Appeal 3338616

The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for a side and rear extension to the detached garage at [site address] , in accordance with the terms of planning application Ref.23/02310/HHOLD dated 8 November 2023, subject to the following

The materials to be used in the construction of the external surfaces of the development hereby permitted shall match those used in the existing building.

The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in strict accordance with the following approved plans: 01508/PL01 & 01508/PL02.

The appeal site is located within the [site address] Conservation Area “CA”. The main issue is the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the CA and Residential Area of Special Character “RASC”.

[site address] is a large modern detached two and a half storey property with a large front forecourt and electronic gates. It is located within a cluster of similarly-sized detached properties in their own grounds in the [site address] CA. It is also within a Residential Area of Special Character which is applied through Policy DES3 of the Reigate and Banstead Development Management Plan (adopted 2019).

The proposal seeks the extension of a brick built double garage which sits forward of the front elevation of the main house and near the south west corner of the house. The garage is currently an L-shape. The enlarged garage would include a domestic workshop.

The neighbouring property to the south is [address] and this has a garage to its front elevation which is located very approximately 1m from the common boundary with [site address] . Garages in the immediate area tend to be located in the front forecourt areas of the dwellings.

The extension would be constructed in brick to match the existing roof of the garage and the roof would be pitched. A small element of hidden flat roof would be created behind the main pitch allowing the insertion of a glazed roof lantern to bring light into the garage and workshop space.

In determining this application, I have borne in mind the statutory duty to pay special attention to preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the Conservation Area. In this case, the CA is characterised by substantial trees and greenery, spacious plots and holly hedges. There is a mature landscape providing an attractive setting for large individually designed properties set well behind the road frontage in generous plots. The special residential character derives from similar characteristics and seeks to retain spaciousness, amongst other things.

The proposed enlarged footprint of the garage/workshop would be predominantly to the south of the existing garage where it would extend to about 1m from the common boundary with the plot of [address]. The remainder of the enlargement would be to the east in the overlap with the side (south) elevation of the main house. Whilst it would reduce the distance from the common boundary with [address] from about 5.6m to about 1.1m, the mass of the proposal would not be dominant nor appear too close to [address] buildings. It would not cramp the appearance of [site address] or visually encroach into the front forecourt.

The roof structure would be more noticeable from the road but not to the extent of causing detrimental visual impacts. Views from the road are limited and would continue to be so. Whilst green vegetation has been removed from the front area of [site address] pursuant to consents, some replacement planting has taken place. There would be some further loss of greenery but not a material loss which would warrant refusing planning permission. The height, depth, elevations, scale and massing of the proposal would respect the form of neighbouring buildings and there would be no harmful erosion of the spacing between buildings leading to an over-dominance of built form within the plot. 10.I conclude that the proposal would preserve the character and appearance of the [site address] Conservation Area and would respect the RASC. It would not be contrary to policies DES1, DES3 or NHE9 of the Reigate and Banstead Development Management Plan (adopted 2019), the Reigate and [name] (adopted 2014), the Council's Local Character & Distinctiveness Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (2021) or the Council's Householder Extensions and Alterations Supplementary Planning Guidance (2004).