LANDSCAPE TEAM RESPONSE PLANNING APPLICATION REFERENCE: 17/04216/HSE SITE: Overbourne House, Red Lane, Binley Date: 29 March 2018

Nicola,

I refer to your memo dated 21 February 2018, regarding the above.

Comments of: Landscape Team

Comments relate to the following/document no(s): Design and Access Statement Existing Location and Site Plan Proposed Location and Site Plan Proposed Plans

Recommendation: Refusal.

Application: Unacceptable in landscape terms, due to adverse impacts on landscape character and visual amenity within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) which would be contrary to policy EM1 of the local plan. The following comments apply.

Comments: The application is for the erection of a new building housing a pool room, home office, plant/storage room and machinery shed at Overbourne House, an isolated single dwelling in the North Wessex Downs AONB overlooking the valleys of Wadwick Bottom and Binley Bottom. The building is proposed to be 6.5m tall and around 30m long, timber clad with .

The application site comprises a piece of land to the west of the property, which already has planning permission for a tennis court and swimming pool. This is on a locally high point within the landscape with open fields sloping away to the east, west and south. There are far reaching views extend across the Bourne Valley to the south and west from this aspect. A public right of way runs adjacent to the eastern boundary of the property to the south-eastern corner then angles away to the south east across an open field.

The site lies within the southern part of the and Binley Down Landscape Character Area ( and Deane Landscape Character Assessment, June 2001), a landscape with a distinctive sense of place, dominated by rolling chalkland and unifying pattern of woodland blocks, open farmland, frequent hedgerows, trees and occasional parkland. The varied landform consists of a series of shallow ridges and valleys running parallel to each other into the Bourne valley. The local area generally possesses an unspoilt, quiet and rural character, with a sense of remoteness and limited intrusion from people, traffic and noise.

Having reviewed the proposals I would advise that the latest proposal for this site would result in adverse impacts on the landscape character and visual amenity of the site. There would be a significant increase in built form on the site, which already contains a large dwelling and significantly sized garage block, of an excessive scale, form and bulk. This would be considered to impose formalising and dominating features on to the quiet and rural characteristics of the landscape in this location. It would be very visible from the lane to the north, from which views across the agricultural landscape are available despite the boundary vegetation adjacent to Red Lane. The proposed building would dominate and obstruct these views, and it is considered that this would be harmful within the AONB.

Given the previous approval for a tennis court and swimming pool on the same site, which has already altered the future character of the landscape in this location, it is considered that some built form could be achieved to provide a pool room. However, this would need to be significantly reduced in scale and height to a more modest single storey building more typically found within a garden, in order to be considered acceptable in landscape terms.

I hope these comments are clear, however if you have any queries please contact me.

Key Issues: Impact on landscape character and visual amenity in accordance with Policy EM1 of the Adopted Local Plan.

I trust that the above is clear, however, if you have any queries please contact me.

Regards The Landscape Team CD 29032018