Issue - meetings

RESOLVED: That application 20/01692/FPH be REFUSED planning permission for the reasons below:

The proposed extensions by reason of their size, siting, and design cumulatively with previous enlargements to the dwelling would fail to be subordinate to the host dwelling and would be harmful to its character and appearance and that of the locality.  The proposal would be contrary to the provision of Saved Policies 28 and 57 of the North Herts District Local Plan 1996, Policies D1 and D2 of the Emerging Local Plan and Section 12 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Audio Recording: 3 hours 29 minutes

The Senior Planning Officer provided an update to the report that the applicant had agreed to an extension of time up to 26 November which had not been in place at the time of publication.

The Senior Planning Officer presented the report in respect of application 20/01692/FPH supported by a visual presentation consisting of photographs and plans.

The following Members asked questions:

·                Councillor Mike Hughson

In response to questions the Senior Planning Officer advised:

·                The drawing in the presentation was not a document submitted by the applicant and therefore any errors should not be considered as part of the application;

The Chair invited Mr Jonathan West to address the Committee.

Mr Jonathan West thanked the Chair for the opportunity to speak in objection to application 20/01692/FPH including:

·                Mr West was resident at 7 Sterling Close;

·                The House on 6 Cubitt Close had been extended further since the drawing in the presentation was made;

·                Mr West’s property and the property in the application shared a side boundary;

·                When it was first built 6 Cubitt Close was one of the largest 4 bedroomed domiciles on the development;

·                Since then the footprint of the house not including conservatories or greenhouses have increased by 2.6x its original size by way of single and double storey extensions;

·                This was the 16^th application to the planning authority concerning the property;

·                There was already an extension less than 1 meter away from the boundary with Mr West’s property which spanned the length of their garden and a third of their house, with a window that looked directly into their garden and lounge;

·                The present planning application mentioned the destruction of an existing ‘conservatory,’ where the original application for said structure to be destroyed described it as a ‘greenhouse,’; it had no floor, heating, lighting, and never been used as a living space.

·                Mr West felt describing the structure as a conservatory would lead Members to consider the proposed new conservatory as a replacement of an existing one;

·                The proposed conservatory was bigger and in a different position to the first and the destruction of the greenhouse should bear no relevance;

·                The proposed conservatory would overlook Mr West’s dining room and would be directly below the windows of his bedroom causing issues with noise as a result of poor insulation;

·                The proposed development would result in an overall increase of 2.9x the original footprint of the property;

·                Loud construction works on previous projects had extended into unsociable hours and it appeared no attempt had been made to comply with noise control measures;

·                The Environmental Health noise abatement team had investigated;

·                The application would result in an over developed site and an adverse impact on Mr West’s family.

The Chair thanked Mr West for his presentation.

The Chair invited Councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg to address the Committee as Member Advocate.

Councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg thanked the chair for the opportunity to address the committee as Member Advocate in respect of application 20/01692/FPH including:

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