First storey side extension

Appeal Decision Site visit made on 21 July 2021 by Philip Willmer BSc Dip Arch RIBA an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 25 August 2021 Appeal Ref: APP/L3625/D/21/3272671 37A The Willows, High Trees Road, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 7EN. • 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 Reid against the decision of Reigate and Banstead Borough Council. • The application Ref 20/02635/HHOLD, dated 6 November 2020, was refused by notice dated 8 February 2021. • The development proposed is described as a first storey side extension. Decision 1. The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for a first storey side extension at 37A The Willows, High Trees Road, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 7EN in accordance with the terms of the application, Ref 20/02635/HHOLD, dated 6 November 2020, and the plans submitted with it, 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 materials to be used in the construction of the external surfaces of the development hereby permitted shall match those used in the existing building. 3) The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans, drawings: 1.1/00, 1.2/00 and 1.3/00 Procedural Matters 2. It has been drawn to my attention the existing single storey side extension may not have been built in accordance with the plans approved under planning permission Ref: 17/01530/HHOLD. However, based on my observations on site these matters do not impinge on the scheme design for the first floor extension the subject of this appeal. I shall therefore proceed to determine the appeal on the drawings considered by the Council. Main Issue 3. I consider the main issue to be the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area. Appeal Decision APP/L3625/D/21/3272671 2 Reasons 4. The appeal site, The Willows, 37A High Trees Road, is located within the High Trees Road Residential Area of Special Character (RASC). This is characterised by the Council as being mainly low density, substantial sized dwellings set in spacious grounds, where landscaping is an integral part of the character of the area with a predominance of trees and hedges over buildings. 5. The Willows is a detached chalet bungalow, located in a well screened mature garden plot, and is thereby typical of the development in the area. 6. The appellant proposes a first floor side extension built over an existing single storey addition, with a gap of about 0.95 of a meter or so retained to the properties eastern boundary. The extension would be formed by extending the existing roof and constructing new dormers to match the existing. The proposed addition would give rise to the earlier single story side flat roof extension being better integrated with the host property, resulting overall in a well-mannered and more aesthetically pleasing dwelling than the existing as previously extended. 7. I agree that the proposed extension would largely infill the existing first floor space to the eastern side of the plot. However, given the form and height of the single storey additions, this incursion into the existing gap would be limited. 8. Due to the western end of the property’s relationship to its boundary, the dwelling as extended would appear to almost extend boundary to boundary. This is not typical of many of the other dwellings in the RASC. However, on balance, given the set back of the dwelling from the road, the level of landscape screening of the chalet from the road and the significant improvement to the visual appearance of the property that would follow from the proposed extension, I am not persuaded that in this case it would result in a visually cramped form of development. Such that the small amount of erosion in the space between the building and its eastern boundary would be harmful to the overall spaciousness of the property or significantly detract from the typical pattern of density in the surrounding RASC. 9. I therefore conclude in respect of the main issue that the proposal would not result in harm to the character and appearance of the area. It would therefore accord with the objectives of Policies DES1 and DES3 of the Reigate and Banstead Local Plan Development Management Plan (Adopted September 2019), the emerging Local Character and Distinctiveness Design Guide and the current Local Character and Distinctiveness Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (November 2020) as they seek, amongst other things, to promote and reinforce local distinctiveness and respect the character of the surrounding area. Conditions 10. The conditions follow from those suggested by the Council. To ensure a high quality development, I shall include a condition about the materials to be used in the construction of the external surfaces of the building. 11. In the interests of certainty, I shall impose a condition requiring the development to be undertaken in accordance with the approved plans. Appeal Decision APP/L3625/D/21/3272671 3 Conclusions 12. For the reasons given above and having regard to all other matters raised, I conclude that the appeal should be allowed. Philip Willmer INSPECTOR