Agenda item

Rainham North

Construction of 2 two-storey three bed houses with associated parking.

Discussion: 

The Head of Planning outlined the planning application in detail and drew attention to the supplementary agenda advice sheet appended to which were 8 letters of representation. Although these were summarised within the committee report, they had been appended to the supplementary agenda advice sheet at the request of the Ward Councillors.

The Head of Planning reminded the Committee that this was a retrospective planning application for the retention of alterations carried out to the internal layout, roof design and elevations of a pair of semi-detached houses on plots 69 and 70 which had been the subject of planning approval under planning application MC/17/1820.

The Head of Planning, using plans displayed at the meeting, outlined the changes, details of which were set out on page 36 of the agenda.

He advised that the principle of construction of a pair of semi-detached two-storey houses on this corner of the Bakersfield site has already been established by virtue of the outline planning permission allowed on appeal and the reserved matters application previously approved by this Committee. Therefore, the key issues for the Committee to consider were:

·         The change to the roof design and its impact on the character of the wider Bakersfield development housing scheme.

·         Impact of the proposed butterfly roof design on the street scene, outlook and amenities of the surrounding residents.

·         Impact of the changes proposed to the internal floor layout, corresponding changes to the external appearance of the houses and associated fenestration on the amenities of the future occupiers and the occupiers of surrounding residential properties.

Whilst sympathetic to the concerns of the residents at 21 Finwell Road, the Head of Planning informed the Committee that the principle of housing development at the Bakersfield site had been established following an appeal. He advised the Committee that the height of the two houses and the distance that they were located from no. 21 Finwell Road remained unchanged from the previously approved development. He further advised that having considered the amendments made to the development and their impact on the residential dwelling at 21 Finwell Road, the impact was no greater than that already approved and, in his opinion, provided an improvement.

With the agreement of the Committee, Councillor Potter addressed the Committee and raised the following concerns from both himself and Councillor Carr as the other Ward Councillor for Rainham North:

·         The local residents have not had a good experience with this development and as a result have a poor relationship with the developer and there is concern that the development is not being built in accordance with agreed plans.

·         The development does not comply with the 20m distance guidance.

·         The development creates overlooking into the property at 21 Finwell Road and does not take account of the perspective when viewed from the plans shown as part of the presentation as the windows from the new houses look into the residential property at 21 Finwell Road.

The Committee discussed the application and noted that the principle of the development had already been established following an appeal decision and therefore the only matter to be determined by the Committee was the alterations to the development.

In response to questions, the Head of Planning reiterated that despite the alterations that had taken place at the development, the two buildings were being built to the same height as the original approved development and the same distance from 21 Finwell Road.

He informed the Committee that should the Committee be minded to refuse the application, the developers could revert to building the originally approved development in exactly the same position but with a greater impact on the adjoining property at 21 Finwell Road than that currently being built.

In response to concerns as to the development being 15m distance from 21 Finwell Road as opposed to the guidance of 20m, the Head of Planning advised that when considering the reserved matters planning application, 15m distance was considered acceptable by officers and subsequently the Committee due to the siting of the windows, the difference in land levels and the fact that there is a canopy over the bedroom and door at 21 Finwell Road and therefore it would not be possible to see into windows from the new development.

The Committee expressed disappointment that this was a retrospective application and acknowledged that this had caused the adjoining residents at 21 Finwell Road distress and upset. However, in the knowledge that the revised development did not increase the height of the development or reduce the distance between the new houses and no. 21 Finwell Road, the Committee considered that the application was acceptable.

Decision:

Approved with conditions 1 – 5 as set out in the report for the reasons stated in the report.