Agenda item

[NOTE: The Planning Officer advised the Committee that one additional letter of objection had been received which mainly raised concerns around overlooking issues.

The Committee considered an application for the erection of a two-storey detached house. Notwithstanding a chimney on its side (north) elevation the new house was proposed to have an overall width of 16.2 m, a depth of 10.1m and a height of 8.35m. It was proposed to have four bedrooms and an integral garage. The house was proposed to have a contemporary appearance which would result from a combination of its form and external materials palette. Its form would consist of three main elements. The largest of these three elements was a two-storey pitched roof element with two irregularly profiled parapet walls; a gable (with an angled wall) was proposed on its front elevation. To the side (south) of the main two-storey element would be a two-storey mono-pitched roof element. To the rear of both two-storey elements would be a single-storey flat roof element which would include a covered outdoor area. A door with a two-storey window to the side of it, a ground floor window with timber slats in front of it serving a bathroom, a garage door, a ground floor window, two first floor windows and a first floor window with timber slats in front of its lower section are proposed in the front elevation. Two ground floor windows are proposed in its side (north) elevation. A ground floor window and a two-storey window (serving the front gable) were proposed in its side (south) elevation. Two sets of sliding doors, a door, a ground floor window, four first floor windows and two projecting angled windows are proposed in its rear elevation. According to information in the submitted drawings and application form the house was proposed to have an exterior materials palette of white render, timber cladding, zinc roofing and aluminium window frames. Photovoltaic panels are also proposed on the south-facing mono-pitched roof.

The house was proposed to be set back from the street by a front garden and gravel driveway. A proposed dropped kerb at the south east corner of the site was proposed to provide access to this driveway. The property was also proposed to have an irregular-shaped rear garden. The front garden was proposed to be bounded from the street by semi-open timber fencing. The side and rear boundaries are proposed to be bounded by vegetative boundaries.

Councillor T Aziz, Ward Councillor, commented that he thought the proposed application was a good use of the land and that he liked the contemporary style.

Some Members of the Committee did not like the contemporary style and thought that the design was out of character with the other properties in the area. The Planning Officer commented that even though the design was in contrast to existing properties in the cul-de-sac, although these were all of varying styles, paragraph 59 of the NPPF stated that the Planning Authority should not try to impose architectural style or stifle innovation. The Planning Officers considered the proposed development to be sufficiently innovative in its own right to merit permission. It was also noted that Condition 3 stated that materials must be submitted and approved before the commencement of the development

Following further discussion it was agreed that an additional informative be added regarding the design as detailed below;

‘In discharging condition 3 (materials) the applicant is advised to avoid the use of bright white render as this is unlikely to be supported by the Local Planning Authority in this context.’

RESOLVED

That planning permission be granted subject to the additional informative noted above and the conditions set out in the report.