Plans for a new 2-storey apartment building in the centre of Reading, Berkshire has been given the green light for development after an appeal win by ET Planning

The building which will consist of two 1-bed flats will take the place of an existing commercial premise once it has been demolished.

The appeal decision

When the planning statement for this development was originally submitted to Reading Borough Council for approval, with the recommendation and support of a council planning officer, it was refused by committee. The reasons for this included whether the development would be acceptable in terms of living conditions, whether there was enough external amenity space, the provision of affordable housing and tree planting contributions.

Overcoming council objections and winning the appeal

Upon understanding the reasons for refusal, the team at ET Planning were able to provide evidence and demonstrate why the original plans were appropriate.

With regard to the living conditions, ET Planning successfully demonstrated that the location of the plot being within Central Reading meant that the proposal did not need to accord with the national space standards otherwise set out within Reading Local Plan Policy H5.

ET Planning also highlighted that the design of the building was key to securing an acceptable living arrangement in an urban centre. As well as this, the team put forward that a flexible approach should be applied in this case to the outdoor amenity requirements due to the central location of the plot.

The objections around the stacking arrangement were overcome by proposing suitable conditions such as insulation and the use of high-quality materials.

ET Planning were also able to overcome the affordable housing and tree planting contribution objection by helping to facilitate a legal agreement with the Council prior to the determination of the appeal.

Conclusion

With the team’s experience and knowledge of the planning and appeal’s process, alongside working with planning officers at Reading Borough Council, and external architects, Bonney Architecture, ET planning were able to secure a win for their client and the refusal was overturned.

If you have received a planning refusal for your development and are keen to understand if an appeal would be suitable, get in touch with the ET Planning team today who will be able to discuss this with you further.