RM

DECISION:   REFUSE (FULL PLANNING) 

Members had visited the site which was situated within Barrack Square, Winchelsea and was located within the Winchelsea Conservation Area and was surrounded by listed buildings.

The application was a combined report in respect of applications for planning and listed building consent.  The proposal was to demolish an existing garage and sunroom and replace it with a single storey dwelling, which was proposed to be taller than the existing buildings. The site was within the Development Boundary for Winchelsea, within an area where there was a presumption that development could be acceptable in principle subject to other policies in the Local Plan. 

Members heard from two objectors to the scheme who lived in the vicinity and the two local District Ward Members, who were also both Members of the Planning Committee.  It was noted that there had been numerous local objections to the application (19) and Icklesham Parish Council also objected to the application.  There were several issues that the Members were concerned about including the scale of the proposed dwellinghouse and its impact on the street scene, the impact on the conservation area, the impact on neighbouring listed buildings, the reduced amenities of the main house, the inadequate residential standards of the new property, the blocking up of an existing window and the loss of symmetry with the demolition of the garage.  

In weighing up all the issues, Members considered that the cumulative harm identified resulted in the addition of a new property that was an overdevelopment of the site and would cause harm to the historic nature and street scene within Winchelsea. It was out of character within the conservation area and caused harm to the character and setting of listed buildings.

Councillor Prochak moved the motion to refuse (full planning) and (Listed Building Consent) and this was seconded by Councillor Harmer.  The motion was declared CARRIED (9 for / 3 against).

 REASON(S) FOR REFUSAL:

1.    The proposed development would result in the loss of one of a pair of similarly designed (almost symmetrical), modest and subservient garage buildings that sit appropriately within their historic context; that being within the Winchelsea Conservation Area, within the curtilage of a listed building (Cooks Green) and surrounded by other listed buildings (the closest being Attewell, The Retreat, Tower Cottage, The Stone House, Richmond House, 1-10 Barrack Square and two listed cellars west of the application site) and within an Archaeological Notification Area. The existing flat roof extension and garage would be replaced with a new dwellinghouse that is taller, deeper and covers a larger footprint. This results in the blocking up of a window in the listed building, Cooks Green, and alters the subservient scale that the current buildings have with their host dwelling and within the streetscene with a more prominent building which competes with the main dwellinghouse (Cooks Green), sits uneasily with the remaining adjoining garage building and its host dwelling, The Retreat, and appears incongruous along Barrack Square. The proposal also fails to meet the minimum floorspace requirement (61sqm) and the requisite internal storage (2sqm) of Policy DHG3 of the Development and Site Allocations Local Plan (DaSA) and the minimum rear garden length (10m) of policy DHG7 of the DaSA. Cumulatively, this results in a dwellinghouse that appears ‘squeezed’ onto its plot and results in an overdevelopment of the site. Therefore, the proposal is considered to cause harm to the character of the conservation area and the setting of the listed buildings Cooks Green and The Retreat contrary to s66 and s72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and Policies OSS4(iii), RA1(i), EN2 and EN3 of the Rother Local Plan Core Strategy.

2.    The proposed development fails to meet the minimum floorspace requirement of 61sqm, the requisite internal storage of 2sqm and the minimum rear garden length of 10m, includes insufficient detail regarding the storage and collection of waste and recycling for both the new dwelling and remaining dwelling, Cooks Green and would result in the loss of amenity space for the remaining dwellinghouse. This results in a poor standard of accommodation contrary to Policy OSS4(i) of the Rother Local Plan Core Strategy and Policies DHG3 and DHG7(i) and (iii) of the Development and Site Allocations Local Plan.

NATIONAL PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK:  In accordance with the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework (paragraph 38) and with the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015, the Planning Committee has acted positively and proactively in determining this application by identifying matters of concern with the proposal clearly setting out the reasons for refusal, thereby allowing the Applicant the opportunity to consider the harm caused and whether or not it can be remedied as part of a revised scheme. 

LISTED BUILDING APPLICATION RR/2020/779/L

DECISION:  REFUSE (LISTED BUILDING CONSENT) 

REASON FOR REFUSAL: 

1.    The proposal, which would be attached to the listed building, Cooks Green, would result in the loss of one of a pair of similarly designed (almost symmetrical), modest and subservient garage buildings that sit appropriately within their historic context; that being within the Winchelsea Conservation Area, within the curtilage of a listed building (Cooks Green) and surrounded by other listed buildings (the closest being Attewell, The Retreat, Tower Cottage, The Stone House, Richmond House, 1-10 Barrack Square and two listed cellars west of the application site) and within an Archaeological Notification Area. The existing, attached flat-roof extension and garage would be replaced with a new attached dwellinghouse that it taller, deeper and covers a larger footprint. This results in the blocking up of a window in the listed building, Cooks Green, and alters the subservient scale that the current buildings have with their host dwelling with a more prominent building which competes with the main dwellinghouse and appears incongruous along Barrack Square, especially when viewed in conjunction with the main dwellinghouse. Therefore, the proposal is considered to cause harm to the character of the conservation area and the character and setting of the listed building, Cooks Green, contrary to s16 and s72 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 and Policies OSS4(iii), RA1(i), EN2 and EN3 of the Rother Local Plan Core Strategy.