Appeal 6006400

The appeal is dismissed.

The description of the proposed development listed above is a clarified version agreed between the appellants and the Council.

The main issue is the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the house and this part of The Rowans.

The Rowans is a suburban street of detached houses of fairly uniform design – gable fronted with long 2 storey side walls. Most of these are closely spaced with small gaps between the buildings. No 23 is typical in its design but unusual in that it sits in an angled configuration near the end of a cul-de-sac section, on a wider than normal plot with space for a detached garage to the side/rear. No 27 next door also has a wide plot, and further space is created by a private drive running between the 2 properties. The proposal is to replace the garage and an open car port with a 2 storey side/rear extension to provide 2 bedroom annexe accommodation for a relative, plus small single storey front and rear extensions and new cladding. The Council’s concerns are about the 2 storey extension only.

[name] 23’s plot size and spacing create an opportunity for a significant extension, this proposal would very substantially increase the house’s visual impact. The 2 storey extension would be deeper in plan than the existing house and would nearly double the length of full height 2 storey side walls facing the end of the cul-de-sac. The result would be an overly bulky structure, clearly out of proportion with the existing house and others nearby. The new section of 2 storey side wall would moreover be blank in design, accentuating its massing. The long, almost featureless side wall would be an imposing and unsympathetic addition to the street scene.

I note that a number of other houses on The Rowans have been extended to the front or rear, but none of these extensions appear to reflect the scale and design of this proposal. Across the street No 30 has a 2 storey side extension, but that is a very different scheme in a different situation. I have assessed this proposal on its own merits, in light of current circumstances.

The Council is also concerned that the extension would close down the open space between Nos 23 and 27. The 2 storey extension would, however, leave a wide gap to No 27, partly because of the private drive between the 2 houses. It would also be set back from the street and building frontage. The proposal would not, therefore, cause any significant loss of openness.

I nevertheless conclude that the proposal would unduly harm the character and appearance of the house and this part of The Rowans. It conflicts with policies D1 and D2 of the North Hertfordshire Local Plan 2011-2031 and Section 12 of the National Planning Policy Framework, which aim to secure high quality design that responds positively to a site’s local context, with extensions that are sympathetic to the existing house in height, form and proportions.

I find that the proposal conflicts with the development plan. For the reasons set out above, and having regard to all other matters raised, I conclude that the appeal should not succeed.