Agenda item

Two storey front extension and enlargement of two first floor side bedroom windows at Yew Tree Cottage, Hemming Green, Old Brampton, Chesterfield.

(Planning Manager – Development Management)

The Committee considered an application that had been submitted for a two storey front extension and enlargement of two first floor side bedroom window at Yew Tree Cottage, Hemming Green, Old Brampton, Chesterfield. The application came to Committee as the applicant was related to a Councillor.

The recommendation by officers was to refuse the application. The report to Committee explained the reasons for this.

The report highlighted that in the officers view, the application constituted an inappropriate development in the North East Derbyshire Green Belt making it harmful by definition. The National Planning Policy Framework and Policy SS10 of the NEDDC Local Plan make it clear that inappropriate development should not be allowed unless Very Special Circumstances (VSC) exist, this was defined on paragraph 153 and effectively defined VSC as being other considerations that clearly outweigh identified Green Belt Harm. Officers concluded that no such VSC existed, and therefore, to grant permission for the proposed development would be contrary to requirements of Policy SS10 of the North East Derbyshire Local Plan and the NPPF when read as a whole.

Officers concluded that the property, when consideration of the original dwelling and subsequent developments, constituted a culminative negative impact on the Green Belt. They recommended, therefore, that the application be refused.

Before the Committee considered the application it heard from the agent, Ian Goodwin.

Committee discussed the application. Members raised a query regarding any policy changes between the previous approvals and this application; Officers clarified to members that the NPPF had been updated but that there had been little shift in the Green Belt policy. Officers emphasised in response to members that the current Green Belt, was what the merits of the application should be weighed on. Members also raised concerns that prior applications had not taken into account greater volumetric increases than the current application, in which the volumetric increase was being stated as reason for refusal. The Planning Manager informed Members that the culminative impact of the development  needed to be taken into account, and that in the view of officers, the application was contrary to policy.

At the conclusion of the discussion Councillor F Peterson and Councillor C Gare moved and seconded a Motion to refuse the application, in line with officer recommendation. The Motion was put to a vote and approved.

RESOLVED –

That planning permission be refused for the following reasons:

1.       The proposed two?storey front extension, when assessed cumulatively with previous additions to the dwelling, would result in a disproportionate enlargement of the original building. As such, the proposal would not fall within any of the exceptions for development deemed not to be inappropriate in the Green Belt. The development would therefore constitute inappropriate development in the Green Belt, which is, by definition, harmful.

No Very Special Circumstances have been demonstrated that would clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, or any other identified harm arising from the proposal.

The development is therefore contrary to Policy SS10 of the North East Derbyshire Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework.

The final wording of the refusal was delegated to the Planning Manager (Development Management).