Appeal 3364798

The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for the installation of a secure metal Asgard bike shed in the front garden at [site address] , Wood Green, Haringey, London [postcode] in accordance with the terms of the application, [name]/2024/2644, and the plans submitted with it.

This appeal relates to development that has already been carried out. As the application is retrospective, I have considered the submission accordingly.

The main issue is the effect on the character and appearance of the local area with reference to the Noel Park Conservation Area (the CA).

The appeal dwelling is a two storey mid-terraced house built in a mix of red and London stock bricks in contrasting bands. To the front is a small paved front garden with a dwarf wall topped with a timber palisade on the boundary to the highway. It is located in a tree lined street of similar terraced houses, although many have had their front elevation painted or rendered over, with a variety or no boundary treatments above their front dwarf walls.

The street is within the boundary of an extensive conservation area that encompasses the Noel Park Estate a late 19th and Early 20th Century development of artisan terraced houses in a closely planned grid of tree lined streets, with streets varying in the design quality and scale of housing depending on the class of intended original occupiers. The houses in this part of the CA are small in scale with limited architectural detailing. Much of this is generally retained and despite some later alterations and overpainting they form a generally cohesive but cluttered townscape. As such, the appeal dwelling contributes to the significance of the CA.

In line with the duty imposed on me by section 72(1) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, I have given considerable importance and weight to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of the CA.

The green painted metal cycle store is located to one side of the front garden adjoining the boundary with the neighbouring terraced house, with its narrow side facing the street. The main parties in this appeal have given a variety of measurements for the cycle store, but these variances are minimal, and I have considered it as installed including its concrete base. It is approximately 1.5 metres in height, 1.8 metres wide and 1 metre wide.

The height of the development is greater than that of the front palisade topped front boundary wall and the timber fence between the two neighbouring houses. However, along the street it is evident that the refuse and recycling bins in front gardens are also taller than the vast majority of boundary treatments to properties in the street. There are also garden stores in a variety of materials and finishes evident in other front gardens in the street, as well as other elements of movable garden furniture including garden swing seats that are also significantly taller than these boundary treatments.

Given the variety of boundary treatments, bins and front garden stores and garden furniture, this does result in a generally cluttered appearance to the front gardens, with the vast majority of the clutter being bins. Although cluttered the impression is more of an active streetscape rather than a neglected one. Within this context the green painted metal cycle store in the front garden of the appeal dwelling neither appears as overscale or in an inappropriate material or finish, rather it appears as a normal part of this streetscape. In this context, the addition of screening around the bike store would just add to its bulk, rather than disguising or softening its presence.

Given the variety of finishes to properties in the street and the generally cluttered and active streetscape, the addition of the metal cycle store is not so visually prominent that it results in any significant detriment to the significance of the CA.

For these reasons, I find that the development is not harmful to the character and appearance of the local area, as well as to the significance of the CA, thereby preserving its character and appearance. As such it accords with Policies DM1, DM9 and DM35 of the Haringey Development Management Plan Document (2017). Collectively, these seek to ensure that development, including that of cycle stores in the front of properties, is of high quality design, respects its location and has due regard to the importance of conserving or enhancing the significance of

As the development to which this appeal relates has been completed there is no reason for me to add the standard condition on the timing of implementation of the development. The development also appears to have been completed in accordance with the plans and details of materials and finish submitted with the original application, therefore, conditions in these regards are not necessary.

For the reasons given, the appeal is allowed.