Committee and date Item South Planning Committee 8 16 July 2013 Public Development Management Report Responsible Officer: Tim Rogers Email: [email protected] Tel: 01743 258773 Fax: 01743 252619 Summary of Application Application Number: 13/00820/FUL Parish : Ashford Carbonell Proposal : Erection of a two storey rear extension and erection of a detached garage/annexe Site Address : Wayside Cottage Ashford Carbonell Ludlow Shropshire SY8 4BX Applicant : Mr Simon Angell Case Officer : Dyanne Humphreys email : [email protected] Grid Ref: 352435 - 270870 © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Shropshire Council 100049049. 2011 For reference purposes only. No further copies may be made. Contact : Tim Rogers (01743) 258773 Page 1 of 12 Wayside Cottage, Ashford Carbonell, South Planning Committee – 16 July 2013 Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 4BX Recommendation:- Grant Permission subject to the conditions set out in Appendix 1. REPORT 1.0 THE PROPOSAL 1.1 This application is for a two-storey rear extension to Wayside Cottage in the village of Ashford Carbonell. An additional dormer window is also proposed on the front elevation. 1.2 The extension will provide an extended kitchen on the ground floor and a bedroom with ensuite at first floor and enable the family bathroom to be relocated to the first floor. 1.3 The extension is to have a plain clay tiled roof to match the existing cottage with the external walls being facing brick to match the existing for the ground floor and softwood horizontal boards applied to the first floor. 1.4 The application also seeks consent for a garage/annexe as a detached outbuilding in the rear garden. This is single storey finished with timber boarding with option of insulated metal sheet on the roof (or plain clay tiles). 2.0 SITE LOCATION & DESCRIPTION 2.1 The character of the village is best described in the Ashford Carbonell Village Design Statement from where the following is sourced: “Ashford Carbonell, a small rural parish of just under 1500 acres, is one of the most southerly in Shropshire, lying close to the borders of Herefordshire and Worcestershire, three miles south of Ludlow” 2.2 “It is bounded to the west by the River Teme beyond which lie the parishes of Ashford Bowdler and Richard's Castle; the boundary runs along the ridge of Tinkers Hill with the parish of Ludford immediately to the north, then Caynham, bounded for a short distance by the Ledwyche Brook, to the north-east, with Greete to the east and Little Hereford to the south.” 2.3 “Ashford Carbonell is a cul-de-sac village; there is no through road.” It is accessed off the road from Caynham to the A49. 2.4 “The village environs proper begin at the first crossroads on the Caynham Road. The rural approach, approximately 250 yards long, has high hedges on each side; an orchard, a line of chestnut trees and a paddock, often with grazing sheep, lie on the right hand side whilst horses graze the meadow on the left. This lane is the only way in or out of the village” A new school building has now been built within the former paddock. 2.5 Ashford Carbonell also has a church known as St. Mary Magdalene’s, which is still in regular use with a committed congregation. “The Village Hall is well patronised, hosting many of the community events, such as Flicks-in-the-Sticks, a regular tea afternoon and book exchange, a fortnightly Pub Night, the annual Harvest Supper, and Punch and Mince Pies at Christmas. A Summer Barbecue is usually held in the grounds outside.” Contact : Tim Rogers (01743) 258773 Page 2 of 12 Wayside Cottage, Ashford Carbonell, South Planning Committee – 16 July 2013 Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 4BX 2.6 “The tranquil countryside, within and surrounding both the village and the parish combines mixed farmland with a good proportion of ancient and diverse broad-leaf woodlands” 2.7 The application site is within the village which benefits from a Conservation Area designation. Wayside Cottage is one of a pair of cottages that sit immediately adjacent to the main village road. Wayside Cottage (4 Ashford Carbonell) is the northern most of the pair, with 5 Ashford Carbonell being to the south. 2.8 The properties are divided along their rear gardens by a low established hedge. They are similar in scale and design though Wayside Cottage has had some minor appendages added in the past. 3.0 REASON FOR COMMITTEE DETERMINATION OF APPLICATION 3.1 The application has been called-in by the Local member (Martin Taylor-Smith) due to the Parish Council’s strong objections to the proposal and in the light of the Officers recommendation being contrary to the views of the Parish Council. 4.0 COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIONS 4.1.0 Consultee Comments 4.1.1 Ashford Carbonell Parish Council – Objects Wayside Cottage is in Ashford Carbonell Conservation Area. Wayside Cottage and its semi-detached neighbouring cottage, No 5 Ashford Carbonell, are delightful examples of modest dwellings built in the 17th/18th Century. They are a balanced pair of cottages which offer an affordable step for house buyers wishing to move to the village. The appeal of this village is the diverse mix of properties available and appealing to single people, couples and families The scale of the proposed large two storey extension will adversely affect the appearance and ambience of this fine pair of cottages. It will be located very close to the boundary with No 5 which has only one small ground floor window close to the boundary on the east elevation. Consequently the two storey extension will dominate and there will be considerable loss of light to its neighbour. The proposed extension will almost double the floor area of Wayside Cottage. This will upset the symmetry of what always were, and still currently are, a balanced pair. Wayside will look excessively large, overbearing, upsetting the ambience. The applicant states that the ridge height will not extend above the main roof level but contrary to his assertion, the large, north elevation will be extremely obvious from the road as one progresses down the village street. Contact : Tim Rogers (01743) 258773 Page 3 of 12 Wayside Cottage, Ashford Carbonell, South Planning Committee – 16 July 2013 Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 4BX If this development of Wayside Cottage is allowed to proceed it will remove a small, modest, balanced cottage from the diverse mix of housing, and people needing a small home will have one less choice available to them in Ashford Carbonell. We would like to draw your attention to Planning Guidance Note 1. Under Statutory Designations Conservation Areas are to be treated as special cases. 2. Under Design in Appendix 5 - New developments should be designed to the highest possible standards of the day while respecting the massing, scale, proportion, and materials of their surroundings. Shropshire Council has already approved a single storey extension to Wayside Cottage which is more in keeping with the ambience of the village street and to which the Parish Council had no objections. However due to the points raised above the Parish Council wish to object to this application. SC Ecologist – No objection I have read the above application and the supporting documents including the Phase 1 Environmental Survey by Greenscape Environmental (2012). Subject to the inclusion of the condition and informatives on the decision notice, if approved, I have no objection to the scheme. 4.2.0 Public Comments 4.2.1 The application has attracted 1 letter of objection from a local resident and 1 letter from the Shropshire Fire Service Officer offering fire safety advice. The content of each is set out below: 4.2.2 1 X letter of objection from occupier of The Chapel, Ashford Carbonell. We wish to lodge an objection to the above planning application on the grounds that it will completely alter the character of two of the oldest cottages in the village, as well as spoiling the views from our house and adjacent houses. 4.2.3 1 X letter of comment from the Shropshire Fire Service Officer Comment -Access for Emergency Fire Service Vehicles. It will be necessary to provide adequate access for emergency fire vehicles. There should be access for a pumping appliance to within 45 metres of all points within the dwellings. This issue will be dealt with at the Building Regulations stage of the development. However, the Fire Authority advise that early consideration is given to this matter. “The Building Regulations, 2000 (2006 Edition) Fire Safety Approved Document B5” provides details of typical fire service appliance specifications. Contact : Tim Rogers (01743) 258773 Page 4 of 12 Wayside Cottage, Ashford Carbonell, South Planning Committee – 16 July 2013 Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 4BX 5.0 THE MAIN ISSUES Principle of development Impact on the character and scale of the existing property Impact on the special character of the Conservation Area Impact on the amenity of neighbouring properties Other material considerations 6.0 OFFICER APPRAISAL 6.1 Principle of development 6.1.1 The NPPF’s key message is that the “presumption in favour of sustainable development” is considered to be “the golden thread running through both plan-making and decision making” which should be applied by local planning authorities when assessing and determining planning applications. 6.1.2 There is a general presumption in favour of domestic extensions and detached ancillary outbuilding reasonably required in connection with the occupation of the existing cottage. 6.1.3 Developments of this nature are only likely to be unacceptable if they are unneighbourly by way of loss of privacy or being over bearing; if by reason of their scale or design they overwhelm and dominate the original character of the existing property; or if there was unacceptable harm to a heritage asset.