Appeal 3323339

The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for two storey front extension and roof structure replacement for new barn hip roof, 0.5m taller than existing to create two bedrooms at second floor level at [site address] , Streetly, [site address] [postcode] in accordance with the terms of the application, Ref 23/0018, dated 9 January 2023, subject to the following

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:1706-01, 1706-02, 1706-03, 1706-04, 1706-05, 1706-06 [name], 1706-07 [name], 1706-Siteplan01 and 1706- Siteplan02B.

The description of development in the header and decision above is taken from the application form. It is different to that provided on the appeal form but there is no record of a revised description being agreed by the main parties. Therefore, I have used the original description.

The main issue is the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the host property and the local area.

[address] is a residential street where dwellings on both sides of the road are clearly visible from the highway. There is a mix of detached and semi-detached residences with a degree of variation in appearance, although pitched and hipped roofs are a prevailing characteristic.

The appeal property has a stepped front elevation with a 2 storey gabled front projection on the right hand side when looking from the road. The middle section of the house is slightly set back from the front while the left hand element is further back, particularly at first floor level. The proposed alterations would include slightly widening the ground floor of the property on the left hand side and adding an extension at first floor level above to create a dressing room. This front addition would be seen from the street.

The Council is concerned that the dressing room extension would create a second 2 storey high projection to the front of the house and that this would be overbearing. However, the dressing room addition would only extend as far forward as the existing front projection. Also, it would sit below the eaves rather than have a gable wall facing onto the road. As such, it would not be as prominent as the existing projection, which would remain the most noticeable part of the appeal property in the street scene. Therefore, the front extension would not dominate the rest of the house.

Furthermore, the stepped frontage of the appeal property as it stands is quite unusual in the road. Other properties have bay windows and small projections but otherwise they tend to have flatter frontages. As such, the alteration to bring the left hand side of the appeal property further forward would be in keeping with the form and appearance of other nearby dwellings.

The Council raises no objections to the other aspects of the proposal including the large dormer extension to the rear and alterations to the roof. I also find these other elements of the scheme would be sympathetic to [site address] and the local context.

For these reasons, I conclude the development would have an acceptable effect on the character and appearance of the host property and the area. In these regards, it would accord with policies CSP4, ENV2 and ENV3 of the Black Country Core Strategy 2011 and saved policies GP2 and ENV32 of the Walsall Unitary Development Plan 2005. The development would also accord with policy DW3 of the Designing Walsall Supplementary Planning Document revised

Amongst other things, these policies look to resist poorly designed development that fails to take account of its context.

To ensure the development is carried out as proposed, I attach a condition that lists the approved plans. The drawings provide sufficient details on the external materials to be used in the construction of the development and so a separate condition on this matter is unnecessary.

For the reasons given, I conclude that the appeal should succeed.