Planning Applications - Hyndburn Borough Council

• In pre-application discussions with the Planning Officer in 2005, advice was given that
encouraged the submission of an application. The advice given was that a single-storey
extension would be acceptable in principle, subject to satisfactory scale and appearance,
with the impact of a 5.2m extension on No.2 reduced by the existing extension at No.2, and
on No.4 by the high fence along the boundary, but the outcome of any planning application
could not be predicted.
• The current application has been submitted because his children, aged 8 & 10, require
privacy and space. He has been advised that the planning regulations have become stricter
since 2005, but he feels that even if the rules have changed the principle and the impact
remain the same.
• He has measured the land and there does not appear to be any difference in level between
Nos. 2 and 3. He would leave the fence between Nos. 2 and 3 in situ and move the wall
0.3m in from the boundary to ensure the footings would not go onto No.2.
• The 7ft. high fence between Nos. 3 and 4 would remain in situ. He would reduce the height
of the proposed extension wall to 7ft. so that it would not be seen by the neighbour,
reducing the angle of the roof from approximately 45º to 25º, which would also reduce the
roof height to less than 11ft.
• He feels that the extension is in keeping with the environment and will if anything enhance
the area.
Observations
The key issues for consideration in this case are the acceptability of the proposal in terms of Green
Belt policy, the impact on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area, and the impact
on the amenities of neighbouring residents.
Under Policy S1 of the Hyndburn Borough Local Plan, which reflects Government advice given
contained in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2: Green Belts, limited extensions or alterations to
dwellings in the Green Belt will only be allowed provided that they do not result in
disproportionate additions over and above the size of the original building. The scale of extensions
considered appropriate is now specified in the Council’s guidelines on residential extensions, which
are already in use and will become formalised as part of the Local Development Framework.
Under the guidelines, an increase in footprint not exceeding 50% of the original footprint of the
building would normally be considered acceptable in the Green Belt. The submitted scheme, added
to the existing extension, would result in an increase of 105% over and above the footprint of the
original building. The cumulative effect of large extensions to these originally-small terraced
properties has the potential to reduce the openness of the Green Belt. Therefore I consider the
proposal to be unacceptable in terms of Local Plan Policy S1.
Policy E8 of the Hyndburn Borough Local Plan requires that when considering proposals for
development in Conservation Areas, the Council will have regard to the siting, form, mass, design
and materials of the proposed structures and the extent to which they take account of existing
building lines. The combined projection of the existing and proposed extensions from the rear of
the property would be 9.1m, across the full width of the property. In my opinion, the proposed
extension is excessive in scale, given that the house has already been substantially extended, and in
my view it would detract from the character and appearance of the Conservation Area, and would
therefore be contrary to Local Plan Policy E8.
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