DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT FOR ALTERATIONS TO FORM ADDITIONAL DWELLING AT COLLEGE FARM, DINGLE LANE, NETHER WHITACRE, COLESHILL, B46 2ED

This statement has been submitted by Andrew Large Surveyors Ltd acting as consultant for Howkins and Harrison on behalf of the applicant. The application is for alterations to form a new dwelling, at College Farm, on behalf of the applicant (Mr Jonathon Rivers) and this statement should be read in conjunction with the planning application form and plans.

1.0 SITE APPRAISAL

Physical Context

The property is situated at College Farm which is accessed off Dingle Lane. The site contains a detached 20th Century former farmhouse which has been extended into former outbuildings. The property comprises living accommodation and covered car parking The site area is 856 square metres as shown on the attached plan. (Appendix One).

1 The farm is situated in the village / parish of Nether Whitacre which incorporates . Nether Whitacre benefits from a village pub (420 metres from the application site) and bus service (420 metres from the application site). A village shop and post office is available in Whitacre Heath (1.25 miles). It is understood that Tesco deliver groceries to the village through their internet shopping service.

The nearest main town is Coleshill, which is approximately 3 miles from the site and contains a range of services and amenities, including supermarket, shops, schools, leisure centre and doctors surgery. Kingsbury is a large village also approximately 3 miles from the site and comprises a doctor’s surgery, shops and pubs.

The sites close proximity to the A446 and M42 allows for easy access to the Tamworth and Birmingham.

2.0 Social Context

By way of background only, following a change in personal circumstances the applicant can no longer afford to live at the property. In order to be able to remain in the village it is proposed to subdivide the existing property to provide a one bedroom and three bedroom property. Internally the property already benefits from two separate living areas with two kitchen and bathrooms meaning only minor internal and external changes.

3.0 Economic Context

The proposed new dwelling would be situated within close proximity to a cluster of residential dwellings and within reasonable walking distance of a bus service and public house in the village of Nether Whitacre. The village shop and post office is in Whitacre Heath 1.25 miles from the application site.

A recent appeal decision for alterations to form a new dwelling in North , dated 17th December 2012, concluded that Nether Whitacre contained “a range of basic services”. This appeal decision was for a very similar application and it was concluded also that “whilst an additional home would be created, it would not strictly be new as the whole building is already a home and could potentially be occupied by as many people as the two dwellings proposed”. In summary the number of people using shops and services would remain constant and therefore any concerns over sustainability are negated. (Appeal Ref: APP/R3705/A/12/2178302)

4.0 Planning Policy Context

The proposed development has been assessed and evaluated against the criteria set within the following listed policies.

2

National Planning Policy Framework

At paragraph 89 the NPPF states that; “A local planning authority should regard the construction of new buildings as inappropriate in the Green Belt” However it goes on to list exceptions including; “the extension or alteration of a building provided that it does not result in disproportionate additions over and above the size of the original building”. As the proposal would not result in any such additions the proposal is considered to satisfy this policy.

At paragraph 90 the NPPF states that; “re-use of buildings in the countryside is not inappropriate provided that the building is of permanent and substantial construction and that the development preserves the openness of the Green belt and does not conflict with the purposes of including land in it”.

As the proposed dwelling is already occupied as living accommodation it is considered to be of substantial and permanent construction. As no additions or significant alterations are proposed the openness of the green belt would be unaffected. Any future enlargement or additions could be controlled by way of condition on the new dwelling, excluding permitted development rights.

North Warwickshire Local Plan 2006

The following policies within the local plan are relevant to this application.

Policy ECON9 – Re-use of Rural Buildings

1. Proposals for the adaptation and re-use of existing rural buildings will be permitted where:

i. The building has direct access to the rural distributor road network and is accessible by a range of means of travel and transport from the nearest Main Town, Green Belt Market Town, Local Service Centre or other rural settlement with a development boundary identified on the Proposals Map; and

The existing access to the site comes off Dingle Lane, with direct access onto the B4098 Tamworth to Coventry Road which is part of the rural distributor network. There is public transport available 420 metres (at The Gate Public House) from the application site which runs on a two hourly basis, is operated by Central Buses and provides access to nearly larger conurbations such as Tamworth and Lichfield. (Bus Service 757) There are two flexibus services (223 and 228) provided by A & M Group. Frequency of journeys, for both services, is one journey out in the morning and one return journey in the afternoon. The flexi bus service stops at the Gate Public House if requested prior by telephone.

3 Bus Service 757 provides a direct service to Coleshill Parkway Railway Station situated 8km to the south west of the site. The station is located on the Birmingham to Peterborough line and operates two trains per hour in each direction. Eastbound trains are for Leicester, Cambridge and Stansted Airport with shops at and Peterborough. Westbound trains are for Birmingham New Street.

ii. The building is of permanent and substantial construction and its form, scale, bulk and general design is in keeping with the surroundings; and

The building is of sound construction and is an existing building occupied as living accommodation.

iii. The building is capable of adaptation and re-use without major or complete reconstruction, alteration or enlargement; or

Only very minor internal and external changes are proposed.

iv. Irrespective of the foregoing, adaptation and re-use is the only means of preventing the loss or deterioration of a listed building, or of a building that makes an essential contribution to the group value of listed buildings and their setting, or of a building that warrants retention because of its unique local architectural or historic interest or contribution to the landscape.

Not applicable to this application as the building has already been converted.

If the building is deemed to be suitable for adaptation and re-use in accordance with the foregoing criteria, the use to which the building may be put will be determined having regard to the extent to which it is capable of fulfilling the following order of land use objectives:

Economic objectives:

These include farm diversification, local services and facilities, public access and employment provision. These are considered not applicable, the application site is not part of a working farm, interaction with the existing residential use would be impractical and the proposed dwelling is considered to small to satisfy any of the employment criteria.

3. Only if the building can be demonstrated not to be suitable for any of those uses will the following additional order of land use objective apply:

4. Provision of local needs housing in accordance with policy HSG2 or HSG3

4 HSG2 and HSG3 relate to local needs housing in and outside the settlement boundary. With HSG3 reverting back to ECON 9. It is considered there is no identifiable demand for agricultural, forestry or full time workers to live at or in the vicinity of their place of work.

Or failing that;

Increasing the supply of affordable housing

It is understood there is no identifiable need for affordable housing within Nether Whitacre of the size as proposed.

Or failing that;

Provision of live/work units

The proposal is not for a live work unit and is for the alteration of existing accommodation. The proposal is very modest in size and would struggle to accommodate live and work elements; there would also be conflict with the existing dwelling and its users and implications for highway safety with potential for an increase in vehicular numbers as opposed to maintaining the status quo with the current application.

Or contributing to the range of market houses

The council Draft Core Strategy refers to provision for 20 dwellings in Nether Whitacre, whilst only draft this application would contribute in a small way to the housing supply. Nether Whitacre comprises a range of housing from large detached dwellings to smaller terraced dwellings. The introduction of a one bedroom linked detached house would be in keeping with this trend.

Any such scheme will also be required protect or enhance the local environment by satisfying each of the following criteria:

The proposal would not give rise to any additional hazard or impediment to the safe and free movement of pedestrian, vehicular and other traffic on the rural road network, particularly as a result of heavy vehicle usage.

The proposal will result in no net increase in traffic movements. Residential floor space will not increase and the numbers of vehicular movements associated with a four and one bedroom dwellings compared to one five bedroom dwelling would be broadly similar and in any event the degree of harm that would arise would not be so detrimental to preclude against this development proposal.

5 The proposal would not cause pollution or the risk of pollution in consequence of a lack of foul or surface water drainage.

Drainage would be to an existing septic tank and there would be no risk of pollution.

The proposal would respect the inherent characteristics of the layout, structure and design of the building, and would preserve any special architectural or historic interest that the building may have.

The conversion has already been carried out within the existing building, with no alteration to the structure, layout and design of the building. There will only be minor internal and external changes. We are not aware of any special architectural or historic interest that the building may have.

The setting of the building in the landscape would not be compromised, especially by external parking and storage areas or garden structures including boundary walls and fences.

The existing car parking and turning arrangement will be used to serve both properties. This is being as indicated on the attached site layout plan.

2.0 CONSULATION

Not applicable

3.0 SITE EVALUATION

The conversion to residential floor space has already taken place. Only minor alterations are required. The existing car parking and turning area can be utilised by both properties.

4.0 DESIGN COMPONENT

Use

The development is situated within existing residential curtilege and adjoins redundant farm buildings.

Amount

The proposal is for the alteration of an existing five bedroom dwelling to provide two dwellings; one four bedroom and one, one bedroom.

6 Layout

A plan of the layout has been attached.

Scale

The proposal is within existing buildings that have already been converted to residential use. They are therefore considered in keeping in scale and with their surroundings.

Landscaping

No formal landscaping has been proposed. The proposal includes new turning and parking arrangements and how the two properties would be divided to provide garden / amenity areas.

Appearance

As existing – not applicable.

5.0 ACCESS COMPONENT

The existing access off Dingle Lane would be used to serve the existing and proposed dwelling.

6.0 CONCLUSION

This statement shows that the proposed development satisfies both national and local planning policy criteria. The proposed alteration can be achieved without any visual harm to the green belt and openness of the countryside. The development proposal is very similar to a recent appeal decision and it is considered this application is in line with the inspectorate’s opinion and statements on an existing dwellings alteration to form two dwellings, in the green built and outside the settlement boundary.

Signed……………………………………………..

Andrew J Large BSc (Hons) MRICS FAAV

Dated……………………………………………….

7