Appeal 6000882

The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for a garage in front of the house on the drive at [site address] , Cheadle, Staffordshire [postcode] in accordance with the terms of the application, [name]/2025/0353, 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 drawing names ‘Location Plan’ dated 1 August 2025; ‘Proposed garage’ which includes the proposed elevation plan scaled at 1:50; and an unnamed drawing which includes the ‘Proposed plan’ scaled at 1:100.

The external materials of the garage hereby permitted shall match those used in the existing dwelling ‘ [site address] ’.

The main issue is the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the street scene and area.

[address] is an established residential cul-de-sac which bisects the sloping topography of the area. The houses along its length are a mix of one and two-storey properties many with integrated garages and, in the main, have been individually built to follow the topography. Although most properties are set back behind parking areas, several have forward projecting elements, often used as garages, bringing the houses closer to the road. This creates an uneven building line along the road, and in combination with the mature landscaping to the front and sides of many of the properties establishes a reasonably soft character and appearance to the street scene.

The appeal site is situated on the lower side of the [address] behind the turning head, and includes a detached single storey house, set down from the road behind a parking area. The appeal dwelling has a roller shutter door to one side, which looks like a garage door, but does not appear to provide vehicle access due to the height difference between the house and driveway.

The proposal is for a detached garage located to the front of the appeal dwelling, behind an existing wall and against an existing hedge. It would have a shallower pitched roof to the associated dwelling and be finished in matching materials. The matching materials would ensure a cohesion in design across the appeal site, and although on higher ground, due to the pitch of the roof, the proposed garage would be shorter than the associated dwelling. It would therefore be visually subordinate to the appeal dwelling and would not dominate the site as a whole.

The position of the proposed garage would be forward of the appeal dwelling, and by its very nature functional in design. But as noted above, although integrated there are various examples of forward located garages along [address] all of which, due to their doors and use, present a functional design element to the associated house. As such, from the road, it would not look substantially different to the other properties on the Close. Especially as those properties are differently designed which creates a more diverse street scene where a domestic garage would not be an unusual or unique feature.

The setback position of the appeal site would ensure the proposal would not visually intrude. It would be partly screened by the existing boundary walls and hedges, and the gate when close. The proposal would change the outlook from the turning head and draw development closer to the road, but change is not by definition harmful, especially in this instance due to the mixed design of the properties and varied building line along the road, and the lack of impact on the existing boundary treatments.

The proposal would not therefore harm the character and appearance of the street scene or area. It would comply with Staffordshire Moorlands Local Plan (LP) Policy DC1, insofar as it seeks new development to be designed to respect the site and its surroundings. It would also broadly align with the guidance set out in the Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document.

The Council referenced LP Policy SS7 in the Decision Notice. This relates to spatial strategy and not character and appearance, so is not determinative in this decision.

In addition to securing commencement within the relevant statutory timeframe, conditions have been imposed requiring adherence to the approved plans and that matching materials should be used to ensure the proposal integrates acceptably with the character and appearance of the appeal dwelling and area.

For the reasons given above the appeal scheme would comply with the development plan when read as a whole and there are no sufficiently weighted material considerations, including the National Planning Policy Framework, which would indicate a decision otherwise. The appeal is, therefore, allowed.