Conversion of the garage roof to form a new home office

Appeal Decision Site visit made on 24 July 2017 by Megan Thomas Barrister-at-Law an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Decision date: 7 August 2017 Appeal Ref: APP/H1705/D/17/3176409 The Lodge, Fox’s Lane, Kingsclere RG20 5QE  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 and Mrs Bob Melling against the decision of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.  The application Ref 16/04539/HSE, dated 6 December 2016, was refused by notice dated 3 March 2017.  The development proposed is conversion of the garage roof to form a new home office. Decision 1. The appeal is dismissed. Main Issue 2. The main issue is the effect of the proposed northern dormer on the character and appearance of the detached garage and wider area. Reasons 3. The appeal site is a detached dwelling with a detached garage situated outside the Conservation Area in the village of Kingsclere. It is adjacent to the settlement boundary. The dwelling is situated in a large plot with mature trees and vegetation. It stands back from the entrance off Fox’s Lane and the detached garage is also set back along a similar building line and to its north. The host dwelling has a mock Tudor appearance which is also reflected in the detailing of the garage. 4. There is a parking and turning area between the Lane and the buildings. The neighbouring property to the north is Beechbrook House and there is a generous separation distance between that house and the Lodge’s garage. 5. The proposed development would insert two pitched roof dormer windows into the southern roof slope of the garage and a box dormer with a flat roof into the northern roof slope. The box dormer is said to be necessary in order to enable a staircase to be constructed inside the garage. There would be a window in the rear gable with a juliette balcony with glass balustrade. Appeal Decision APP/H1705/D/17/3176409 2 6. The garage is a single storey building with a pitched roof and gable ends at the front and rear. The box dormer would be set back from the front gable and would have a small pitched roof edge at its western edge. It would not have any windows. 7. Whilst the box dormer would not exceed the height of the garage’s roof ridge, it would be a relatively large structure rising from the pitched roof profile of the existing garage. It would be a disproportionately large addition and would be unsympathetic to the simple design of the garage, appearing awkward and incongruous. 8. Appendix 13 of the Council’s Design and Sustainability Supplementary Planning Document dealing with extending homes and replacing dwellings indicates that as a general rule flat-roofed dormers should be avoided. That advice appears to relate to main dwellings but that design advice can reasonably be applied to outbuildings such as garages as well. In this case, the pitched edge to the front would be a mitigating factor but it would not compensate in visual terms for the long flat roof to the box dormer. 9. Whilst views of the northern slope of the garage are filtered, they are available from Fox’s Lane and would detract from the streetscene. The resulting development would also detract from the existing harmonious visual relationship between the garage and host dwelling. 10.Consequently, I conclude that the proposed dormer in the northern roof slope would unacceptably harm the character and appearance of the garage and the wider streetscene. It would be contrary to policy EM10 of the Basingstoke and Deane Local Plan (2011 to 2029) adopted May 2016, and design advice in the NPPF. Conclusion 11.Having taken into account all representations made, for the reasons given above, I dismiss the appeal. Megan Thomas INSPECTOR