Front single storey extension

Appeal Decision Site visit made on 15 November 2016 by Daniel Hartley BA Hons MTP MBA MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Decision date: 17 November 2016 Appeal Ref: APP/M2372/D/16/3156901 114 Pringle Street, Blackburn, Blackburn with Darwen BB1 1SA  The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 against a refusal to grant planning permission.  The appeal is made by Mr Gulbahar Hussain against the decision of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.  The application Ref 10/16/0118, dated 9 February 2016, was refused by notice dated 27 May 2016.  The development proposed is a front single storey extension. Decision 1. The appeal is dismissed. Main Issue 2. The main issue is the effect of the proposal upon the character and appearance of the area. Reasons 3. The appeal property comprises a mid terraced brick built dwelling located within a well established residential area. It falls within a very long terrace of dwellings which, in the main, are all similar in appearance. Most of the terraced dwellings are relatively narrow and include a tall entrance door and window on the ground floor and one tall window on the first floor. In addition, most have open front gardens enclosed mainly by means of dwarf brick or concrete walls. Whilst there are some exceptions within the long terrace (including for example 120-122 Pringle Street) the front facades of the majority of the dwellings are relatively simple and flat. As a whole, the terraced dwellings predominantly retain much of their original features. Collectively, these distinctive characteristics add positively to the residential environment. 4. The proposal is to erect a front porch which would take up the full width of the garden and would have a forward projection of about 1.3 metres. It would include a dwarf brick wall with three windows above, a new entrance door and a lean to roof. I acknowledge that the proposal would include matching materials, but owing to its full width, window proportions and position within the terrace, it would not be in proportion and scale with the host dwelling. Hence, it would have an unacceptably dominating impact upon the host dwelling and would appear as an incongruous addition. Appeal Decision APP/M2372/D/16/3156901 2 5. When viewed from Pringle Street the porch would unacceptably detract from the regularity of the design of the front facades of the terrace, as well as from the openness of the front gardens. I acknowledge that two large front extensions have been erected within the long terrace, but I am not certain when these were built or the exact circumstances that led to them being constructed. In any event, I do not consider that they have set a precedent for similar proposals to be allowed within the terrace as, in the main, the terrace has still retained the aforementioned distinctive design characteristics. 6. For the reasons outlined above, I conclude that the proposal would cause unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the host dwelling and to the area. I acknowledge that the appellant would like more space and that he also owns No 116 Pringle Street. However, these matters are not of sufficient magnitude to outweigh my conclusion on the main issue. Therefore, the proposal would not accord with the design aims of Policies 8 and 11 of the Blackburn with Darwen Local Plan Part 2 “Site Allocations and Development Management Policies” 2015 and Policy RES E15 of the Blackburn with Darwen Residential Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document 2012. Conclusion 7. For the reasons outlined above, and taking into account all other matters raised, I conclude that the appeal should be dismissed. Daniel Hartley INSPECTOR