Agenda item

Report of the Planning and Development Manager recommending conditional approval be granted in respect of an application for a proposed development at the above address, attached.

The Panel considered the report of the Planning and Development Manager recommending conditional approval be granted in respect of an application for a proposed development at the above address.

Erection of a part single-storey and part two-storey side and rear extension (revised scheme to 15/02113/FUL).

David Tarrant (local residents/ objecting), Debby Osman (Agent), were present and with the consent of the Chair, addressed the meeting.

On being put to the vote the officer recommendation to approve the planning approval was lost. A second motion to refuse the application was proposed by Councillor Harris and carried unanimously.

RESOLVED that conditional planning permission be refused for the reasons set out below.

Reasons for Refusal:

1.  Unacceptable impact on amenity

The proposed two-storey side extension, by means of its scale, massing and positioning directly adjacent to the boundary with the neighbouring property at no.197 Midanbury Lane, represents an unsympathetic and unneighbourly form of development that would harm the amenities of the neighbouring occupier. In particular, the extension would enclose southern boundary of the garden of no.197 Midanbury Lane, appearing over-bearing and oppressive and reducing the quality of the adjoining garden space. The effect would be compounded due to the projection of the extension, further to the rear than the existing two-storey building line of the properties and the manner in which the extension would span almost the entire side boundary with no. 197. The proposal would, therefore, prove contrary to the following adopted development plan policies:

·  Policy CS13 of the adopted Core Strategy (amended 2015) by not responding positively or integrating into the surroundings and that the scale of the development fails to ‘place people first’;

·  Policy SDP1(i) of the City of Southampton Local Plan Review (amended 2015) by unacceptably affecting the amenity of the city’s residents;

·  Policy SDP9 (i) (v) by not respecting the site’s surroundings in terms of the scale, massing and visual impact on local amenity and;

·  The Residential Design Guide 2006 (adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document following full public consultation) with particular reference to paragraphs 2.2.1-2.2.2 which requires an appropriate gap to be maintained between extensions and neighbouring buildings and 2.2.18-2.2.19 and 2.2.21 which resists undue enclosure to garden space.

2.  Poor Design

The proposal is designed with a new obscure-glazed bedroom window being positioned directly onto the boundary with no. 197 Midanbury Lane. Given the proximity to the neighbouring dwelling and the proposal for an obscure glazed window, this bedroom would not enjoy any outlook and have poor access to natural light. Furthermore, an alternative arrangement of a cleared glazed window would result in direct overlooking of the neighbouring property and a subsequent loss of privacy. In addition to this, relying on third party land for light and/or outlook is poor planning and could prove prejudicial to any future development of the neighbouring site. The proposed design would, therefore, result in a poor quality residential environment for occupiers of the application property and would fail to meet the Council’s standards for high-quality residential design as set out by the following adopted development plan policies:

·  Policy CS13 of the Southampton Core Strategy Development Plan Document (amended 2015) by not responding positively or integrating into the surroundings and that the scale of the development fails to ‘place people first’;

·  Policy SDP1 (i) of the City of Southampton Local Plan Review (amended 2015) by unacceptably affecting the amenity of the city’s residents;

·  Policy SDP13 (iii) by failing to minimise the demand for resources;

·  The Residential Design Guide 2006 (particularly section 2.2 which requires access to natural light and outlook from habitable room windows and separation between windows and boundaries with neighbouring properties to achieve this and to avoid overlooking).