We are delighted to have secured planning approval for a new house in an urban fringe setting in County Durham. Thank you to Durham Planning Committee for supporting the scheme against officer recommendation.
The site adjacent a former working mens social club which secured approval for 2 houses in 2019, under a different local plan policy position. The site had a historical refusal of planning permission for a bungalow last year, however, whilst the revised scheme addressed design concerns Durham County Council Planning Team doubled the amount of proposed reasons for refusal!
Our planning statement and representation at planning committee highlighted that there had been a change in planning policy since the 2019 approval however pre-application advice provided by the Council in 2021 for one property on this piece of land was extremely positive and identified the site as a sustainable location for development. Notwithstanding this, the proposed reasons for refusal 1 and 2 focused on location, reason 3 identified character and appearance issues and reason 4 impact on trees on an adjacent site. However, trees were not identified as being an issue during the pre-application discussions nor the refused application last year. Our client was not given the opportunity to provide details to demonstrate that there would be no harm on adjacent young trees.
Nevertheless, we addressed the proposed reasons for refusal in our representation to the Planning Committee who agreed that the proposed reasons for refusal were unsubstantiated and approved the scheme subject to conditions.
Congratulations to our client who have finally secured planning permission for the site. And also have maximized the value of their land. We’re thrilled to have been able to support you through this process.
Related Content
Our eBook on Self Builders provides details on the planning process if you’re looking to build your own Grand Design Self Build Home. Planning House have also published an article relating to How to Maximise Land Value and Can I Build a House in my Garden which may be useful if you’re considering options for a piece of land you own.
However, if you have a site like this one which has already had a refusal take a look at our blog Securing Planning Permission for a site which has been Refused Planning Permission. And as always if you need assistance then don’t hesitate to Contact Us for a free initial consultation.
If you’re not sure if you need help from a Town Planner take a look at blog on When to Hire a Town Planner our download a Guide on How to Choose a Town Planner.
