Replacement of existing garage and outbuildings with 3 bay garage, new roof linking main building with existing side extension Decision

Appeal Decision Site visit made on 23 June 2026 by Simon J Cater MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 03 August 2026 Appeal Ref: 6008988 St Kilda, Pilgrims Close, Westhumble, Surrey RH5 6AR • 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 Lee Bowerbank against the decision of the Council of the Mole Valley District Council. • The application Ref is MO/2026/00068. • The development is replacement of existing garage and outbuildings with 3 bay garage, new roof linking main building with existing side extension Decision 1. The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for replacement of existing garage and outbuildings with 3 bay garage, new roof linking main building with existing side extension at St Kilda, Pilgrims Close, Westhumble, Surrey RH5 6AR in accordance with the terms of the application, Ref MO/2026/00068 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 development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: Drawing No. DE1323/01 Rev P2, Drawing No. DE1323/06 Rev. P3, Drawing No. DE1323/07 Rev. P4, Drawing No. DE1323/08 Rev. P4, Drawing No. DE1323/09 Rev. P4, Drawing No. DE1323/11 Rev. P1 3) The development hereby permitted shall be carried out using the external materials specified on Drawing No. DE1323/08 Rev. P4, dated July 2025, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Main Issue 2. The main issue is the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the host dwelling and surrounding area, including the landscape and scenic beauty of the Surrey Hills National Landscape (NL) and an Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV). Reasons 3. Policy EN8 identifies the NL as a nationally important landscape designation and requires the development proposals to conserve and enhance its landscape and scenic beauty. It also requires regard to be had to the Surrey Hills National Landscape Management Plan when determining proposals within the NL or Appeal Decision 6008988 2 affecting the setting. Paragraph 189 of the National Planning Policy Framework (Framework) states that great weight should be given to conserving and enhancing landscape scenic beauty in National Landscapes, which have the highest status of protection in relation to these issues. I am also mindful of my statutory duty to seek to further the purposes of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of NLs. 4. The Surrey Hills National Landscape is valued for its distinctive hills and views, extensive woodland, chalk downland, heathland, farmland, historic settlements and tranquil rural character. The Surrey Hills National Landscape Management Plan 2025-2030 seeks to conserve and enhance these special qualities and promotes a vision of the Surrey Hills as a thriving place for people and nature. I have had regard to those objectives, together with the contribution of the AGLV to the setting of the National Landscape, in considering the effects of the proposal. 5. The appeal site comprises a detached bungalow occupying a corner plot at the junction of Pilgrims Close and Adlers Lane within Westhumble. The surrounding area is characterised by detached dwellings set within generous plots and a verdant streetscene. However, there is no prevailing architectural style, with a mixture of dwelling sizes, forms and roof designs evident throughout the locality. 6. Within Pilgrims Close and Adlers Lane, there is considerable variation in the relationship between garages and principal dwellings. For example, I saw on my site visit that The Copse incorporates an integrated garage beneath a continuous roof form, whilst Milton, Littlehaven and Rosedene each display differing arrangements of garages, roof heights and building proportions. 7. The Council's concern is not with the proposed modest increase in the footprint of the property, nor with the linking roof which it considers acceptable, but rather the visual effect of the garage roof. The Design Guidance for House Extensions and Outbuildings – Supplementary Planning Document, adopted July 2025, highlights that the roof design for an extension is important because it will determine the overall shape of the extension and the contribution it makes to the character of the house and streetscene. It also advises that extensions should generally be of a scale that is subordinate and appropriate to the existing dwelling. 8. Whilst the proposed garage would be more substantial than the structure it replaces, it would remain clearly legible as an ancillary element to the dwelling, aided by the lowered ridge and separation in roof hierarchy, and would not appear excessively dominant within the street scene. The proposed roof would result in a more substantial built form than exists at present. However, when viewed against the varied pattern of development in the locality, where garages are incorporated into dwellings in a variety of ways and where roof forms differ considerably, the resulting building would not appear incongruous or uncharacteristic. 9. Although the site lies within the Surrey Hills NL and an AGLV, the proposal relates to an existing dwelling within an established residential area. For the reasons given above, I find that it would preserve the character and appearance of its immediate surroundings and so would conserve the landscape and scenic beauty of the NL. 10. I have had regard to the concerns raised by a nearby resident that the proposed garage would appear excessively large, dominant, overbearing and out of keeping with the street scene. However, for the reasons set out above, I do not find that the proposal would harm the character and appearance of the area Appeal Decision 6008988 3 11. Accordingly, I find that the proposal would preserve the character and appearance of the host dwelling and surrounding area, including the landscape and scenic beauty of the Surrey Hills NL and the AGLV. It would therefore accord with Policy EN4 of the Mole Valley Local Plan 2020-2039 (2024) which, among other provisions, seeks to ensure that development is of a high-quality design that responds positively to local character and is of an appropriate scale, height, massing, proportion and form. It would also accord with Policy EN8, which seeks to conserve and enhance landscape character and ensure that development is sensitively designed having regard to its landscape context Conditions 12. In addition to the standard time limit condition, I have imposed conditions identifying the approved plans and materials in the interests of certainty and to ensure a satisfactory appearance of the development. I am satisfied that these conditions are necessary, relevant to planning and to the development permitted, enforceable, precise and reasonable in all other respects, having regard to the advice in the National Planning Policy Framework and Planning Practice Guidance. Conclusion 13. For the reasons given above and having had regard to the development plan as a whole and all other matters raised, I conclude that the appeal should be allowed. Simon J Cater INSPECTOR