Appeal 3376633

The appeal is dismissed.

The main issue is the effect of the cladding and revised porch design on the character and appearance of the street scene.

The front elevation of No 14, a two-storey detached house on the northern side of [address], has recently been remodelled with vertical cedar cladding above white render and a large timber framed porch. A previous retrospective application for the works was dismissed on appeal in June 20251. The current application proposes a revised porch design and additional justification for the cladding in order to seek to address the previous Inspector’s concerns.

[address] is a pleasant residential road lined with a mix of single and two storey detached properties set back behind front gardens. As the last Inspector observed, near to No 14 these properties have a uniform character, being of red brick and/or white render with tiled roofs and sometimes tile hanging. Until recently the facade of No 14 was similarly of brick and white render. The introduction of cedar cladding on No 14 disrupts this otherwise consistent palette of materials and undermines the harmonious appearance of the street scene. The appellant draws attention to some variety in design and materials in the wider area, but these houses are not within the immediate setting of No 14. The Mock Tudor No 39, timber clad No 41, blue clad No 40 and red brick No 33 are all at the far western end of [address], and the others are out of sight in [address], [address], [address] and [address].

Properties in [address] have front porches but these are essentially modest, usually recessed with the front door set back or small flat roof porches with open sides (as previously at No 14). By contrast, the over large, oak frame porch 1 [name]/L3815/D/25/3358491 constructed at No 14 unduly dominates and unbalances the front elevation. The current proposal is to modify this by removing the bulky pitched roof element which rises awkwardly up to a first-floor windowsill and to substitute a flat roof.

Whilst certainly an improvement, the oak frame would remain uncharacteristic of the area and by extending across the windows to either side the porch would have odd proportions. It would still visually dominate the front elevation of No 14 and appear unduly prominent compared to the modest porches elsewhere along the road.

For these reasons the cladding and revised porch design would significantly harm the character and appearance of the street scene in conflict with Policies P1, P2, P7 and P8 of the Chichester Local Plan 2021-39. These require development to achieve a high design quality, consistent with its context, to reflect the positive characteristics and distinctiveness of the local area, building alterations to respond to locally distinct group characteristics, and for materials and detailing to respect and complement the character, texture and colour of materials locally characteristic of the area.

The current proposals would reflect the wishes of the appellant but having regard to the above the appeal should be dismissed.