Agenda item

EP introduced the application for planning permission as above, to allow the applicant to run her business from home.  Opening hours requested are 9.30am-5.30pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and 2.00-8.00pm Thursday.  The applicant anticipates seeing four clients a day, making this a relatively low key use.  Officers feel that the dimensions and design will have an acceptable impact on the area, and County Highways do not have any issues.  The recommendation is to permit, with conditions.

Public speaking

Neighbour (neutral)

Does not object to the planning application per se, but would like to raise the following concerns and request that certain conditions be applied.  Firstly, it has been suggested that four vehicles could be parked at the premises at any one time, but this is not possible – there isn’t enough room at the side of the properties where the front doors are situated.  Canterbury Walk is quite narrow and it is frequently difficult to accommodate delivery, maintenance and refuse vehicles together with resident parking.  With clients manoeuvring in and out regularly and extra parking on the road, this may cause obstruction and further nuisance to through traffic and to neighbours’ access. 

The second point concerns her privacy and security.  There is no restriction on the number of clients attending the business between 9.30am and 5.30pm, with a late evening of 8.30pm.  If Members look at the photograph attached to her letter of representation, they will note that her front door, kitchen window and rear gate face No 118 within 6-8feet.  There is a 3-foot fence dividing the properties, which belongs to No. 118. There will be a loss of privacy and security with clientele continuously passing her door and window.  Her security light will be going on and off late into the evening, particularly in the winter months, which may be a cause of concern for neighbours. 

If the Committee is mindful to grant permission, would be grateful of a requirement for No. 118 to provide fencing to the maximum height allowed along from the garage to the end of the bungalows, which would afford some privacy and security.

Member debate

SW:  is sorry not to have been on Planning View, but on the point about the security fence, will be interested to hear comments from officers as to whether this can be included as a condition to smooth the waters.

MC:  was on site visit, and agrees with the officer.  This proposal will not be intrusive, but his concerns are two-fold:  there will always be a certain amount of traffic and parking issues generated by a business run from home.  This is a narrow and busy road, near the junction with Salisbury Avenue, which is also a busy road.  Has sympathy with people living adjacent to this proposed development.  The main problem with attaching conditions to planning permissions is this: if the number of vehicles at any one time was to be restricted, how would this be enforced and by whom?  Time and time again, the Committee puts conditions on planning permissions which aren’t enforceable.  Is confident that we have it in our power to require a fence to be put up and the number of vehicles limited – but if we can’t enforce it, there isn’t much point.

TO:  would support the inclusion of a condition for a fence to the maximum height allowed.

SC:  on site visit, noted that this a residential road, and introducing a business here will change the nature of the locality.  The business will provide personal services, and this will mean people coming and going throughout the day.  The suggestion that there will be just three or four people a day suggests long appointment time, but if these were to be shorter, there could be a lot more clients.  Having visited the site, it is obvious that the front doors of the two properties look at each other across a narrow driveway in an intimate relationship.  If the application is permitted, at the very least a condition for a fence should be included to restore the privacy of the neighbour.  Her personal space will be infringed by the number of people visiting during the day.

PB:  it is pertinent that the neighbour didn’t object in principle to there being a business next door, but has real concerns about its effect on her.  Businesses in homes are more and more a feature of modern society, and should be encouraged and supported; we should support local people.  This isn’t going to be a big business but a small-scale one and the neighbour is OK with the nature of it, so if anything can be done to improve her privacy, then we should do that.

EP, in response:

-       The siting of an extended fence can be facilitated, and in anticipation of this issue coming up at Committee, the officer has had some preliminary conversations with the applicant.  She is happy to raise the height of the fence;

-       Regarding conditions,   the opening hours and also ensuring that the premises will just be used by the applicant for the hours set out on the application form and in the supporting information – these are all enforceable.  The proposed opening hours are common; it will be relatively straightforward to identify a breach, and also for enforcement officers to take action if required.  These conditions will be enforceable;

-       Regarding the nature of the use, the applicant has an existing business, currently situated on the Promenade; information about that business has been provided – the sort of treatments, how long each client will stay etc. It can be assumed that the relocated business will operate in a similar manner.  Appointments tend to be quite long, so there will not be a big through-put of clients.

RH:  the officer has said a fence can be conditioned.  The neighbour has asked for ‘the highest fence possible’.  What height will that be?

EP, in response:

-       There is an existing fence further back in the site, and it would be sensible to carry this on – it is 1.7m minimum, and high enough to stop anyone from peering over.

Vote on officer recommendation to permit, with condition for suitable fence

13 in support

1 in objection

1 abstention

PERMIT