Appeal 3358909

The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for construction of garage and permeable block paving driveway at [site address] in accordance with the terms of application [name]/24/V1879/HH, 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: 24/03/01 (location plan), 24/03/02 (site plan), 24/03/03 (existing elevations), 24/03/04 (existing elevations), 24/03/05 (existing ground floor plan), 24/03/06 (proposed elevations), 24/03/07 (proposed elevations), 24/03/08 (proposed ground floor plan), 24/03/09 (section A-A) and 24/03/10 (roof plan).

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

Notwithstanding the details shown on the site plan, no development above ground level shall take place until details of the front boundary treatment have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall thereafter be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

The main issue is the effect on the character and appearance of the host dwelling and wider area.

The appeal site is large modern detached dwelling, set back from the road frontage. It has recently been extended to the side with a two-storey addition. Naldertown is a narrow lane with a footway on one side only. It contains residential properties of varying size, age, style and positioning within the street scene. Whilst there is a relatively uniform building line along the northern side of the road which includes the dwelling on the appeal site, the building line is much more varied on the southern side, with some dwellings having flank elevations directly abutting the pavement edge. Front boundaries are marked by a mixture of hedges, walls and post and rail fencing.

To the west of the appeal site is Framland, a retirement home within a large detached building set within extensive grounds. It is a [name] listed building of two storeys with asymmetrical gables to front with recessed porch, sash windows, gabled roof with front and rear lateral stacks, finished in red brick with old tile roof. An adjoining stables and coach house within the grounds to the north of the main building are also [name] listed. There is a row of mature trees along its road frontage which is also marked by a high stone wall.

The Council’s Joint Design Guide SPD (2022) (DGSPD) states that garages should not compete with the main dwelling which should remain the dominant element; they should be subservient in terms of scale, massing and height and where forward of the principal elevation need careful consideration. Front extensions should not have a significant impact on the street scene nor should they be damaging to the appearance of the existing dwelling. The proposed garage would be attached to the front corner of the house, extending some 6 metres to the front of it. Whilst it would introduce a large structure forward of the dwelling, given its overall height and half-hip pitched roof design, it would nevertheless be of suitable scale and appearance in relation to it.

Unlike the dwellings to the east of the appeal site whose front gardens are screened by hedge and tree planting along the front boundary, the front garden area of the appeal site is more open to view. Whilst there is some low planting along the frontage, the proposed garage would be clearly visible within it, albeit sited close to and seen against the high hedge which runs along the western side boundary with Framland. Nevertheless, it would not appear as an unacceptably dominant feature given that it would be sited a few metres back from the frontage and would be suitably subservient to the host dwelling.

The remainder of the front garden area is proposed to be finished with permeable block paving though the submitted plans do not indicate whether the existing planting along the front boundary is to be retained. Given the generally ‘green’ frontages along Naldertown, particularly on its northern side, a similar treatment should be maintained at the appeal site and in time, the planting should also provide some softening of the proposed garage. This can be secured via a suitable

In terms of the impact on the setting of the adjoining listed buildings and the duty under S66 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and [name]) Act 1990, the Council has concluded that their historic significance and setting would be preserved. I would concur noting that the significance of the buildings is derived mainly from their architectural interest and that they are set some distance from the shared boundary with main orientation to the south and north.

Overall, I find that the proposal would not be harmful to the character and appearance of the host dwelling or wider area. It would comply with Policies CP36, CP37 and CP38 of the Vale of White Horse Local Plan 2031(Part 1) which seek development of high quality design that responds positively to the site and its surroundings, conserves historic character and the special interest or significance of heritage assets and their setting. It would also satisfy the guidance in the DGSPD.

The Council has referred to the emerging Joint Local Plan 2041 and emerging Wantage Neighbourhood Plan (2023-2031). However, neither plan has reached the stage where any more than limited weight can be given to the relevant policies and they do not alter my findings above.

I have considered the conditions suggested by the Council and agree that these should include one to relate to the approved plans in the interest of clarity and proper planning and one to require matching materials in the interests of visual amenity. As noted above, a condition is also necessary to clarify the front boundary treatment to be provided / maintained.

It is therefore concluded that the appeal should be allowed and planning permission granted.