Proposed dwelling with detached garage and associated works.

Proposed dwelling with detached garage and associated works.

The Principal Planning Officer reported the following updates:

• The receipt of amended plans including a further reduction in slab level and a reduction in roof pitch resulting in a reduction in ridge height of over half a metre.

• The Parish Council had been re-consulted on the amended plans and reiterated its objection to the overall scale and prominence of the dwelling.

• Five local residents had also written in response to the amendments, again reiterating their objections to the scale and position of the building relative to the neighbours to the rear of the plot. 

• The applicant had sought to justify the scale of the building on the basis that it was intended as their family home – the family comprising 4 children ranging in age from 4 to 19 years.  Reference is also made to the Design and Access Statement submitted with the original outline planning permission, which suggested that the house intended for plot 2 (the current application site) might measure 8.75 metres to the ridge, which was 750mm taller than the current proposal.

The Principal Planning Officer made the following comments as reported in the updates sheet circulated to Members at the start of the meeting:

The amendments act to reduce both the absolute height of the dwelling (through the reduction in roof pitch) and the height relative to the neighbouring properties.  A further reduction in ground levels is not thought practical owing to the need to maintain the requisite fall in order that a connection can be made to the main sewer in the road.

Welsh Water has asked that foul and surface water drainage be drained separately from the site and request that surface water is not allowed to discharge into the public sewerage system unless prior approval is sought.  In these circumstances an additional condition requiring details of sustainable surface water drainage techniques is recommended

Councillor H Bramer advised Members that Councillor JG Jarvis, the Local Ward Member, had concerns in respect of the height of the proposed dwelling. He added that in his opinion the ridge height could be reduced further through the use of dormer windows in the upper rooms.

Councillor RH Smith noted that the Parish Council had undertaken consultation in respect of a forthcoming village design statement. He welcomed the proposed reduction in height of the dwelling but felt that a 0.5m reduction was not enough. He therefore felt that that application should be refused due to overlooking and an unacceptable dwelling size in terms of height and mass.

Councillor PD Price noted that the application was purely for reserved matters and that the principal of planning on the site had already been established through the outline planning application, permitted in 2008

In response to the comments from members, the Principal Planning Officer confirmed that the original Design and Access statement proposed a dwelling of up to 8.75 metres and that the proposed dwelling was in fact lower than this.  He also confirmed that the ground levels had not been raised on the site.

Councillor H Bramer reiterated his previous point regarding dormer windows and added that the issue of overlooking was a result of the position of the proposed dwelling on the site. He felt that the application should be refused due to the overall prominence of the dwelling over neighbouring properties.

A motion to refuse the application failed and the resolution below was agreed.

RESOLVED

That planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions:

1       A01 (Time limit for commencement (full permission) )

2       Amended plans

3       C01 (Samples of external materials )

4       D05 (Details of external joinery finishes )

5       F15 (No windows in side elevation of extension )

6       F17 (Obscure glazing to windows )

7       G02 (Retention of trees and hedgerows )

8       G10 (Landscaping scheme )

9       G11 (Landscaping scheme - implementation )

10     H03 (Visibility splays )

11     H05 (Access gates )

12     H06 (Vehicular access construction )

13     H13 (Access, turning area and parking )

14     H27 (Parking for site operatives )

INFORMATIVES:

1       HN01 - Mud on highway

2       HN04 - Private apparatus within highway

3       HN05 - Works within the highway

4       HN10 - No drainage to discharge to highway

5       N19 - Avoidance of doubt - Approved Plans

6       N15 - Reason(s) for the Grant of Planning Permission