Agenda item

Demolition of Nos 36, 38 & 40 Rowden Road, and garage block at Crane Court; and the erection of 12no new dwellings (including 8no 1 bedroom flats, 2no 2 bedroom flats, and 2no 3 bedroom houses); including associated landscaping, access and parking

Description

Demolition of Nos 36, 38 & 40 Rowden Road, and garage block at Crane Court; and the erection of 12no new dwellings (including 8no 1 bedroom flats, 2no 2 bedroom flats, and 2no 3 bedroom houses); including associated landscaping, access and parking.

Decision

The Committee received a presentation from the Planning Officer.

The Committee was addressed by the Agent to the Applicant.

The following matters were raised by the Committee:

a)            Car parking: Members raised concerns regarding the number of proposed car-parking spaces.

b)           Design: Members raised concerns regarding the style of the proposed development and spoke about whether it may be out of style and character to the neighbouring properties.

Following consideration, the Committee resolved unanimously that:

The Application be REFUSED on the following grounds:

(1)          The demolition of three terraced houses would result in uneven break in the original terrace of four and the street pattern. By virtue of its excessive height, mass, bulk and poor design, the proposed block of flats would be at odds with 34 Rowden Road, left as an awkward, disjointed, remaining end of terrace house. This causes harm to the character of the street scene, failing to comply with paragraph 127 of the NPPF (2019) Policy DM9 of the Development Management Policies Document (2015)

(2)          The proposed block of flats comprises poor design features, including attached balconies, supported from the ground by a scaffolder structure. The proposed material and fenestration pattern proposed would relate poorly to the established environment, contrasting to the modest scale of detail, fenestration and roof form of existing houses. This causes harm to the establish character of the area, failing to comply with paragraph 127 of the NPPF (2019), Policies DM9 and DM10 of the Development Management Policies Document (2015)

(3)          The excessive height, width, mass and poor design features of the proposed block of flats would harm the neighbouring amenity enjoyed at 34 Rowden Road and 42 Rowden Road by means of overbearing and loss of outlook. The proposed balconies to the rear of the proposed block of flats give rise to issues of overlooking and loss of privacy at these neighbouring dwellings. The proposed balconies give rise to issues of overlooking into the rear gardens of 14 and 16 Bourne Way. This fails to comply with policy DM10 of the Development Management Policies Document (2015)

(4)          The proposal seeks to maximise built form and hardstanding, leaving limited room and scope for considered tree planting and landscaping. This results in a scheme that fails to integrate the landscape and the buildings, failing to comply with policy DM5 of the Development Management Document (2015).

Informative(s):

(1)          In dealing with the application the Council has implemented the requirement in the National Planning Policy Framework to work with the applicant in a positive and proactive way. We have made available detailed advice in the form or our statutory policies in the Core Strategy, Supplementary Planning Documents, Planning Briefs and other informal written guidance, as well as offering a full pre-application advice service, in order to ensure that the applicant has been given every opportunity to submit an application which is likely to be considered favourably

(2)          The following drawings were submitted with this application:

19-046 101 P3 – Site Location Plan – dated 01.05.19

19-046 102 P3 – Existing Site Plan – dated 01.05.19

19-046 103 P2 - Existing Elevations – dated 01.05.19

19-046 104 P4 – Proposed Site Plan – dated 01.05.19

19-046 105 P3 - Proposed Plans & Elevations Houses 1-2 – dated 01.05.19

19-046 106 P3 - Proposed Plans Flats 3-12 – dated 01.05.19

19-046 107 P3 - Proposed Elevations Flats 3-12 – dated 01.05.19

19-046 108 P2 - Proposed Plans & Elevations Bin & Bike Store – dated 01.05.19

19-046 109 P2 - Proposed Amendments No. 34 Rowden Road – dated 30.04.19