Appeal 3293440

The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted to raise ridge height, form a crown roof to rear and two new dormers to front at [site address] in accordance with the terms of the application, Ref 21/01582/FULL, dated 22 October 2021, subject to the following conditions:

The development hereby permitted shall begin not later than 3 years from the date of this decision.

The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: A100; A101; A102.

The application form describes the proposed roof at the rear projection as a ‘mansard roof’. The proposed roof includes a combination of pitched and flat roof sections. I therefore consider ‘crown roof’ to provide a more accurate description of the proposal and have determined the appeal on this basis.

The main issue in this appeal is the effects of the proposal on the character and appearance of the appeal property and area.

The appeal property is a detached bungalow with a large rear projection and living accommodation within the roof space, situated in a generous plot with spacious front and rear gardens.

The area surrounding the appeal property consists mainly of single storey dwellings and chalet bungalows with occasional detached and semi-detached houses many of which have been modified by alterations at roof level. Well-spaced dwellings with deep front gardens, along with the wide grass verges and rows of small trees on either side of the carriageway, gives the area a spacious, green and suburban character.

Through increasing the ridge height, the addition of dormers at the main part of the dwelling and formation of a crown roof at the rear projection, the proposal would provide additional headroom to increase the area of usable floorspace within existing rooms within the roof space. The Council’s reason for refusal relates to the formation of the crown roof only. I have been presented with no evidence to suggest other elements of the scheme would give rise to adverse effects.

The proposed crown roof would alter the roof form at the rear projection to increase the ceiling height across a wider area of the first-floor room and would be set down below the proposed height of the roof ridge at the main part of the building. The proposal would represent only a modest increase to the scale of the existing rear projection and would not therefore appear excessive in scale, disproportionate or bulky in the context of the building.

The proposed crown roof would be generally concealed from view from the public highway at [address] by the pitched roof at the main part of the dwelling. Where viewed from the front, the proposed crown roof would therefore have a neutral effect upon the street scene.

Whilst partially obscured by tall boundary treatments, vegetation and existing outbuildings and garden structures, the proposed crown roof would be visible from neighbouring rear gardens. The visible sections of the proposed roof would be finished with materials matching the existing dwelling and would therefore appear integrated with the existing building. From the back garden of the appeal site, the rear of dwellings along [address] appear heavily modified, in particular through the addition of differing styles of roof dormers with a mix of flat and pitched roofs. Therefore, whilst the form of the proposed crown roof would differ from the existing roof arrangement, it would not appear out of context with the variety of roof forms of dwellings at the rear side.

For the reasons set out above, the proposal would not constitute poor design and would not harm the character and appearance of the appeal property or area. The proposal would therefore comply with Policy BAS BE12 of the Basildon District Local Plan Saved Policies (2007) which requires alterations to existing dwellings to avoid harm to the character of the surrounding area, including the street scene. In addition, the proposal would satisfy the requirements of paragraph 130 of the National Planning Policy Framework which requires developments to be sympathetic to local character, including the surrounding built environment.

In the interests of certainty, I have attached a condition specifying the approved plans and to secure the commencement of the development.

For the reasons given above, having regard to the development plan taken as a whole and all other relevant material considerations, I conclude the appeal should succeed.