Appeal 3317779

The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for a single storey front extension; single and two storey side extension, single storey rear extension, raised patio to rear; detached garage to front; external alterations (demolition of attached garage) at [site address] in accordance with the terms of the application Ref: P/3692/22 dated 25 October 2022 and the plans submitted with it, 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: 98, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207.

No development above ground level shall be commenced until samples or detailed trade descriptions of all materials to be used in the construction of the external surfaces of the development hereby permitted have been submitted to, and approved in writing by, the local planning authority. The development shall proceed in accordance with those details unless varied with the written permission of the local planning authority.

No roof surface of the development hereby permitted shall be used for sitting out or accessed other than for purposes of maintenance and repair.

The main issue is the effect of the proposal upon the character and appearance of the area.

[address] is a quiet suburban, tree-lined road which incorporates a number of early-mid twentieth century housing, ultimately at its western end concluding in a large area of two and four-storey flatted development dating from the third quarter of that century. The appeal site, No.[address] (No.31) along with a small group of semi-detached two-storey houses of similar age, is located between the last of the arts and crafts derived housing that ranges along [address] and the flatted development. The area therefore contains a mix of housing typologies.

No.31 is a large two-storey detached house sitting within a large plot that adjoins, with a hedged boundary, the open area in which the flatted development sits, marking the point where defined housing plots and suburban street scene open onto the shared curtilage of the flats. Although the Council object to the forward position of the proposed garage, the setting of No.31 is transitional as I have described and in that sense the garage would serve as a visual stop and partly enclose the section of [address] which has a conventional suburban street layout. Although the proposal would affect only one side of the street, closing off the existing views across the frontage of No.31 into the open curtilage of the flats would tend to create a sense of a ‘gateway’ from one type of development into another. This would be a positive feature of the proposal. For that reason I do not find that part of the proposal incongruous or in conflict with policy CS1.B of the [name] 2012 (core strategy).

The proposal intends a significant ‘upgrade’ of a property which although typical of individual house design of its time is somewhat bland in its use of materials and fenestration arrangements. The proposal would wrap the ground floor in a strongly-articulated flat-roofed form surmounted by timber-clad new and existing elements. To my mind the resulting building would appear as a well-designed freestanding element in the street which would, by it well expressed form and careful use of materials support the distinctive character of this part of the street without detracting from, and to some degree supporting, the evocative individual contributions to street-scene character found in those houses closest to the appeal site1.

I find no conflict with Policy DM1 A, DM1 B of the Harrow Development Management Policies Local Plan (2013) which seek to ensure development achieves a high standard of design and layout. The proposal would accord with the development plan taken as a whole and in consequence, taking all matters raised into account, the appeal succeeds subject to the usual timing and plans conditions. I have also considered the conditions proposed by the Council and adjusted these to address matters which are material to my reasoning in relation to the appearance of the proposal and the potential for overlooking.