Agenda item

Demolition of existing garage and outbuilding, construction of two storey front and side extensions; single storey side and rear extensions; omission of rear balconies and replacement with rear Juliet balconies, internal alterations and alterations to fenestration; alterations to driveway; extension of rear patio area; alteration of external materials including render and cladding; alteration of front entrance at 16A Copthorne Road, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth.

Recommendation: that planning permission is granted subject to conditions.

Councillor Mitchell left the meeting.

The application was for demolition of existing garage and outbuilding, construction of two storey front and side extensions; single storey side and rear extensions; omission of rear balconies and replacement with rear Juliet balconies, internal alterations and alterations to fenestration; alterations to driveway; extension of rear patio area; alteration of external materials including render and cladding; alteration of front entrance at 16A Copthorne Road, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth.

The Planning Officer provided an update that following publication of the report, officers had undertaken a site visit to the neighbouring property, 18A Copthorne Road, in order to further review the relationship between the application site and the neighbouring property. Observations from the visit had been considered, and officers were satisfied that the assessment and conclusions as set out in the report remained unchanged.

A neighbouring resident spoke against the application.

Parish Councillor Guy Parks of Croxley Green Parish Council spoke on the application.

Points raised by speakers against the proposal included: there would be a harmful impact on the neighbouring property in terms of reduction in daylight, unbalanced mass, outlook, openness and a sense of enclosure; there had been no BRE daylight assessment, sunlight study or other quantitative analysis; and there was a lack of evidence to demonstrate that the harmful impacts which had been identified were no longer harmful following the amendments made during the course of the application.

Committee Members asked questions about the details of the application which were responded to by officers.  The Committee’s discussions included the following:

·     In response to points raised by speakers, the Planning Officer reported that whilst concerns had been raised at the pre-application stage with regards to depth, height and spacing to the boundary, it was the view of officers that these concerns had been addressed through the amended plans received during the course of the application. The height of the single storey rear extension had been reduced, and the two storey built form was set down from the ridge with the first floor being set back from the ground floor footprint.  Officers acknowledged that the proposal would be visible from habitable windows of the neighbouring property. However, two of the affected rooms benefitted from dual aspects being at the ground floor, which reduced the reliance on the outlook in the direction of the proposed extension. The remaining window served a room identified as an office / bedroom.  Whilst the proposal would inevitably introduce some additional built form into the outlook from this window, having regard to the separation distance set down from the ridge and the overall scale and design of the extension, officers did not consider that the visual impact would be so significant as to result to unacceptable harm to the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers.

·     The Planning Officer clarified that the c1.5m gap to the flank boundary with 18A was in excess of the Council’s design criteria and also confirmed that a 45 degree assessment had been made as set out in section 7.2.7 of the report.

Councillor Whately-Smith moved, and Councillor Gazzard seconded, that planning permission be granted subject to conditions.  On being put to the vote this was carried, the voting being 4 in favour, 0 against, 3 abstentions.

RESOLVED:

That planning permission be granted subject to conditions.