Thanks to ET Planning’s swift action and design advice, a developer within the Sunbury-on-Thames area can now convert the loft space of an existing apartment block to create a new, one-bedroom unit.
The two-storey apartment block, which is situated within an established residential area, will soon be home to six apartments once the roof space and ridge height has been increased.
ET Planning was aware that proposals for development on this site had been previously denied by Spelthorne Borough Council and so undertook to understand what these concerns were before submitting a further planning application. Using their wealth of knowledge, ET Planning was then able to influence design changes, which took into account the issues raised by the council. The result is a pleasing one for all parties involved.
The first issue which had been raised by the council on a previous application related to the visual appearance of the building, and in particular, proposed dormer windows to the front. Working with architects Design with Difference, the new designs will see the dormer windows moved to the rear of the building, and roof light windows added to the front. The refuse area has also been moved to the rear of the property and all planting to the front will be retained to soften the building’s appearance. The rear facing dormers, which reflect the character of the adjacent apartment block, have been designed not to dominate the rear roof slope.
A further concern raised in the previous application process was that there was little residential amenity in the local area for the new apartment to benefit from. ET Planning addressed this concern by justifying that the property actually benefits from not only a sports ground opposite the site but also a public park which is available to residents just a short walk away.
A crucial element of the planning application was to demonstrate to the council that the proposed development makes efficient use of land whilst also contributing to the Borough’s housing supply. ET planning continued by quoting Paragraph 8 of the National Planning Policy Framework which comments that planning should “make effective use of land” to ensure that “a sufficient number and range of homes can be provided to meet the needs of present and future generations”. The application was approved under delegated powers.