Erection of a garden room to the south-east elevation of Washers Farmhouse

Appeal Decision Site visit made on 8 April 2025 by B J Sims BSc (Hons) CEng MICE MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 24 April 2025 Appeal Ref: APP/E3335/D/25/3358373 Washers Farm, Waterhouse Road, Raddington, Somerset, TA4 2QW. • The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) against a refusal to grant planning permission. • The appeal is made by Dr R Loveridge against the decision of Somerset Council. • The application Ref is 09/24/0014. • The development proposed is the erection of a garden room to the south-east elevation of Washers Farmhouse. Decision 1. The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for the erection of a garden room to the south-east elevation of Washers Farmhouse, at Washers Farm, Waterhouse Road, Raddington, Somerset, TA4 2QW, in accordance with the terms of the application, Ref 09/24/0014, and subject to the following conditions: 1) The development hereby permitted shall begin not later than three 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 or complement those used in the existing building. 3) The development hereby permitted shall be carried out only in accordance with the following approved plans: X EC 00 000 001 Location Plan X EC 00 001 001 Existing Site Plan X EC 00 001 001 Proposed Site Plan X EC 00 100 001 Proposed Plans X EC 00 200 001 Existing Elevations X EC 00 200 001 Proposed Elevations X EC 00 100 001 Existing Floor Plans Main Issue 2. The main issue is the effect the addition of the proposed garden room would have on the character and appearance of the traditional Farmhouse and the wider setting of the historic farmstead of which the Farmhouse forms part. Appeal Decision APP/E3335/D/25/3358373 2 Reasons 3. The farmstead of Washers Farm is a large complex of originally traditional rural buildings, set into the hillside in an attractive rural location. The property, as a whole, has a clear value as a non-designated heritage asset. 4. The Farmhouse and its attendant buildings have been much altered by permitted modernisations and additions, but the essential character of the complex has visibly been maintained. The proposed garden room would be something of a departure from this trend, extending forward of the main, linear front elevation of the Farmhouse, with a timber and metal framework and extensive glazing, all under a green roof. 5. However, the structure would be seen against a traditional stable building, immediately adjacent to the east, just outside the appeal site but on land in the control of the Appellant. Whilst this would compromise the local setting of the stable building, seen from the west, it does not appear to me to enjoy especially great heritage value alone, as distinct from the farmstead, as a whole. Visually, the garden room would otherwise be largely subsumed within the extensive built group. 6. The substantially glazed proposed structure would exhibit a lightness of appearance and character, with the timber structural elements respecting the traditional farm buildings and the green roof reflecting the rural surroundings. The garden room would be of relatively small scale compared with the extensive Farmhouse and the other buildings of the farmstead. 7. Overall, I do not consider that the addition of the garden room would appear unduly out of keeping with Washers Farmhouse or the wider built complex of Washers Farm, in their present approved form. Nor do I consider that the proposed development would give rise to any significant harm to the character or appearance of the setting of the historic farmstead, as a whole, in any near or distant view. 8. I conclude that the proposed garden room would meet the requirements of Policies CP8 of the adopted Taunton Deane Core Strategy and D5 of the adopted Taunton Deane Site Allocations and Development Management Plan, that extensions to dwellings be subservient to the host property and conserve the historic environment. These provisions are consistent with national policy. 9. I have had due regard to all the representations made in this appeal, including some concern that an up-to-date bat survey report should be provided. Such an updated report is provided at Appendix 5 to the Appellant’s appeal statement. This concludes that the proposed garden room extension would not have a negative effect on identified bat roosts within the Farmhouse and barns. Neither this nor any other consideration affect my conclusions on the main issue or regarding the planning conditions to be imposed. 10. Finally therefore, I regard the appeal proposal as compliant with the development plan as a whole and I conclude that this appeal should succeed, subject only to the standard conditions set out above. B J Sims INSPECTOR