranteed to be up to date or to scale.

 

LOCATION PLAN: (This map is based upon Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office c. Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. North Somerset Council, LA09063L,2001)

 

 

2.         05/P/0393/F   Erection of A GARAGE, AUTOMATED GATES AND BRICKWORK PIERS at FLAT HOLME, BRIDGWATER ROAD, DUNDRY

(GR 355658 168766)                                                                             Ben le Mare

 

REFERRED DELEGATED ITEM BY COUNCILLOR tELLING

 

Site Description

 

The site is situated on the south side of Bridgwater Road (A38), to the east of the Town and Country Lodge. The property is a new replacement bungalow that has a front and large rear garden area and has one other property adjoining the east boundary.

 

Relevant Planning History

 

Year

 

Reference

Proposal

Decision

1998

98/2449

Demolition of existing bungalow and construction of new

Approve with Conditions.

2000

00/P/0256/F

Erection of replacement Bungalow

Approved with conditions.

2000

00/P/1285/F

Erection of replacement Bungalow

Approved with conditions – Conditions appeal dismissed.

2004

04/P/2295/F

The installation of 4 No. front and 4 No. rear rooflights to bungalow

Withdrawn.

2004

04/P/3137/F

Installation of 4 rooflights to existing dwelling

Approve with 5 year condition.

 

 

The Application

 

It is proposed to erect a garage at the front of the site approximately 16.5 metres from the highway and 6 metres in front of the dwelling as well as a set of double gates with brickwork piers. The proposed garage measures 5.9 metres in width, 5.6 metres in length and 4.6 in height to the top of the pitched roof. The gates are of an ornate design measuring 4.3 metres in width and 3.5 metres in height. The two brickwork piers either side of the gates each measure 0.5 metre in width and 3.5 metres in height.

 

Policy Framework

 

The main relevant policies are as follows:

 

Development Plan

 

North Somerset Local Plan (NSLP)

 

Policy GRB/4 – In order to maintain the openness of the Green Belt, proposals to extend or alter existing dwellings in the Green Belt, or develop within their curtilage should not result in a disproportionate addition over and above the original dwelling.  Proposals to replace dwellings should not be materially larger than the dwelling to be replaced.

 

Policy CON/1 – Development will not be permitted unless it is compatible with its surroundings or general locality in terms of height, scale, density, massing, landscaping, layout and materials used.

 

Other material policy guidance

 

North Somerset Replacement Local Plan

 

Policy R/D5 - Development in the Green Belt

 

Development within the Green Belt is inappropriate unless for the following purposes:

 

iii)      The re-use of buildings in accordance with Policies RD/3 or H/8, the replacement, sub-division, alteration or limited extension of existing dwellings, and within settlement boundaries, the construction of new dwellings in accordance with Policies H/7 and H/8, or employment development in accordance with Policy E/4, provided that there is no materially greater impact on the openness of the Green Belt or the purposes of including land in it:

 

Policy GDP/3 – Promoting good design and sustainable construction

 

A high standard of planning and design is expected of all development; poorly designed proposal will be rejected. In determining applications for planning permission, account will be taken, wherever relevant, of the following design objectives:

 

ii)        the sitting, levels, layout, density, form, scale, height, massing, detailing, colour and materials are appropriate for the use, having regard to the characteristics of the site and its surroundings and the need to minimise potential adverse impacts within the site and upon adjoining areas through, for example, overlooking or shading;

 

iv)      hard or soft landscaping is of an appropriate standard and features such as trees, hedges, walls or buildings that contribute positively to the character of the site are taken into account

 

Relevant guidance is contained in the following PPG’s:

 

PPG 2 Green Belts: paragraph 3.6 indicates that “disproportionate” additions over and above the size of the original building would be inappropriate development, which, by definition would be harmful to the Green Belt.

 

Consultations

 

Third Parties: One letter of support received from the occupiers of the neighbouring property.

 

Winford Parish Council: No comments received

 

Planning Issues

 

The principal planning issues in this case are (1) whether the principle of development in the Green Belt is acceptable; (2) the impact on living conditions of the nearby properties (3) design of the automated gates and brickwork piers.

 

Issue 1: The principle of development

 

National government guidance in PPG2 states that any proposal to alter or extend an existing dwelling should not result in a ‘disproportionate extension over and above the size of the original dwelling.’ (‘Original’ in this case means the dwelling as existing on 1 July 1948). 

 

The replacement dwelling that was recently built under planning permission 00/P/1285/F has increased the floorspace of the original dwelling by over 50%.  Policy GRB/4 provides that in order to maintain the openness of the Green Belt proposals to extend existing dwellings in the Green Belt, or develop within their curtilage should not result in a disproportionate addition over and above the original dwelling.

 

It is considered that the previous replacement dwelling amounts to a substantial increase over and above the size of the original dwelling and the bulk of the built form within this Green Belt location.  It is the view that the replacement dwelling has extended the original dwelling to the maximum level permissible under the Local Development Plan policies.  Consequently, it is considered that the proposed development would, in combination with the increase in size of the replacement dwelling, result in a disproportionate addition in the size of the developed area of the site over and above that which existed with the original dwelling.

 

The emerging Local Plan Policy RD/5 refers to inappropriate development and extensions but makes no provision for curtilage buildings. As such under the interpretation of this policy the proposed garage would therefore constitute inappropriate development in this Green Belt location.

 

The Committee’s attention is drawn to an appeal (application number 04/P/1449/F) which was dismissed in March 2005 for a proposed conservatory on the rear of the neighbouring dwelling (The Meadows). The conservatory was one of numerous extensions to the property, over and above the maximum 50% increase as set out in Policy GRB/4. The inspector concluded that proposal conflicted with Policy GRB/4 and polices within PPG2 designed to protect the Green Belt.

 

Issue 2: The impact on the living conditions of the nearby properties

 

Due to the position of the dwelling within the large secluded plot, the proposed extensions will not impact on the amenity of the neighbouring properties.

 

Issue 3: Design of the automated gates and brickwork piers

 

The proposed gates and brickwork piers are excessive in their size, scale and elaborate design which are out of keeping with the rural appearance of the road which has a mixture of hedge, earth embankments and low walls. As such they are considered to have a detrimental impact on the character of the area.

 

Conclusion

 

The proposed garage will result in a disproportionate increase in the developed area of the site over and above that which existed with the original dwelling.  Such development is therefore considered to be inappropriate development in the Green Belt.  In the absence of any very special circumstances being demonstrated by the applicants to outweigh the harm caused by reason of inappropriateness the proposal is therefore contrary to Policy GRB/4 of the North Somerset Local Plan, Policy RD/5 of the Replacement Local Plan and also to the advice contained within PPG2: Green Belts.

 

The proposed gates and piers are excessive and are out of keeping with the character of the rural area. This is contrary to good design and policies CON/1 of the North Somerset Local Plan and GDP/3 of the Replacement Local Plan.

RECOMMENDATION - REFUSAL for the following reasons:

 

1.      The proposed garage will result in a disproportionate increase in the developed area of the site over and above that which existed with the original dwelling.  Such development is therefore considered to be inappropriate development in the Green Belt.  In the absence of any very special circumstances being demonstrated by the applicants to outweigh the harm caused by reason of inappropriateness the proposal is therefore contrary to Policy GRB/4 of the North Somerset Local Plan, Policy RD/5 of the Replacement Local Plan and also to the advice contained within PPG2: Green Belts.

 

2.      The proposed gates and brickwork piers by virtue of their size, scale and design would be out of character with their rural setting and therefore are contrary to policies CON/1 of the North Somerset Local Plan and GDP/3 of the Replacement Local Plan.