Agenda item

Erection of a new one a half storey garage building.

Public Participation

·       Mr Michael Fowler (Fowler Architecture and Planning Ltd) spoke in support of the application

·       Mr Bill Clemence spoke in support of the application

Cllr Stuart Wheeler recused himself from the Committee and sat with the public. He spoke only in his capacity as Unitary Division Member. 

The Senior Planning Officer, Meredith Baker, introduced a report which recommended that the application for the erection of a one and a half storey detached garage be refused for the reasons outlined in the report. Key details were stated to include the principle of development, as well as the design, highway and ecological impacts. 

Attention was drawn to the location of the proposed development within the East Grafton Conservation Area. The Senior Planning Officer explained that although there was a substantial hedge screening the site, by nature of its design, sighting and 6.1 metre height, the proposed development was contrary to Core Policy 57 (Ensuring High Quality Design and Place Shaping) and Core Policy 58 (Ensuring the Conservation of the Historic Environment) of the Wiltshire Core Strategy. As a substantial structure, the proposed one and a half storey garage would not have a subordinate relationship with its host dwelling and would overdevelop the front of the site. Furthermore, insufficient information had been provided to ensure that the proposed development would not harm the surrounding trees and hedgerows, so it was contrary to Core Policy 51 (Landscape) of the Wiltshire Core Strategy.

Members of the Committee then had the opportunity to ask technical questions of the Senior Planning Officer and Development Management Team Leader, Karen Guest. Details were sought about whether it would be possible, if the development were to be approved, to add a condition to guarantee the retention of the nearby trees and hedge. The Development Management Team Leader explained that it would not be possible to condition the retention of the hedgerow long term unless their trunks were above a certain size. She noted that trees would have a degree of protection as they were in a conservation area but would not necessarily have Tree Protection Orders (TPOs). The Senior Planning Officer highlighted that the existing planning permission for parking on the site included permission to remove the tree shown on page 74 of the agenda pack, so removal of this tree had already been approved. 

 In response to a query about whether the possibility of erecting a single garage had been discussed with the Applicant, the Senior Planning Officer confirmed that it had. She noted that she would be likely to recommend approval for a single storey car port on the site. The Development Management Team Leader emphasised that the height of the proposed development in relation to existing buildings on the site was the Planning Authority’s principal concern.

Members of the public then had the opportunity to present their views to the Committee as detailed above.

The Unitary Division Member, Cllr Wheeler then spoke in support of the application, arguing that the proposed application would not be detrimental to the conservation area and would be well screened by a hedge that the Applicant planned to retain.

In response to the points raised by the public and Unitary Division Member, the Senior Planning Officer noted that she had informed the Applicant that a single storey garage with a door was likely to be acceptable on the site. She had not requested a specific height for the pitch of the roof. She noted that the tree report provided for the application was a resubmission of the report provided under application PL/2023/05139. The report had not been updated to reflect that the proposed garage was larger than the parking spaces approved under the previous application. The Development Management Team Leader highlighted that a hight of around four metres was typical for a garage and it was not uncommon for a two-storey dwelling to be under seven metres in height.

So that the Committee had something to debate, the Chairman, seconded by Cllr Adrian Foster, proposed that the application be refused for the reasons outlined in the report.

A debate followed where the height of the proposed development, potential for future conversion and turning circles for vehicles, were discussed.

At the conclusion of the debate, it was:

Resolved

That planning permission for the erection of a detached garage be REFUSED.

Reasons

1.    The proposed detached outbuilding by reason of its design, height and siting would be visually intrusive and detrimental to the character and appearance of the site and would overdevelop the front of the site. The proposed outbuilding would also fail to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the East Grafton Conservation Area whereby there would be no public benefits to outweigh the harm generated. As such the proposal would be contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework (2023) and Policies 57 and 58 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy.

2.    Insufficient information has been submitted to adequately demonstrate that the proposal would protect and safeguard the surrounding trees, large shrubs and hedges within the East Grafton Conservation Area contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework (2023) and Policies 51 and 57 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy.