Agenda item

Report No: DEV/SE/18/031

Householder Planning Application - 1no. Dormer Window

Householder Planning Application - 1no. Dormer Window

This application was referred to the Development Control Committee following consideration by the Delegation Panel.

A Member site visit was held prior to the meeting.  Officers were recommending that the application be approved, subject to conditions as set out in Paragraph 17 of Report No DEV/SE/18/031.

Objections to the application had been received from the Parish Council and one immediate neighbour (Pigeon Cottage).

As part of his presentation the Senior Planning Officer provided the following updates:

·         Since publication of the agenda, amended drawings had been submitted containing minor corrections to some dimensions which the Officer drew attention to;

·         The recommendation set out at Paragraph 17 of the report contained an error and should have read “It is recommended that planning permission and Listed Building Consent be approved…”.

Lastly, the Case Officer reminded the Committee that whilst work to the property commenced before the planning application was submitted, this was subject to a separate enforcement investigation and was not a relevant consideration in respect of Members’ determination of the application.

Speakers:    Mrs Janet Davies (neighbour) spoke against the application

Councillor Susan Glossop (Ward Member: Risby) spoke on the application and advised those present that she would remain in the meeting but would abstain from voting on the item

Mr Warwick Lowe (applicant) spoke in support of the application

Councillor Julia Wakelam proposed that the application be approved as per the Officer recommendation.  This was duly seconded by Councillor Peter Stevens who remarked upon the intimate relationship between historic properties such as host dwelling and its neighbours. 

(Councillor Stevens, in the interests of transparency, also advised the meeting that he had had a similar type of application approved in respect of his own property which was likewise an historic cottage.)

During further discussion questions were posed to Officers in respect of the applicant’s reference (in his three minutes public speaking address) to the window being intended as an escape route and his comments in respect of the pre-application advice he received from the Planning Authority.

The Service Manager (Planning – Development) explained that emergency egress in relation to the dormer window would be addressed as part of the Building Regulations and was not a planning application consideration, likewise the pre-application consultation made reference to was also not a matter for consideration as part of the application’s determination.

Councillor Sara Mildmay-White asked if consideration had been given to conditioning the window to use obscure glazing, in light of the overlooking concerns cited by the neighbour.  The Case Officer explained that the proposal was considered acceptable without.

Upon being put to the vote and with 8 voting for the motion, 4 against and with 1 abstention, it was resolved that

Decision

Planning permission and Listed Building Consent be GRANTED subject to the following conditions:

1        The development hereby permitted shall not be carried out except in complete accordance with the details shown on the approved plans and documents.

2        A minimum of seven days’ notice shall be given to the Local Planning Authority of the commencement of the removal of any roof rafters resulting from the development;. Opportunity shall be allowed for on-site observations and recording by a representative of the Local Planning Authority or a person nominated by the Authority during any period of work relating to this element of the works and no part of the roof rafters of the building altered or removed by the works shall be removed unless first approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

(Councillor Carol Bull left the meeting at 1.20pm on conclusion of this item.)