Extension to rear & alterations to roof to form gable including dormer windows to provide living accommodation

Appeal Decision Site visit made on 4 February 2020 by C McDonagh BA (Hons), MA by K Taylor BSc (Hons) PGDip MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 12th March 2020 Appeal Ref: APP/A4710/D/19/3239668 2 Carlton House Terrace, Halifax HX1 3LD • 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 Habib Ahmed against the decision of Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council. • The application Ref 19/00735/HSE, dated 19 June 2019, was refused by notice dated 23 August 2019. • The development proposed is extension to rear & alterations to roof to form gable including dormer windows to provide living accommodation. Decision 1. The appeal is dismissed. Appeal Procedure 2. The site visit was undertaken by an Appeal Planning Officer whose recommendation is set out below and to which the Inspector has had regard before deciding the appeal. Main Issue 3. The main issue is the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the host property and street scene. Reasons 4. The appeal site is a two-storey, stone-built end terrace dwelling with its front elevation facing onto Carlton House Terrace, while its side faces Haugh Shaw Road. A conservatory is built upon this side elevation, and a single-storey extension is located to the rear. The roof is hipped with a parapet wall facing Haugh Shaw Road. The area is residential and primarily comprised of similar stone terraces. 5. The proposal includes a three-storey extension to the rear, alterations to the roof to form a gable from the existing hipped end and erect two dormer windows to the front and one to the rear. 6. I did note on the site visit a proliferation of dormer windows in the area, such as those situated in the terrace opposite the appeal site on Haugh Shaw Road and the newer dwelling to the rear. However, Carlton House Terrace itself has a notable lack of dormers to its roofscape which forms an important element of its character. In combination with the three-storey rear extension, these would Appeal Decision APP/A4710/D/19/3239668 2 add significant bulk to the roof, giving the dwelling a dominant and top-heavy appearance. This would change the character and appearance of the appeal property by significantly altering the original roof form. As a result, the dwelling would appear more as a three-storey dwelling, particularly to the rear and side elevations, causing harm to the street scene when viewed from both Carlton House Terrace and Haugh Shaw Road. This would be out of keeping with the prevailing form of houses in the street scene. 7. I note the Council’s concern regarding the alteration of the roof from a hipped to a gable end. The end terrace houses on Carlton House Terrace and Haugh Shaw Road include gable end roofs and, as such, this change to the appeal property would be in keeping with surrounding properties. However, this would not mitigate or outweigh the harm I have identified. 8. The dormer windows and three-storey extension would harm the character and appearance of the host property and street scene. This would be contrary to Policy BE1 of the Replacement Calderdale Unitary Development Plan which seeks to ensure development respects or enhances the established character and appearance of existing buildings and their surroundings. There would also be conflict with advice contained within paragraph 127 of the National Planning Policy Framework which seeks to secure development that is sympathetic to local character. Recommendation 9. For the reasons given above, and having had regard to all other matters raised, I recommend that the appeal should be dismissed. C McDonagh APPEAL PLANNING OFFICER Inspector’s Decision 10. I have considered all the submitted evidence and the Appeal Planning Officer’s report and on that basis the appeal is dismissed. K Taylor INSPECTOR