Appeal 3291758

The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for erection of fence and veranda at [site address] in accordance with the terms of the application, Ref 21/00374/FULHH, dated 25 March 2021, and the plan nos. 1795 Location Plan, 1795 [name] & Block Plan, and [name].

The fence and veranda were in place at the time of my site visit and therefore I have considered the appeal on a retrospective basis.

The Council raise no objection to the veranda. The main issue therefore is the effect of the fence on the character and appearance of the area.

The area is wholly residential and is set around a network of streets with [address] and [address] forming the north/south roads, and [address], [address] and [address] being the east/west roads between them. The properties in the area generally have low boundary treatments in front of the houses, creating an open character. However, there are some taller fences and hedges at corner plots where the side boundaries of some properties face the roads. This dilutes the openness of the area at these corners.

The appeal site sits on the corner of [address] and [address]. The property on the opposite corner of [address] and [address] has a close-boarded fence around 1.8 metres in height along its boundary with [address] and a taller hedge facing [address]. The neighbouring house to the south, No. 9, sits on the corner of [address] and [address]. That property has close-boarded fencing, similar in colour and height to that at the appeal site, along its boundary with [address].

In the wider area, there are fences of a similar height to that at the appeal site at the junctions of [address] and [address], [address] and [address], and [address] and [address]. Although in those cases the fences may not extend for the same length as that at the appeal site, they nonetheless form solid, tall features in the respective street scenes.

In this context, especially when seen with the fence at the property opposite, the development is not incongruous. In addition, the dark wood fencing materials used reflect the fence at No. 9, and the accompanying brick piers and dwarf wall generally match the bricks used on the dwelling at the appeal site.

As such the development does not harm the character and appearance of the area. It hence accords with policy D1 of the Melton Borough Local Plan (2018) which aims to ensure development is high quality and sympathetic to the character of the area.

The veranda is modest in scale, does not project forward of the neighbouring house and is barely visible in the street scenes. This also therefore accords with policy D1.

As the development has already been completed, there is no need to impose the standard condition relating to the commencement of development. Also, the materials are acceptable so it would be unnecessary to control these by a condition. The Council have suggested a condition be imposed identifying the relevant plans, but instead I have included those plans within the terms of the decision in the interests of certainty.

The development accords with the development plan taken as a whole and there are no other material considerations to suggest the decision should be made other than in accordance with the development plan. Therefore, for the reasons given above, the appeal is allowed.