Appeal 3342544

The appeal is allowed and planning permission is replace existing rotting windows and French door with new uPVC double glazed windows and door for the house at [site address] , Brent, [postcode] in accordance with the terms of the application Ref 24/0279, dated 7 March 2024 and in accordance with the following conditions:

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

The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: P01A Rev 2.3; P01B Rev 2.3; and P01C Rev 2.3.

The main issue in this case is the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the Mount Stewart Conservation Area.

The appeal property is a semi-detached two storey dwelling located in a residential area characterised by the presence of similar detached and semi-detached two storey dwellings.

The appeal property is located within the Mount Stewart Conservation Area, characterised by the presence of Mock-Tudor style dwellings within a formally planned suburban residential estate dating from the 1920s and 1930s.

Many dwellings have distinctive period design features, including deeply recessed porches, decorative brickwork, Mock-Tudor boarding, attractive bays and tall, decorative chimneys. The Mount Stewart Conservation Area is also notable for its wide tree-lined streets and for the presence of low brick boundaries to the front of dwellings, providing for a sense of spaciousness.

During my site visit, I noted that whilst not presenting the sylvan setting of other parts of the Mount Stewart Conservation Area, [address] does retain the occasional street tree and thinning grass verge strips and this, along with the set-back of dwellings from the street affords a sense of spaciousness and greenery.

I also observed during my site visit that many dwellings along [address] have been altered and/or extended. Whilst this has resulted in most dwellings appearing different to their original form and notably, nearly all dwellings exhibiting modern forms of glazing, the majority of changes appear generally sympathetic to host dwellings such that there remains an overall sense of Mount Stewart Conservation Area’s built heritage.

The appeal dwelling, like other houses along [address], is notable for its distinctive period form, which is read alongside and to a large degree, appears architecturally inseparable from its adjoining dwelling, Number [address]. In particular, No 61 and 63’s adjoining two storey decorative bays, their entrance doors recessed behind brick archways and their attached single-storey garages, combine to contribute a visually distinctive and attractive frontage, along with a significant sense of local heritage, to this part of the Mount Stewart Conservation Area.

Whilst the appeal property still has its original windows, this is not the case in respect of No 63. Consequently, the mis-matched windows between the two dwellings detract from their visual symmetry. In this regard, whilst the proposed development would remove original windows, the full contribution of these to the Mount Stewart Conservation Area was lost when No 63’s windows were replaced. Furthermore, I note above that modern glazing is characteristic of the majority of dwellings. 10.[name] am mindful that guidance seeks to retain original windows or for new windows to mimic original designs, this is guidance rather than a requirement to be slavishly adhered to. In this case, the mimicking of an original design would fail to conserve the full contribution of a design feature to its surroundings which, as noted above, has already been lost. 11.The proposed development would introduce a form of glazing that would appear similar to the majority of the forms of glazing to dwellings along [address]. In doing so, it would replace wooden frames suffering from disrepair and appearing unsuitable for modern living requirements, with glazing that would appear in keeping with its surroundings. 12.Taking all of the above into account, I find that the proposed development preserves the character and appearance of the Mount Stewart Conservation 2 of 3 Area. The proposal would not be contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework; or to Policies BHC1 and DMP1 of the Brent Local Plan (2022); or to the Council’s Mount Stewart Conservation Area [name] (1994), which together amongst other things, seek to protect local character.