ET Planning has this week secured a positive outcome for a property within Richmond-upon-Thames, after an appeal was lodged against the Council’s refusal for a roof extension and two dormers.
The semi-detached property is a Building of Townscape Merit and lies within a recent extension to the Barnes Common Conservation Area, so the Council felt that the proposed development would not be in keeping with local characteristics; stating, “The proposed hip to gable and rear roof extensions by reason of their siting, scale, design, form, mass and bulk would represent an unsympathetic, incongruous and visually obtrusive form of development, that would harm the character and appearance of the host property and semi-detached pair, Barnes Common Conservation Area and streetscene in general“.
ET planning was able to address the Council’s concerns as part of an appeal which was submitted on behalf of the homeowner in late 2018.
As part of this appeal, ET Planning first noted that the original Conservation Area statement, for which this property is now governed by, had not been amended to include additional material on the heritage value of this expanded area. It must therefore be assumed to have adopted the merits of the original Conservation Area statement, dated 1982, which referenced that where the property lies in an interesting part of the road where there are ..”dwellings with an Arts and Crafts influence, including the introduction of pebbledash and decorative mock Tudor boarding. This change in detail and architectural style adds an interesting contrast in building style and techniques”.
Alongside this prior reference to the streetscene being accepted as having “interesting contrasts”, ET Planning also described six other properties within the same road who have previously received planning permission for dormer windows.
The report also noted that the adjacent dwelling has a front dormer in the same position as the proposed property would, and so the development would in fact add a sense of balance and symmetry to the pair of properties.
ET Planning requested that a Planning Inspector inspect the wider road, as well as the property in question, to understand that the proposed development would in fact be in keeping with the style and visual appearance of the current street, which noticeably includes properties with large windows, architectural detailing and many loft extensions.
The Planning Inspector accepted the items detailed within the appeal case and permission was granted. The work will be carried out by Attic Conversions Ltd.