Loft conversion with two front dormers and one rear dormer

Appeal Decision Site visit made on 17 January 2019 by John Felgate BA(Hons) MA MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Decision date: 21 January 2019. Appeal Ref: APP/J1535/D/18/3218940 5 Hornbeam Close, Theydon Bois, Essex CM16 7JT  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 Joseph Diss against the decision of Epping Forest District Council.  The application Ref EPF/2314/18, dated 22 August 2018, was refused by notice dated 26 October 2018.  The development proposed is a loft conversion with two front dormers and one rear dormer. Decision 1. The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for a loft conversion with two front dormers and one rear dormer, at 5 Hornbeam Close, Theydon Bois, Essex CM16 7JT, in accordance with the application, Ref EPF/2314/18, dated 22 August 2018, subject to the following conditions: 1) The development shall begin not later than 3 years from the date of this decision. 2) The development shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: Nos 1728-05, -06b, -07c, -08a, -09, and -11b. 3) The materials to be used on the external surfaces of the development shall match those used on the existing building. Reasons 2. The Council’s objection relates only to the two dormer windows which are proposed for the front elevation. The issue is the effect of these on the character and appearance of the locality. 3. The proposed front dormers would sit centrally within the appeal property’s main roof. They would be set in from the sides of the dwelling, and would also be well separated from each other. Each dormer would have its own hipped roof, set below the building’s main ridge line. A substantial area of the existing sloping roof would remain visible, above, below, to the sides, and in between the new dormers. The pitch of the dormer roofs and hips would be similar to that of the main roof. In all these respects, the proposed design would be a well-mannered and restrained addition, complementing the style of the existing building. Appeal Decision APP/J1535/D/18/3218940 2 4. The new front dormers would give the appeal property a slightly different appearance from its immediate neighbours, including the other half of the semi-detached pair. But to my mind, a small degree of variation of this type would not be harmful in this location. In this particular case, the original form and shape of the front roof slope would still be clearly evident, and indeed this would remain the most dominant element, in views from the street. As a result, the front dormers would not appear unduly bulky or intrusive. 5. In the light of the above, the proposal complies with Policy DBE10 of the Epping Forest District Local Plan, adopted in January 1998, which requires extensions to complement the building and the street scene, and also with Policy DM9 of the emerging replacement Local Plan, which seeks high standards of design in all developments. Although the refusal notice also refers to Policy DBE9, this appears to relate principally to protecting the amenity of neighbouring occupiers, and is therefore not directly relevant; but in any event, I find no conflict in this respect. 6. It is not disputed that the proposed development would provide a better level of accommodation for the property’s occupiers, and make more efficient use of the site. These benefits carry some weight in favour of the proposal. In the absence of any significant harm, the balance weighs clearly in favour of granting permission. 7. In allowing the appeal, I have imposed conditions specifying the approved plans, and relating to the external materials. The first of these is needed to ensure certainty, and the latter to ensure a satisfactory appearance. J Felgate INSPECTOR