Councillors ignore officers advice and approve plans in Peterborough conservation area

Peterborough City Council has granted a planning application inside Werrington Conservation Area going against the recommendations of their own planning officers.

The property at number 39 The Green, Werrington, is a 1950s residential dwelling that sits back away from the road some 35m behind its two nearest neighbours and accessed via a long, narrow driveway.

Speaking at the meeting (February 8) of the Planning and Environmental Protection Committee was ward councillor John Fox, who said: “I understand that planning officers have recommended refusal of this application on the basis that it represents a poor quality of design through the creation of a dwelling which appears contrived, unduly dominant and obtrusive.

“They say that the proposal would be readily visible from the public realm, the Werrington Conservation Area and within the setting of nearby Listed Buildings, and would fail to preserve their character, appearance and significance resulting in harm.

“However, I would argue the opposite – when you consider that this property sits about 40m from the highway down a relatively narrow driveway and the objection is partly that people will see it from the road, well I just don’t see how they could.

“I’ve been ward councillor now for many years and I didn’t even know the house was there so that when you drive past you don’t even notice it.

“Obviously I appreciate you have to take into consideration the opinions of the neighbours, one of whom has objected I know, but I still don’t see how this is going to impact on the Conservation Area at all as it is too far back.

“So, I would ask members to go against the officers recommendation this time, and allow the application as the owner is only adding an extension above what used to be the garage to level-off the roof line.”

Mr Richard Anton, the owner , also spoke in favour of his application, saying: “My property is at the end of a 35m-long driveway, and I do not believe that it will impact in any way with either of my neighbours whose homes are by the roadway, with the conservation plan, or with views by the public from the street which is 40m away.”

Cllr Peter Hiller said: “The ‘harm’ to the Werrington Conservation Area is minimal and there has only been the one objection from a neighbour,”

Cllr Amjad Iqbal pointed out: “Officer state in their report that the building has no distinctive character or architectural merit, so why object to what is being proposed to improve it?”

Cllr Brian Rush added: “When we visited the site last Friday to go and view it, we struggled to even find the building, much less see any impact it could possibly have on the conservation area.”

The property is sited within the designated Werrington Conservation Area and close to a number of listed buildings, including The Manor House School, which is a Grade II listed building to the east, its driveway is sited between The Way Family Church, dated 1835 on the west and another property to the east,  known as Thorney Lodge, which is an 18th century rubble and pantile Grade II listed cottage.

The applicant is seeking planning permission for the construction of a first-floor side extension to form a bedroom and a bathroom sited above the existing ground floor and the window reduced in size to match the proposed first floor window.

Cllr Amjad Iqbal proposed that members go against officers recommendations on this occasion and approve the application.

Members voted unanimously to do so, and the application was granted.