PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE 3RD APRIL 2012 ENVIRONMENT SERVICES REPORT OF THE HEAD OF PLANNING – G.WHITE INDEX OF REPORT ITEMS PART 1 – Doc.Code: PLANDEV-030412-REP-EN-GW SECTION A – MATTERS FOR DECISION 1. PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL 1.1 APP NO: TYPE: Page Nos: Wards Affected: P/2011/360 Householder 3 - 10 Bryn & Cwmavon PROPOSAL: SINGLE STOREY SIDE EXTENSION LOCATION: 1 HIGH STREET, CWMAVON, PORT TALBOT SA12 9BH 1.2 APP NO: TYPE: Page Nos: Wards Affected: P/2012/1 Householder 11 - 15 Bryn & Cwmavon PROPOSAL: RETENTION OF SINGLE STOREY REAR CONSERVATORY LOCATION: 9 CORONATION STREET, BRYN, PORT TALBOT SA13 2SE PLANDEV-030412-REP-EN-GW Page 1 of 87 2. PLANNING APPLICATION RECOMMENDED FOR REFUSAL 2.1 APP NO: TYPE: Page Nos: Wards Affected: P/2010/1148 Full Plans 16 – 77 Gwynfi PROPOSAL: ERECTION OF 15 WIND TURBINES WITH A MAX BLADE TIP OF 118M, (3 TURBINES TOGETHER WITH A CONTROL BUILDING AND ELECTRICITY SUB STATION IN A SECURE COMPOUND ARE TO BE SITED WITHIN BRIDGEND CBC) TEMPORARY CONSTRUCTION COMPOUNDS, 78M ANEMOMETRY MAST, NEW ACCESS FROM A4107,UPGRADING OF EXISTING ON SITE TRACKS AND CONSTRUCTION OF NEW ON SITE ACCESS TRACKS, CRANE HARD STANDINGS, UNDERGROUND ELECTRICITY CABLES, FOUR BORROW PITS, AND WIDENING OF EXISTING FORESTRY TRACKS. LOCATION: MYNYDD Y GELLI, NEAR ABERGWYNFI, PORT TALBOT SECTION B – MATTERS FOR INFORMATION 3. DELEGATED APPLICATIONS Page Nos: Wards Affected: DETERMINED BETWEEN 6TH 78 - 87 ALL MARCH AND 26TH MARCH 2012 Human Rights Act The Human Rights Act 1998 came into force on 2nd October 2000. It requires all public authorities to act in a way which is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. Reports and recommendations to the Sub-Committee have been prepared in the light of the Council’s obligations under the Act and with regard to the need for decisions to be informed by the principles of fair balance and non-discrimination. Background Papers The relevant background papers for each of the planning applications listed in sections 1 to 3 above are contained in the specific planning applications files and documents listed in Background Information in each individual report. The contact officer for the above applications is Geoff White. PLANDEV-030412-REP-EN-GW Page 2 of 87 SECTION A – MATTERS FOR DECISION 1. PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL ITEM 1. 1 APPLICATION NO: P/2011/360 DATE: 25/05/2011 PROPOSAL: SINGLE STOREY SIDE EXTENSION LOCATION: 1 HIGH STREET, CWMAVON, PORT TALBOT SA12 9BH APPLICANT: Mr Granville Webley TYPE: Householder WARD: Bryn & Cwmavon BACKGROUND INFORMATION Planning History: Application P2012/360 – extension and raising roof height – Approved 27/10/2010 Publicity and Responses if applicable: The application was advertised on site and 5 neighbouring properties were consulted. 3 letters of objection from one neighbouring resident have been received which are summarised as follows: 1) The extension is going to be built without any regard to the watercourse which runs through the property. 2) Flooding is occurring as a result of the blockage of pipes installed under the driveway of the property. The conglomeration of pipework installed under the driveway is inadequate and probably installed without control. 3) The proposed open watercourse is inadequate and the watercourse should be piped rather than an open watercourse constructed. PLANDEV-030412-REP-EN-GW Page 3 of 87 4) There is considerable ponding at the Tyr Owen Row end of the site. 5) Privacy and overlooking of living room and back garden. 6) Consideration should be taken into account regarding the access to and from the site onto High Street it is extremely busy and during school terms becomes quite hazardous. Environment Agency: No objections. Head of Engineering and Transport (Drainage): No objections. Description of Site and its Surroundings: The application property is a large detached dwelling located on a level, irregular shaped plot with access off High Street, Cwmavon. The site is bounded to the south and east by residential properties and to the north and north west by open areas and beyond by High Street. An open watercourse runs north east to south west and crosses the site via a culvert which discharges to the rear of dwellings fronting Cae Glas. The existing dwelling is set back approximately 15 metres from High Street, and is orientated so that the gable end forms the frontage to the road. Due to this orientation the proposed side extension is located to the rear of the site. The site is to a large extent screened from High Street and Ty’r Owen by a number of large mature trees. Brief description of proposal; Full planning permission is sought for the construction of a single storey extension to the side (south east) elevation of the existing dwelling. The proposed extension projects 5.3 metres off the side elevation, is 5.6 metres in depth and will have a maximum height of 4.6 metres. The extension is designed with a slate, ridged roof with rendered external walls. The front elevation incorporates two large windows and french doors with glazed windows located within the angle of the roof to the gable end. Two velux type roof lights are proposed within the rear pitch of the roof. PLANDEV-030412-REP-EN-GW Page 4 of 87 Material Considerations: The main issues to be considered in the determination of this application are the impact upon the amenity of residents within the neighbouring properties, the impact upon the character and appearance of the surrounding area and the drainage of the land. Policy Context; Neath Port Talbot Unitary Development Plan: Policy GC1 - New buildings, Structures and Changes of use Policy ENV 17 – Design, in addition the Household design guide offers further guidance for developments of this type. Visual Amenity: With regard to visual amenity, the application site is surrounded by a number of mature trees and as such is not visually prominent when viewed from the surrounding area. Furthermore, the subordinate scale of the extension together with the design and use of matching materials will ensure that the extension integrates with the existing dwellinghouse. As such the proposed development by reason of its design, size and location would not have a detrimental affect upon the character and appearance of the surrounding area. Residential Amenity: With regard to residential amenity, there are 3 dwellings which have common boundaries with the site. All are orientated at different angles in relation to the proposed extension. The nearest dwelling number 15 Cae Glas is located 11 metres to the south of the proposed extension. There are no windows to the side elevation of this dwelling. Number 21 Ty'r Owen is located approximately 15 metres to the east of the site, there are four habitable room windows located to the elevation of this property however, there are no windows on the elevation of the proposed extension facing this property. Number 13 Cae Glas is located south west of the proposed extension and whilst there is a habitable room window located at ground floor level on this dwelling it is sited a distance of approximately 24 metres away from the extension and at an angle from it. Furthermore a brick boundary wall measuring approximately 1.8 metres PLANDEV-030412-REP-EN-GW Page 5 of 87 in height is located between the two properties. As a result it is considered that the separation distances between habitable room windows together with the sensitive siting of windows and existence of boundary treatments will ensure that it will not result in a loss of privacy to existing residents. The proposal therefore conforms to the guidelines as detailed in the Guide to Household Extensions. Turning to overbearance and overshadowing, the siting of the proposed extension together with its single storey scale will ensure that there are no unacceptable overbearing or overshadowing issues with regard to existing adjacent dwellings. Highway Safety: There is an existing access and driveway serving the property and sufficient off street parking is available within the curtilage of the site to accommodate the needs of the dwellinghouse as extended. The proposal will not therefore have an unacceptable impact upon highway safety. Drainage/watercourse: An existing watercourse runs across the site flowing north east to south west from Tyr Owen and discharges to the rear of properties facing Cae Glas. The watercourse is culverted within the application site the pipe being located to the south of the existing dwelling. This culvert has been previously identified as inadequate by the Head of Engineering and Transport (Drainage). The culvert runs below the footprint of the proposed extension, as no buildings are allowed to be constructed over a culvert the watercourse will require diverting. It should be noted that planning permission is not required to carry out these works. In order to carry out works associated with the diversion of a watercourse a Flood Defence Consent is required from the Environment Agency. The applicant has submitted a scheme which details an open watercourse located approximately 3 metres to the south east of the proposed extension. This will collect and discharge from and to the same locations as present. The watercourse is 250mm in depth by 400mm in width and has an earth bund 300mm to the outer edge. The application included the required survey material including invert levels. A Flood Defence Consent was issued by the Environment Agency 17th January 2012 for PLANDEV-030412-REP-EN-GW Page 6 of 87 these works. The Head of Engineering and Transport (Drainage) has therefore responded by raising no objections to the proposal. It is considered that the approved scheme for the diversion of the watercourse will ensure that there would be no additional adverse impact on the water drainage issues within the area.