Appeal 3375205

The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for the formation of a new single storey side extension and enlargement of existing 2nd floor rear dormer at [site address] in accordance with the terms of the application, Ref 2025/2680, and the plans submitted with it, 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: 002 Rev P01, 003 Rev P02, 004 Rev P02, 005 Rev P02, 006 Rev P02, 007 Rev P02, 008 Rev P02, 009 Rev P02, 010 Rev P02 and 011 Rev P02.

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

The main issue is the effect on the character and appearance of the appeal dwelling and that of the Wandsworth Common Conservation Area (the CA).

The appeal dwelling is a two storey detached house that sits on a corner plot at the junction of [address] with [address] and is attached by its side garage to the neighbouring semi-detached house at [address]. It is located in a part of the street made up of similarly generously proportioned late 19th century detached and semi-detached red brick houses with gabled street frontages with canted bays. This falls within a character area of the CA whose significance sits within the historic common and its surrounding development, including the Arts and Crafts houses on [address], including the appeal dwelling.

The CA is a heritage asset to which I have a statutory duty under section 72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. I must pay special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of a Conservation Area.

The proposal is for the enlargement of the existing rear dormer and the construction of a single storey side extension of the flank wall facing [address]. A recent extant but unimplemented planning permission1 was recently given for other alterations and extensions to the appeal dwelling, including a rear extension and extension of the basement, which, although shown on the submitted drawings, do not form part of the appeal proposal and can be separately implemented in accordance with the permission already given.

The proposed brick side extension would create a new front entrance fronting [address], replacing the existing main entrance on the flank elevation facing [address]. This proposed side extension would have a flat roof that would connect with the flank wall, beneath the existing staircase window but above the level of the existing porch canopy. Its top would be finished with a feature moulding detail that would reference the similar architectural detailing found on the top of the front bay window.

The proposed side extension would be the full extent of the projected feature gable flank wall and would reach close to the boundary with the footway on [address], narrowing in width as it follows the street frontage. This would require the removal of a section of existing tall hedge on the [address] frontage, to be replaced with a tall fence that would match that found on the rest of the boundary towards the rearmost part of the side boundary.

The proposal would infill the side space to the appeal property at ground level to the width of the existing flank feature gable. However, the houses in the area, including those on the junction with Lyford road and [address] vary in their spatial relationship with each other and to side boundaries. For example, on the opposite side of the junction, the flank of [address] is positioned substantially closer to its highway boundary with [address] than the appeal dwelling.

Although the proposal would infill part of the side space of the appeal dwelling at ground level, it would not be of a scale that would appear as an unduly prominent imposition in street views and would be substantially screened in these views by the proposed tall fencing. As such it would not appear as impinging on the open side return or to result in a cramped appearance of the appeal dwelling in its plot.

There are also a variety of single storey side garages and porches to other houses in the street that also infill the space at ground floor level between houses in the street and local area. As such, the proposed side extension would reflect the spatial characteristics of the houses that make up the character and appearance of this part of the CA and would, therefore, preserve the contribution that the appeal dwelling makes to the significance of the CA.

I see no reason to demur from the Council’s conclusion that the proposal to extend the existing rear dormer would result in no harm to the character and appearance of the appeal dwelling or to that of the CA. 1 Planning Ref: 2025/1110

For these reasons, I find that the proposal would not result in any significant harm to the character and appearance of the appeal dwelling and would preserve that of the CA . This would accord with Policies LP1, LP3 and LP5 of the Wandsworth Local Plan 2023-2038 (2023) and Policies D3 and HC1 of the London Plan (2021). Collectively, these seek, amongst other matters, to ensure that development, including by extension, is of high quality design, respects and/or complements the host building, relates positively to prevailing local character and pattern of development and preserves the significance of heritage assets including conservation areas.

I have had regard to the council’s suggested conditions should I be minded to allow this appeal. I have not included the extensive materials condition, as this does not reflect the scale of the proposal and would, therefore, be unnecessary. Along with the standard conditions on the timing of implementation and in the interest of good design, I have therefore imposed a standard materials condition and a condition requiring compliance with approved plans.

For the reasons given above, the appeal is allowed.