Agenda item

To consider the report of the City Development Manager.

The Assistant City Development Manager presented the application for demolition of existing house and annex and construction of four new houses (semi-detached) with associated parking and infrastructure.

Peter Vance spoke against the application. He raised the following points:-

• 43 objections had been submitted from neighbours following two community meetings in respect of an inappropriate development;
• contrary to Objective 9, Policies DG1 and 4, CP4 and 17, H2 and the Residential Design Guide and is an overdevelopment, cramming four, four-bed houses where there is currently one house and annexe, adding a full storey and is monolithic and overbearing;
• the elevations rise vertically almost three metres higher than the existing dwelling, with flat roofs in a neighbourhood where pitch roofs are the norm. The design does not integrate or relate to other properties in height, shape, size or appearance;
• dominates views from all directions near and far and is detrimental to the area’s character. There is no reference to historical context or the medieval core of Countess Wear, Grade 2 listed cottages metres away, and lime kilns;
• the design, height, boundary treatment, and window configuration create significant issues of loss of privacy for neighbours on all sides;
• the ground floor frontage has four garages with seven parking spaces in front, and no habitable rooms. Cars will dominate the street scene;
• area popular with walkers, cyclists, dog walkers, and joggers;
• King George Playing Fields, Exe Valley cycle route, and Green Circle walking routes will be blighted; and
• support recommendation to refuse.

The recommendation was for refusal for the reasons set out in the report.

RESOLVED that planning permission for the demolition of existing house and annex and construction of four new houses (semi-detached) with associated parking and infrastructure be refused as the proposal would be contrary to Objective 9 and Policies CP4 and CP17 of the Exeter Core Strategy, Policies H2, DG1 (b), (d), (f), (g), (h and DG4 a, b, c of the Exeter Local Plan First Review and the Residential Design Guide SPD because:-

(a)   the proposed construction of four residential units would result in the overdevelopment of an inadequately proportioned site, presenting a cramped form of development unsympathetic with, and detrimental to, the character of this established residential area;

(b)        the siting scale and design of the development would have a poor relationship with, and overbearing impact on, No. 20A Countess Wear Road with adverse impacts on the residential amenities of existing and future occupiers of the property, particularly in terms of loss of outlook and overshadowing in the garden area  amenity; and

(c)        by reason of its scale, height and design the proposed development would be overbearing, dominant and visually intrusive within and relate poorly to the street scene, to the detriment of the character of the area.

Informatives

1.    In accordance with Paragraph 38 of the National Planning Policy Framework the Council has worked in a positive and pro-active way with the Applicant and has looked for solutions to enable the grant of planning permission. However the proposal remains contrary to the planning policies set out in the reasons for refusal and was not therefore considered to be sustainable development.

2.    In accordance with Chapters 1 and 2 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, this development has been screened in respect of the need for an Appropriate Assessment (AA). Given the nature of the development, it has been concluded that an AA is required in relation to potential impact on the relevant Special Protection Areas (SPA), the Exe Estuary and East Devon Pebblebed Heaths, which are designated European sites. This AA has been carried out and concludes that the development is such that it could have an impact primarily associated with recreational activity of future occupants of the development. This impact will be mitigated in line with the South East Devon European Site Mitigation Strategy prepared by Footprint Ecology on behalf of East Devon and Teignbridge District Councils and Exeter City Council (with particular reference to Table 26), which is being funded through a proportion of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) collected in respect of the development being allocated to funding the mitigation strategy. Or, if the development is not liable to pay CIL, to pay the appropriate habitats mitigation contribution through another mechanism (this is likely to be either an undertaking in accordance with s111 of the Local Government Act 1972 or a Unilateral Undertaking).