We are very happy to have secured planning permission at appeal for a client in the Stoneygate Conservation Area of Leicester. Various works are proposed to the property, the majority of which the LPA have already twice given approval to.
The front elevations of dwellings in the area are covered by an Article 4 direction, but the dispute in this case centred around the demolition and reconstruction of the first floor of the rear outrigger, which has a very limited glimpse view from a neighbouring street.
The ground floor of the outrigger already benefits from two consents for its demolition and reconstruction with non-matching materials and to a modern design, which the LPA considered to have a neutral impact. The LPA however strongly objected to the first floor element being demolished and rebuilt using the same materials on the basis of – in its opinion – a “significant loss of historic features and the harm caused to the property, group of properties and the Stoneygate Conservation Area” as well as the “superfluous loss of embodied carbon”.
It was quite a muddled decision by the LPA, with some of the policies cited on the decision notice not directly relating to the reasons for refusal or what the report said. The LPA’s appeal submission also focused on an SPD that they hadn’t referenced on their decision notice. It was therefore a trickier decision to unpick than it should have been.
Thankfully we were able to convince the Inspector that the proposal would be acceptable in all regards. The Inspector gave significant weight to the fall-back position of the two existing permissions, concluding that the scheme would not be harmful to the character or appearance of the host building or its immediate surroundings, that it would have a neutral impact on the character and appearance of the conservation area, thus preserving it.
A very good result for both the client and wider conservation area, as the scheme will provide significantly improved living space for the property, which will secure its long term future as a large family home in this attractive part of the city.
(Case reference: 3315282)
