Garage and garden room

Appeal Decision Site visit made on 19 August 2026 by K Mansell BA (Hons) MPhil TP MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date:02 September 2026 Appeal Ref: 6010819 195 Leaventhorpe Lane, Bradford BD13 3BL • 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 Mr Atif Zia against the decision of City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. • The application Ref is 26/00196/HOU. • The development proposed is a garage and garden room. Decision 1. The appeal is dismissed. Procedural Matters 2. On 17 August 2026 the Government published a revised version of the National Planning Policy Framework. In relation to the main issue in this appeal, Government policy has not materially changed. For this reason, I have not sought the parties’ comments upon it, but neither party has been prejudiced by my having regard to it. 3. On my site visit I saw that the garage and garden room had been constructed. I have determined the appeal on that basis, noting the plans submitted with it, but altering the description accordingly. Main Issue 4. The main issue is the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the surrounding area. Reasons 5. Leaventhorpe Lane is an established residential road adjoining open countryside to its south. There are a range of dwelling types, including detached bungalows, terraces and circa 1930s semi-detached houses. Properties typically occupy linear plots with reasonably consistent spacing and a broadly uniform front building line. On my site visit I observed some pitched roofs, but a prevalence of hipped roof profiles to the houses. Together with the use of stone and rendered elements to main facades and tiled/slate roofs, these features collectively provide a degree of architectural consistency and give the lane a broadly harmonious visual character. 6. The appeal property at 195 Leaventhorpe Lane is a detached two-storey house occupying a substantial linear plot. Its generous rear garden extends behind the neighbouring houses at 197 and 199 Leaventhorpe Lane, and southwards to the Appeal Decision APP/00000/ 2 rear of properties on Leaventhorpe Grove. The house has been previously altered and is finished in cream render with a modern approach to fenestration. The appeal scheme relates to a garage and garden room sited along its western boundary, immediately to the rear of Nos 197 and 199. 7. The garage and garden room is a double-height structure, constructed in stone and render. Its west-facing elevation is angled, following the alignment of the appeal property’s western boundary. The east and south facing elevations are extensively glazed at ground-floor level, with the south elevation also incorporating a flat roof dormer-style window at first-floor level. Further windows are positioned within the west-facing elevation to both the ground and first-floor. When viewed from the garden, the roof has a mansard form. However, from Leaventhorpe Lane, from where I also observed the structure, the profile is interrupted by the dormer window, resulting in a roof form to the west elevation that is part mansard and part flat roof. 8. Even if there is no uniform roof profile within the locality, from what I saw on site, most dwellings in the immediate vicinity of No 195 have a hipped or pitched roof. I saw no other property with a mansard roof or a roof form comparable to that of the garage and garden room. The appeal scheme consequently appears at odds with the prevailing character of the locality. Furthermore, whilst rendered elevations are not entirely anomalous within the vicinity of the appeal property, the double-height scale of the garage and garden room, together with its incongruous roof form and fully rendered west and north facing elevations, increases its visual prominence when viewed from public vantage points to the west along Leaventhorpe Lane. It appears visually discordant within the street scene as a result. 9. I recognise that the garage and garden room is subordinate in scale to the host dwelling and it is located within the rear garden. However, it is visually separate from the main house and reads as a distinct structure. Moreover, from Leaventhorpe Lane, whilst in some views it is seen in the context of existing built form, its design, including its atypical roof profile, gives it a visual presence that does not sufficiently assimilate with the established built form. It consequently appears incongruous and visually intrusive within its surroundings. 10. I therefore find that the appeal scheme harms the character and appearance of the surrounding area. As such, it conflicts with Policies DS1 and DS3 of the Bradford District Local Plan Core Strategy (2017). These policies seek, amongst other matters, to ensure that development achieves a high standard of design that is appropriate in terms of its scale, detailing, materials and appearance. They also require development to have regard to its context and to respond positively to it. Conclusion 11. For the reasons above, the proposal conflicts with the development plan, and there are no material considerations that warrant taking a decision otherwise than in accordance with it. The appeal should therefore be dismissed. K. Mansell INSPECTOR