Appeal 6004755

The appeal is dismissed.

I saw at my visit that the appeal development is substantially complete and appears to match the extension shown on the drawings before me. I have therefore proceeded to determine the appeal on that basis.

The main issue in this appeal is the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the host dwelling and area.

The appeal relates to a bungalow occupying a corner plot at the junction of the roads of Heathfield and [address], and within a suburban residential area. Those roads are relatively wide and are lined by grass verges and footways on both sides. Set back from those roads on strongly consistent linear building lines and behind spacious gardens are long rows of neatly spaced bungalows and semi-detached houses of similar architectural styles and materials.

Together, the relationship between those rows of buildings, their open frontages and the wide roads create an area with a distinctively well-ordered and spacious suburban character and appearance.

In the pre-existing form that is shown on the drawings before me, the appeal property was wholly consistent with the character and appearance of the area. It was of a similar appearance to the other bungalows in the row and its street facing walls were set to follow the established building lines to Heathfield and [address].

The appeal development occupies a visibly prominent position extending forwards from the east facing wall of the bungalow and onto its open frontage to [address]. Although proportionate in size to the totality of the pre-existing bungalow, its scale is nonetheless sufficient for its built form to be a highly visible addition to the street scene in a range of close and longer distance views along [address] and its junction with Heathfield.

Seen in those views the extension is an intrusive and discordant addition to the street scene. Not only has it harmfully disrupted the consistent line of the buildings in the row, but it has also eroded the spaciousness that exists along the frontages between those buildings and [address]. Those harmful effects are exacerbated by the extension’s exterior materials and finishes, which contrast jarringly with the appearances of the buildings in the area, and draw the eye towards it.

For those reasons the extension is at odds with the Council’s design guidance in the [name], [name] & [name] – Supplementary Design Guidance 2000, which requires extensions to reflect the appearance of the host dwelling and the space around it, and to harmonise with the street scene.

I recognise that the extension has not infilled a gap between buildings in the row. However, an absence of harm in that respect does not weigh in favour of the appeal, nor alter my assessment of its visual effects in the context of the wider street scene.

The extensions on corner plots at [address] are located some distance away from the appeal site. There is no intervisibility between them and the appeal site, and they do not form part of its visual context. Consequently, they are of little relevance to my considerations in this appeal and they do not justify the appeal development’s harmful effects.

I therefore conclude on this main issue that the development harms the character and appearance of the host property and area, contrary to Policies 28S, 29 and 30 of the Bedford Borough Local Plan 2030, [name] 2020 (“the BBLP”) insofar as they require high quality development that respects its context and contributes positively to the character and quality of an area and its local distinctiveness.

For the same reasons the appeal development is contrary to Paragraph 135 of the National Planning Policy Framework (“the Framework”) insofar as developments should be sympathetic to local character including the surrounding built environment, as part of the overarching objective of achieving well-designed places. The appeal development is not well-designed and Framework paragraph 139 advises that such development should be refused.

The main parties agree that the extension causes no harm in respect of the living conditions of neighbouring occupants, ecology or highway safety. No car parking spaces would be lost, and no public open spaces would suffer encroachment. Whilst the Council found no conflict with any development plan policies that relate to those matters, an absence of harm in those respects is neutral and does not weigh in favour or against the appeal.

The appellant’s concerns over the Council’s processing of the planning application and whether it was amenable to consider amendments to the development do not affect the planning merits of the appeal or my assessment of its effects.

The Framework’s glossary excludes land in built-up areas from the definition of previously developed land. Given the location and nature of the appeal site, I am satisfied that such land has not been reused by the extension. Nonetheless, the extension has occupied the plot more efficiently to deliver a modest increase in floor space and provide additional living space to benefit occupants now and in the future. Construction of the extension would have made a small but beneficial contribution to the economy through the purchase of labour and materials, consistent with the Framework’s objective to seek economic benefits through development.

Whilst those benefits align with some objectives of the Framework, they are comfortably outweighed by its lasting harmful effects on local character including the surrounding built environment. It is not well-designed and is therefore contrary to the achievement of good design, which the Framework states is a key aspect of sustainable development.

The conflict with [name] 28S, 29 and 30, which are the policies most important to the main issue and the disputed matters in this appeal, is sufficient to bring the development into conflict with the development plan as a whole. The material considerations, including the benefits of the proposed development and the provisions of the Framework, do not indicate that the appeal should be decided other than in accordance with the development plan. Therefore, I conclude that the proposed development is unacceptable, and the appeal should be dismissed.