Agenda item

BH introduced the application as above, originally for two dwellings but now for just one.  It is at Committee at the request of Councillor Babbage in view of the level of local interest.  The officer recommendation is to permit.

Public Speaking

Mrs Claire Watson, neighbour, in objection

Moved to Little Ashley Court in 2014, conscious that No 10 Greenway Lane and/or its garden could be development in the future, but hopeful that any new building would be sympathetic in scale and character.  Three years on, this is the fourth application for development in the garden of No 10, and although the plan is now for just one house rather than two, it needs to be seen in the context of the renovations made to the main house.  No. 10 has been greatly enlarged into the roof and the garden, and is now a very different property – impressive but an imposing and dominating presence for the homes facing it, and also reducing the garden space in which to build.  The plans show another property could be squeezed in, but is this justifiable, given the detrimental effect on neighbours and local amenity?  There are nine properties encircling the site, including No. 10; a house landlocked in the middle will impact negatively in terms of light intrusion, noise, traffic safety issues, additional hard surface, and less habitat for birdlife.  To accommodate the building, six mature conifers – which form the only remaining screen between Little Ashley Court and No. 10 – are likely to be felled.  Several mature deciduous trees and an orchard have already been cut down, and even if new planting is conditioned, can any new planting scheme for this confined space give anything like the year-round protection the conifers currently afford?  They only provide a partial screen now, from the light at night and feeling of intrusion by day from No. 10.  The proposed house appears to be closer to Little Ashley Court than to No. 10, and the three houses directly facing No. 10 already feel they overlook the property far more than they would wish.  On behalf of the residents of 4 and 5 Little Ashley Court as well as themselves, their enjoyment of their properties and the amenity has already been adversely affected by the renovation of 10 Greenway Lane.  Will any positive contribution be made by building the proposed house on the space in between?  Is it a truly sustainable option given the existing built environment at this end of Ryeworth Road and Greenway Lane.  Residents feel it would be a poor outcome for the surrounding neighbours and the amenity in general. 

Mr Jeremy Shaw, applicant, in support

This is an application for contemporary four-bedroomed house to the rear of 10 Greenway Lane.  The previous application for two mews-style houses with viewed as too big for the site, and the majority of objections were submitted in relation to that proposal.  Have listened to comments from immediate neighbours and changed the plans accordingly, reducing substantially to a single dwelling, brought in from the boundaries, with a ridge height lower that Whitefriars Court and Little Ashley Court.  Most of the windows don’t face the neighbouring properties but the rear of a bungalow over 30 metres away; just three first floor windows face neighbouring properties, two of which are obscure-glazed and one is 24metres from the first floor of 10 Greenway Lane.  The new house will have a good-sized garden and outside space, and the design is very much in keeping with the neighbouring properties, with timber cladding on the ground floor, and zinc cladding on the first floor, as well as a flat sedum roof to blend into the surrounding area.    There is excellent access to the side of 10 Greenway Lane, and only the garden of the new property will be visible from the road.  There have been comments about the traffic on Greenway Lane, but this is only heavy during pick-up and drop-off times at St Edward’s School.  It has never caused a problem, and the access arrangement study for two houses was carried out and approved by the highways officer.  To summarise, Greenway Lane and ryeworth Road is a wonderful mix of modern houses and more traditional properties, most built in previously large gardens.  10 Greenway Lane is the last remaining house in the area with such a large garden.  The proposed house is contemporary and in keeping with those around it, positioned carefully to not have a negative impact on the neighbours.  The revised scheme is approved by the parish council and planning officer, and two immediate neighbours who objected to the previous plans have emailed their support of the revised scheme. 

Member debate:

PB:  assumes the trees officer will comment on the trees issue.  Has sympathy with the neighbour, who accepts that something will be built here at some stage.  The applicant has taken on board a lot of comments from neighbours, and people will either like the design or they won’t.  Contemporary buildings in traditional settings can work, and the officers would not have recommended this scheme for permission if they didn’t feel it would fit in.

PT:  is puzzled by the illustrations – one appears to have a shallow pitch and the other has a flat roof.

BH, in response:

-       The 3D images are shown from different angles;  the roof has a very shallow pitch – it is not completely flat.

AH:  this modern design may be better off the road and set back.  Considers it to be interesting, and will support the scheme.  It is evident that the applicant has listened to the neighbours’ concerns, and reduced the number of dwellings from two to one, off-set towards the back of the garden.

HM:  condition 3 talks about the details of the landscaping scheme.  Looked carefully at the site on planning view, and feels that if the conifers can be retained to screen the new building, it would be very welcome.

CC, in response:

-       In context, these are slow-growing conifers – Lawson Cypress and Juniper.  The privacy/screening issue works two ways and it won’t be in the interests of the new owner to remove the trees.  A condition putting a formal preservation order on the trees can be included. They aren’t of good enough quality to be particularly worthy of a TPO, but can be protected, with the requirements that new trees are planted if they become damaged.

Vote on officer recommendation to permit, with condition re protection of trees

13 in support

0 in objection

1 abstention

PERMIT