design & access statem ent PROPOSED REPLACEMENT DWELLING 10 PARK LANE, APPLETON

Transcription

1 design & access statem ent PROPOSED REPLACEMENT DWELLING 10 PARK LANE, APPLETON

2 INTRO DUCTION The applicant for this site, 10 Park Lane, Appleton is seeking full planning permission for proposed demolition of existing bungalow in favour of erection of a two storey four bedroom zero-carbon dwelling. AGENT INTRODUCTION Allister Godfrey Architects Ltd [AGa] is a small architectural practice which specialises in design led residential design. The practice is headed up by Allister Godfrey RIBA, who has over ten years post-qualification experience in all types of residential design, from small extensions through to multi-million one-off houses and multi-unit developments. The practice s design ethos is to be exciting and innovative, but is always offset by a pragmatic and sensitive understanding of existing buildings and their context. As the practice is based in Oxfordshire good working relationships with the counties Local Authorities has been a key to its excellent track record in gaining planning approvals on behalf of numerous applicants. PRE-APPLICATION DISCUSSIONS A pre-application enquiry was submitted to Vale of White Horse District Council in August A written response, following a site meeting, was received on 27 October The response to the proposal was broadly positive in terms of satisfying the requirements of National Planning Policy Framework [NPPF], Local Plan policies and guidance from The Council s Residential Design Guide. Whilst the principle of a replacement dwelling in this context is acceptable, the officer, Ms Holly Bates, remarked that the relationship of the proposal against the eastern boundary and possible overshadowing to the amenity of No.12 Park Lane was not an aspect of the proposal that could be supported. During the pre-application enquiry the applicant has, following good practice guidelines, discussed the proposal with adjacent neighbours. Both immediate neighbours have broadly supported the proposals understanding the contemporary nature of the design being allied to providing a sustainable and low carbon dwelling. The neighbour at No.12 did raise some concerns regarding the proximity of the dwelling to her boundary and possible loss of light due to over shadowing. Through invitation, a further measured survey of the southern end of the neighbouring dwelling was undertaken by AGa. The positions of south facing ground floor openings were recorded along with the position of the secondary window to first floor bedroom. These concerns have been addressed through further design revisions, including reducing the length of the first floor façade along the east flank and repositioning the

3 dwelling on the site to give greater space separation. The applicant has re-consulted with the owner of No.12 Park Lane who has appreciated the revisions to the design. SI TE CONTEXT The site is located midway along Park Lane, accessed from Oaksmere. It is neighboured to the west by 4 Park Lane, a C20 two-storey brick and concrete tiled detached dwelling. To the east lies 12 Park Lane a modest Victorian Cottage in stone, brick and slate roofing. The site lies outside of the Appleton Conservation Area, and approximately half of the south of the site lies within Green Belt. The site is bounded by a 1.2m high stone wall to the north fronting Park Lane with a vehicular access situated at the north-west corner. The existing dwelling is a C20 brick bungalow set back from the road by some 20m. To the west boundary is mature conifer hedging and to the east is close boarded fencing at 1.0m high, rising to 1.8m near the dwelling. The site extends to the south and is some 187m in length. At approximately 70m from northern boundary the private garden is delineated by a conifer hedge and gate access into informal garden which extends into the Green Belt and down to a stream demarcating the southern boundary. The site averages 20m in width for the majority of its length. The area cannot be typified architecturally. Site analysis has determined that the locality has a pleasant mix of vernacular stone cottages; modern brick built dwellings and modern dwellings that assimilate aspects of the cottage vernacular in some form. There is no particular defining grain to this part of the village. Dwelling placements significantly vary between being set close to the highway with varying degrees of set-back. A common thread of dwellings having frontages onto Park Lane can be evidenced; however 12 Park Lane is predominantly a single aspect dwelling, facing west, and overlooking the front parking area of 10 Park Lane. There are secondary openings at ground floor level (kitchen/dining) that face south as well as a secondary window to the principle bedroom that also faces south. Please refer to Appendix A for panoramic photograph from this bedroom window. These secondary openings address the immediate rear amenity space for No.12. The garden at this point is some 7.5m wide extending to the south by approximately 27m. At this point the garden widens considerably and then extends down to a stream. As remarked by Ms Bates, the site is constrained by the unusual relationship between the dwellings in this location. Please refer to enclosed site analysis diagram for further information.

4 EXISTING DWELLING The existing dwelling, as remarked above, is an unremarkable bungalow that has been extended over time (no historic planning references can be found for these works). It sits reasonably centrally in the plot with access to a single storey flat roofed garage to the west side of the dwelling. The existing eastern gable is 5.15m from existing ground level to ridge and is 177mm away from the boundary fence to No.12 widening to 2.2m to the south. At its closest point the existing dwelling is 3.7m away from the west façade of No.12. RELEVAN T POLICY Nat ional Planning Po licy Frame work Paragraph 14 confirms that at the heart of the Framework is a presumption in favour of sustainable development. Planning permission should be granted for sustainable forms of development unless any adverse impacts of doing so would "significantly and demonstrably" outweigh the benefits when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole, or specific policies in the Framework indicate that development should be restricted. Paragraph 17 sets out the core planning principles which should underpin decision-taking. The following core planning principles are relevant to this proposal: "proactively drive and support sustainable economic development to deliver the homes, business and industrial units, infrastructure and thriving local places that the country needs; always seek to secure high quality design and a good standard of amenity for all existing and future occupants of land and buildings" Paragraph 50 says that local planning authorities should deliver a wide choice of high quality homes and create sustainable, inclusive and mixed communities. Paragraph 56 says that good design is a key aspect of sustainable development, is indivisible from good planning, and should contribute positively to making places better for people. Paragraph 59 says that local planning authorities should concentrate on guiding the overall scale, density, massing, height, landscape, layout, materials and access of new development in relation to neighbouring buildings and the local area more generally. Paragraph 60 says that it is proper to seek to promote or reinforce local distinctiveness in the design of new development.

5 Va le of White Horse Local Plan 2011 (adopted in 2006) The location of the site in the centre of Appleton reflects the reasonably sustainable nature of the village which has a good range of local facilities. As remarked by Ms Bates in her written response to pre-application enquiry, the following main Local Plan policies are relevant to this application: GS5, H11, DC1 (design), DC5 (access), DC6 (landscaping), DC9 (the impact of development on neighbouring properties and uses), HE1 and HE4. Policy DC1 requires new developments to achieve a high quality design and make a positive contribution to the character of the area, either in a modern or traditional interpretation. Of particular importance, in light of the pre-application enquiry, is Policy DC9. It says that new development should not harm the amenity of neighbouring properties, particularly due to overlooking, overshadowing or over dominance. Residential Design Guide (2009) The purpose of the Design Guide is to promote high quality design in all new residential developments DESIGN BRIEF The brief has been defined by the need to provide a replacement dwelling that satisfies two predominant criteria; firstly the dwelling is to be a lifetime home and secondly, achieve zero-carbon status. To achieve zero-carbon status the applicant wishes to use the principles of an Earth Energy Bank [EEB] for the proposed dwelling. Simply put the dwelling will have an array of combined photo-voltaic and thermal panels [PVT] on the roof. Heat generated by the thermal panels during summer months will be transferred and stored in the EEB located under the footprint of the dwelling. During the winter the heat stored in the ground will then be used to heat the dwelling. Energy collected from the sun will also be converted into electricity and used to power the system and other attendant technologies within the house such as the mechanical heat and ventilation system. This system has been pioneered by Caplin Homes Ltd, who developed the award winning Solar House in Great Glen, Leicestershire. More information about the system can be found at The existing dwelling, whilst being spacious and offering a reasonably pleasant living space with good access to a large south facing private amenity space at the rear, is not deemed to be energy efficient. Its thermal performance could be upgraded considerably, however the cost of achieving this are outweighed by the

6 significant benefits, including minimal running costs that will be achieved by a zero carbon home. The applicant has undertaken some preliminary technical studies with Caplin Homes Ltd. These have included the orientation of the dwelling on the site, the context of the dwelling in relation to potential overshadowing from trees and technical ground studies to ascertain the makeup of underlying soil quality and geology to determine the effectiveness of the EEB longterm. As the EEB is a relatively new concept the applicant has agreed to have monitoring equipment installed in the dwelling to provide data for research purposes. DESIGN To achieve a zero-carbon dwelling, particularly with the EEB principles, certain criteria exist. The dwelling will have high levels of insulation, exceeding that required by building regulations. To accommodate the array of PVT panels needed by the EEB, it is preferable to have a flat roof. Large areas of south facing glazing are also preferable. The design has evolved to fully integrate these criteria and allow for the dwelling to accommodate the EEB system without any external visibility; an important planning consideration in this case. The design also follows the applicant s comprehensive brief. Therefore it is proposed that the dwelling be a two-storey flat roofed structure which responds appropriately to the applicant s comprehensive brief, the requirements of integrating the EEB system along with ensuring the dwelling relates well to the immediate context. This has been achieved by locating the proposed dwelling further south than existing. A two storey dwelling will inevitably have some impact on the outlook of its neighbour, 12 Park Lane. By situating the dwelling further south, this impact is mitigated. The finished floor level of the dwelling is to be 300mm below that of the existing bungalow. Given neighbour and officer s comments regarding the loss of amenity to No.12 during the pre-application enquiry, this helps to reduce the impact of the proposal. The height of the dwelling has been kept to a minimum within the need for a parapeted enclosure to the flat roofs to disguise the array of PVT panels. Thus the resultant dwelling will be 159mm taller than the existing dwelling to top of parapet. However the principal height of the flat roof is 291mm lower than the existing ridge line. In the wider context, the proposal is 1.59m lower than the ridge of 4 Park Lane and 1.05m lower than the ridge of 12 Park Lane. It is proposed that the parapet be removed from the east façade to further reduce overshadowing to the garden of No.12.

7 The form of the dwelling is deliberately simple with a clear legibility to the design. The hierarchy of spaces is evident from the front of the dwelling with a glimpsed view through the dwelling to the landscape beyond. The skewed first floor layout is a further move towards ensuring that the dwelling responds appropriately to the site context in being broadly parallel to the existing eastern boundary. It also allows for greater natural light penetration to the southerly aspect of the living areas of the dwelling. To the rear of the dwelling the first floor of the skewed element is to be set back from the ground floor. This is to ensure the first floor element of the eastern façade is comparable in length to the existing bungalow that is to be replaced and thus mitigating any potential harm to the amenity of the neighbouring dwelling. Since the pre-application enquiry the dwelling has been re-sited. The dwelling is now 6.72m away from No.12 at its closest point at first floor level and 4.06m at ground floor level. This demonstrably gives greater space separation between the two dwellings than exists currently. As there is no predominant architectural style in the immediate locale, the choices of materials are important to respect the site context and ensure that the dwelling, whilst being contemporary in design, respects the rural nature of the site. The use of vertical slatted timber cladding provides a visually soft texture. It is envisaged that a unfinished FSC Idigbo hardwood be used. The shadows gaps left between slats coupled with the material weathering down to a silvery grey over time will allow the building to age. The use of a high quality brick, possibly handmade, will reinforce the desired softer aesthetic. Furthermore, in reference to the immediate context a natural stone wall will be used to run from the entrance door through the ground floor of the dwelling and terminate in a stone pier at the rear. This device visually anchors the building to the site and references the vernacular use of stone in the village. The dwelling will also have an integrated double garage with space for two cars, cycle and personal belongings storage. The gross internal area of the proposed dwelling is m 2 (of which 31.9m 2 is occupied by the internal garage). LANDSCAPE The applicant has engaged David McQuitty of McQuitty Landscape Design to undertake design work associated with the re-landscaping and maintenance of the property. Mr McQuitty has supplied the following statement: The landscape objective has been to create a setting for the house which comfortably assimilates the building into the existing village environment and also creates attractive, welcoming and well-functioning external spaces for the occupants.

8 The site plan illustrates the layout and character of these external spaces. The Front Garden Area The spaces to the front of the house are not only an important part of the setting of the house but they are a valuable part of the street scene and form part of the aspect of the neighbouring No.12 Park Lane, immediately to the east. The street scene will be improved by a number of measures. These include the moving of the intrusive electricity pole to a less visually intrusive location beside the existing conifer hedge on the edge of the property. A combination of refurbished existing and new stone walling will create an attractive boundary along the lane. Further stone walling will be constructed as part of the visual separation between the gravelled car parking area and a new garden approach to the front door of the house. This will add further local landscape character. The new front garden will provide a more welcoming approach to the entrance door from the road. New paving and planting would be combined in a modern play on the cottage garden, again adding positively to the street scene and being appropriate to the setting of a new contemporary house. The design of the front spaces will have the added benefit of improving the outlook for the neighbour to the east. In a sense, the neighbouring house would have an element of borrowed landscape onto this new garden. A pleasant outlook would be created and one not dominated by car parking. The planting design of this space would include a number of new trees of differing sizes to improve the sense of three dimensional scale, create focal points and direct views. For example a Liquidambar (Sweet Gum) has been selected as a focal point looking out of the front entrance. Liquidambars are deciduous trees grown for their maple-like leaves which take on brilliant and long-lasting autumn colour. This attractive tree would be enjoyed by neighbours and passers-by in the street. The Eastern Side Garden A landscape treatment is proposed which compliments the architectural design and at the same time is sensitive to the visual amenity of the neighbouring property. With the proposed building footprint significantly further away from the boundary than the present bungalow, there is an opportunity to provide a much more attractive and sympathetic landscape boundary than presently exists. The plans show a proposed combination of new shrub and tree planting which will combine with the existing vegetation retained on the neighbouring property to create a green setting for the new building elevation while maintaining views and light for the neighbouring property. The new trees proposed on this boundary are small; the multi-stemmed Amelanchier (Snowy mespilus) and the Prunus serrula (Tibetan cherry) are light canopied, growing to approximately 8m.

9 A section of stone wall, 1.8m high, is proposed to replace some of the existing conifer hedge. Not only will this create a sheltered sitting area in the rear garden of the new house but it will also improve the light and aspect for the neighbouring property with the removal of a section of unattractive tall conifer hedging and replacement with a wall of natural materials. The rear garden This is an important part of the setting of the house and will be the principal external garden spaces used by the occupants of the new house. The layout of hard and soft landscape will complement the design style of the house. The main terrace will be immediately adjacent to the house and partially set within low planting. A smaller semi-circular seating area will also be created, slightly separated from the immediate house surrounds and edged with a low box hedge. ACCESS It is proposed that the existing access to the site be stopped up and relocated to the centre of the road frontage to improve access for ingress and visibility for egress onto Park Lane. It is proposed that the means of enclosure be stone as existing. The existing vehicular access off Park Lane will be repositioned more centrally on the northern boundary. It is proposed that this access be 4.5m and enclosed by rebuilding the existing rubble stone wall. Visibility for vehicles emerging onto Park Lane will be been improved. Appropriate car parking provision will be made on site for the new dwelling. The property will have two garaged parking spaces, four spaces to the gravelled area, with sufficient space for vehicles to turn on site. Secure bicycle storage will be provided in the garage. As the dwelling has been designed to Lifetime Homes standards, provision has been allowed for a lift to be installed at a point in time when the applicant needs this facility. In all other aspects the dwelling with accord with the requirements of Approved Document M: Access for all of the Building Regulations. CONCLUSION From a planning policy perspective, as the existing, and proposed, dwelling lie outside both the Conservation Area and Green Belt, the viability of a replacement dwelling is not in question. This has been confirmed by the written response to the pre-application enquiry. However, the unusual relationship between dwellings is a predominant factor in the assessment of this proposal in planning terms. As has been highlighted the concerns are the potential loss of amenity to the rear garden of No.12 Park Lane. This has been mitigated by positioning the proposed dwelling

10 toward the centre of the site and creating greater space separation between the two dwellings than exists currently. Coupled with the proposed dwelling being 300mm lower at ground level there is no significant impact on the amenity to No.12 than currently exists. The existing bungalow will be replaced with a modern sustainable home built with high quality materials that will preserve the rural character of Park Lane. There will be no harmful impact on any neighbours or highway safety. The proposal, therefore, complies with National Planning Policy, the relevant Local Plan policies and the high quality aspirations of the Residential Design Guide. Allister Godfrey Architects Ltd. December 2014

11 APPENDIX A Photographs of existing dwelling, context and visuals of proposal

12 Front view of 10 Park Lane View rear of existing dwelling

13 View of entrance to No. 4 Park Lane View of entrance to No.12 Park Lane

14 View east along Park Lane View west along Park Lane (note existing telegraph pole to be relocated)

15 View of eastern boundary from garden of No.12 View to south elevation of No.12 Park Lane (from garden of No.12)

16 View of No.12 south facing garden (from first floor bedroom window) - note: gable of existing bungalow to right-hand side of image

17 View of existing dwelling from No.12 first floor window

18 View of proposed dwelling from No.12 first floor window note overshadowing no worse than existing

19 View of proposed dwelling from Park Lane

20 View of proposed dwelling from parking court

21 View of proposed dwelling from rear garden