First floor side extension

Appeal Decision Site visit made on 9 January 2018 by Rory MacLeod BA MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 08 February 2018 Appeal Ref: APP/C1950/D/17/3184091 1 Longcroft Lane, Welwyn Garden City AL8 6EB  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 Paul and Jenny Stringer against the decision of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council.  The application Ref 6/2017/0725/HOUSE, dated 9 April 2017, was refused by notice dated 22 June 2017.  The development proposed is first floor side extension. Decision 1. The appeal is allowed. Planning permission is granted for a first floor side extension at 1 Longcroft Lane, Welwyn Garden City AL8 6EB, in accordance with the terms of the application, Ref 6/2017/0725/HOUSE, dated 9 April 2017, subject to the following conditions: 1) The development hereby permitted shall begin not later than 3 years from the date of this decision. 2) The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: 100/2/PL001, 100/2/LP002, 100/2/PL03, Location Plan. 3) No development shall commence until samples of the materials to be used in the construction of the external surfaces of the extension hereby permitted have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. Development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved samples. Main Issue 2. The main issue is the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the existing dwelling and on the Welwyn Garden City Conservation Area. Reasons 3. The appeal property is an attractive end of terrace two storey house constructed of red bricks with a clay pantile roof. The houses in the terrace are of differing design but the terrace has a symmetrical appearance with the outer dwellings providing ‘book end’ features. The house is located towards the northern end of Longcroft Lane, close to the town centre. The site and surrounding area is within the Welwyn Garden City Conservation Area. Appeal Decision APP/C1950/D/17/3184091 2 4. At the time of my site visit work was underway at the site to construct a single storey side extension following a recent grant of planning permission. The appeal proposal is for a first floor side extension over this. There would be a pitched roof with a ridge height to match that of the existing dwelling. The extension would be set in significantly from the front and rear walls resulting in a subservient appearance. External materials and windows would match those on the existing property. 5. Section 72(1) of the of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 imposes a statutory duty, in considering whether to grant planning permission, that special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of that area. 6. The Welwyn Garden City Conservation Area covers an extensive area of the town centre and surrounding residential areas and contains areas of differing character. The terraces and semi-detached houses in Longcroft Lane are original dwellings and the design of the terrace including the appeal site is replicated elsewhere in the road. The appeal building makes a positive contribution to the character of the Conservation Area. 7. The proposed first floor extension would be of modest size, sympathetically designed and a subservient feature. It would reflect the set back to the adjacent house no.3 and would not undermine the ‘book end’ roles served by no’s 1 and 11 at either end of the terrace. Whilst views of the extension would be obscured by trees from some positions in Longcroft Lane, it would be a prominent feature when viewed over the adjacent car park in Church Road to the north of the site. Its subordinate nature and complementary design would be apparent from this side view and from in front of the building. I have noted the Council’s concerns that the original profile of the house would be lost and that there are relatively few first floor side extensions in the vicinity, but the proposal would nonetheless respect the architectural detailing on the existing terrace and would have a satisfactory appearance in the street scene. 8. My findings are that the proposal would have a neutral effect on the Welwyn Garden City Conservation Area and so would preserve its character and appearance. As such it would satisfy the requirements of the special duty for new development to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of conservation areas. 9. The development would accord with Policies D1 and D2 of the Welwyn Hatfield District Plan 2005 which require new developments to be of a high standard of design and to respect and relate to the character and context of the area in which it is proposed. There would be no conflict with the design and historic environment provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework 2012. Conclusion 10. For the reasons given, and having regard to all matters raised, the appeal is allowed subject to conditions to limit the life of the permission, to list the plan numbers for the avoidance of doubt and to obtain approval of external materials to ensure a satisfactory appearance. Rory MacLeod INSPECTOR