Appeal 3368542

The appeal is allowed, and planning permission is granted for a single-storey side and rear extension, replacing an existing garage, utility room, and conservatory at [site address] , [site address] , Staffordshire [postcode] in accordance with the terms of the application, [name]/2025/0120, subject to 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, numbered: 002; 010; 011 Revision 3; 012 Revision 3; 014 Revision 3 and 015 Revision 3.

No development above ground level shall take place until details / samples of the materials to be used in the construction of the external surfaces of the extension hereby permitted have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details / samples.

The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the host property and the area.

[site address] is a detached bungalow set within a row of residential properties that front the road. The property has a large front and side garden, which includes a driveway that leads to an attached flat roof garage. The surrounding area is primarily residential in character and includes a mix of housing types.

Facing materials of existing houses, including the appeal property, primarily comprise red bricks with tiled roofs. Some of the dwellings have render and timber boarding features on their front elevations, and there are some examples of stone-built cottages along the road also.

The design and appearance of the proposed extension would be contemporary, with grey vertical composite cladding on the elevations, and black window frames. It would have a flat roof with a grey aluminium parapet capping. As such, it would be a distinctive extension, and with the modern facing materials, supplemented by new render to the existing dwelling, it would represent a high design quality.

Despite the height of the proposed extension marginally exceeding the height of the eaves of the main dwelling, it would have a modest size and scale. It would also be significantly set back from the front elevation of the house, which would be subordinate to the design of the original dwelling. Furthermore, and for the same reasons as set out above, the proposal would not be prominent within the street scene. Therefore, in combination with its high design quality, the proposal would be an appropriate addition to the host property and surrounding area.

For the reasons outlined above, I conclude that the proposal would not harm the character and appearance of the host property or the area. As such, the proposal would accord with Policies SS8 and DC1 of the Staffordshire Moorlands Local Plan and Policy DES 1 of the Biddulph Neighbourhood Plan. These together and amongst other things, seek to encourage distinctive, site-specific architectural solutions that are high quality and add value to the area.

In addition to the standard time limit condition, I have also, in the interests of certainty, attached a condition specifying the approved plans. To ensure that the appearance of the development is satisfactory, a condition is imposed to require samples of the external materials to be approved, prior to above ground level construction works.

For the reasons given above the appeal should be allowed.