Large flat and garage in special character area approved despite concerns they will ‘dominate skyline’

Council head of development and construction Nick Harding told members of Peterborough City Council’s Planning and Environmental Protection Committee at their meeting on Tuesday: “The applicant is seeking planning permission to construct a large detached dwelling centrally on the plot, retaining the existing dwelling as an ancillary annexe for the new property.

“The existing building would be converted from a two storey dwelling into an ancillary studio flat on the first floor and a garage and storeroom accommodation on the ground floor. The new dwelling house would be of two and a half storey design with dual pitched dormer windows in the roof slope, stone wall detailing with stone lintels, timber sash windows and stone quoins.

“The council have received a number of objections through the parish council, primarily from five neighbouring properties raising the issue that the height is five metres higher than the existing dwelling and does not step down due to being on lower land, being only marginally lower than ‘The Redoubt’.

“Additionally, it does not comply with the adopted SPD policies for Wothorpe, which expects careful consideration of the scale, height and bulk of any development, with building heights relating to the forms and proportions of surrounding buildings.

“The objectors complain that the height will dominate the skyline and landscape when travelling up ‘The Drift’; also, that no tree survey was undertaken, so that a good specimen copper beech would be lost; and the second floor dormer windows overlook the property Meadowhurst.

“While the council have taken into consideration the fact that the application proposal is within the special character rea of the village, an area that has been identified in the local plan as having a distinctive character and sense of place with a mature quality and identity that sets it apart from the urban environment as a whole, the recommendation from officers would be to approve.”

Members resolved unanimously to approve the application.