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CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY Planning Paper 2 20 October 2006 CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY Title: REPORT ON CALLED-IN PLANNING APPLICATION Prepared by: ANDREW TAIT, PLANING OFFICER (DEVELOPMENT CONTROL) DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED: ALTER EXISTING DWELLING AND EXTEND INTO COTTAGE AND ERECT DOUBLE GARAGE TO REAR (FULL PLANNING PERMISSION), HAWTHORN HOUSE AND COTTAGE, MAIN STREET, TOMINTOUL REFERENCE: 06/339/CP APPLICANT: MR ALEX FOSTER, PER AGENT, WITTETS ARCHITECTS, HAY STREET, ELGIN DATE CALLED-IN: 25 AUGUST 2006 RECOMMENDATION: APPROVAL SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS Fig. 1 - Plan showing the location of Hawthorn House & Cottage, Main Street, Tomintoul (not available in full text format) SITE DESCRIPTION AND PROPOSAL 1. This site basically consists of Hawthorn House and Hawthorn Cottage fronting onto Main Street in Tomintoul. The site is a corner plot with a side lane that gives access to Conglass Lane which runs along the bottom of the long narrow plot (see fig 1). 2. The proposal seeks to use the main house (Hawthorn House) and side cottage (Hawthorn Cottage) as a single house with 3 small bedrooms on the first floor together with a bathroom and dressing room. There is an existing flat roofed single storey extension at the rear of the house to be removed and replaced by a two-storey projection. A new dormer window is proposed for the master bedroom on the rear roof plane of the cottage. The re-arranged/extended ground floor layout includes a fourth bedroom, dining room and lounge, kitchen and utility room. There is a stone built projection to the rear of the property which is currently utilised for storage and hosts an outside toilet. The intention was to remove part of this projection. The outer wall would be retained to wall head height and topped with coping stones. The external finish proposed for the wall was render. Fig 2 Colour photo showing the Main St Elevation Fig 3 Colour photo showing the Rear Elevation Fig 4 Architects drawings showing of proposed front, rear and side elevations 3. When the application was called-in the Planning Committee raised concern at the loss of the stone projection and the effect of this on the character of the area. Negotiation has taken place which now means that the external wall of the projection facing onto the side lane will be retained with the stone finish. The existing openings will be traceable as they will be filled- in using blockwork and smooth cement render with a 100mm set back. The gable of the projection would be retained, again with the existing stone finish. 4. The front elevation would undergo limited improvements one doorway would be blocked up and the single pane windows on the main house would be removed in favour of the more traditional hardwood windows to reflect those on the cottage. The finish on the front elevation of the side cottage will also be repaired. 5. The application also proposes a double garage in the rear garden. There was concern that access for this garage may result in the need for the demolition of the stone built rear projection but detailed plans have shown that this access can be accommodated while retaining the gable wall of the projection. A shed has recently burnt down close to the access off the side lane. The garage is designed with parapet gables, with a slate roof to match the house, timber doors are proposed and the walls would be finished in render. An existing single garage at the bottom of the garden is to be removed. DEVELOPMENT PLAN CONTEXT 6. Policy S/ENV5 of the Moray Local Plan 2000 considers that the Council will seek to conserve and promote Moray’s built heritage as a valuable, but finite, resource and shall encourage enhancement, active use and access to building heritage wherever possible. In particular, the council will aim to safeguard listed buildings, ancient monuments, archaeology and designed landscapes and will also seek to retain buildings, townscapes and artefacts which are deemed to be part of Moray’s character and identity. 7. Policy L/H6 House Alterations and Extensions considers that alterations and extensions will normally be approved provided that the appearance of the house and surrounding area is not adversely affected. Approval is however unlikely to be granted where the siting and scale of the extension significantly affects the amenity enjoyed by the occupants of adjoining property (and that will include considerations of sunlight, daylight and privacy). Pitched roofs will be preferred to flat roofs, piended dormers to box dormers. Existing stone walls should, as far as possible, be retained. 8. The Finalised version of the Moray Local Plan September 2006 includes Policy H5 House Alterations and Extensions which considers that house alterations and extensions will normally be approved if the appearance of the house and the surrounding area is not adversely affected in terms of style, scale, proportions and materials. CONSULTATIONS 9. Moray Council Contaminated Land Team has no comments to make on the application. 10. Moray Council Transportation Manager recommends that the proposal should be approved unconditionally. 11. Moray Council Environmental Health Manager recommends that the application should be approved unconditionally. REPRESENTATIONS 12. One letter has been received in support of the application from the neighbour to the north, on the opposite side of the side lane. The letter is attached at the back of the report. APPRAISAL 13. A number of issues have to be considered with regard to this application including the demolition of part of the rear projection, the appropriateness of the designs proposed and their effect upon neighbouring amenity. 14. The starting point for the changes is that the applicant intends to use the main house (Hawthorn House) and the side cottage (Hawthorn Cottage) as a single dwelling. It is important to note that this does not of itself require planning permission. 15. When this application appeared on the call-in list the Planning Committee raised concern about the loss of the rear projection. The roof was to be removed as well as the internal wall facing the garden. The wall facing onto the lane would be part retained but would be given a render finish with coping stones above which would have effectively given the appearance of a completely new wall. Negotiations have taken place and the architect has come forward with a positive resolution to retain the wall with its exposed stone finish. The existing openings will be filled with blockwork with a render finish over, the face of these infills will be set 100mm back from the external wall which will allow the historic openings to be easily visible illustrating the history of change to the building, and the gable wall will also be retained in stone. Coping stones will be added to the top of the wall. This amendment is considered an improvement on the original proposal as it will retain some of the historic integrity of the building and mean that the view towards the house from the bottom of the plot will remain largely unchanged. 16. The removal of a flat roofed single storey extension is welcomed and this is to be replaced by a two-storey element that projects 5 metres from the existing rear face. This element uses a pitched roof in natural slate to match existing. Parapet gables are used to match those on the existing building. The walls of the new extension will be finished in salvaged stone, presumably from the wall of the projection to be removed. A pitched roof dormer is to be added to the rear roof slope and this matches existing dormers on the front elevation. The designs and materials proposed are considered to be of a high quality for a domestic extension to the rear of the building and are considered to fully comply with the requirements of Moray Local Plan policy L/H6 (see para 7). 17. A further addition involves a double garage in the rear garden of the property; this is accessed from the lane to the side of the house. The plot also has an access from the rear to a single garage that is to be removed. The garage is designed with a pitched roof finished in slate with parapets to match the existing house. The walls are smooth render and the garage doors utilise vertical timber boarding. Again, the design and materials are considered to be of a good quality and fully comply with the requirements of policy. 18. While the design and finish of the proposals may be acceptable careful consideration must be given to how neighbouring amenity is affected. With regard to this the key factor to note is that the neighbouring property to the south has a large projecting extension on the boundary with the applicant’s property. This means that the flank wall facing the next door neighbour will face onto a blank wall. This relationship is considered acceptable as it would not result in any overlooking from windows and would not prejudice natural light available to the neighbouring house, or its garden. The neighbour to the north is on the other side of the lane and so would not be materially affected in terms of overlooking, overshadowing or loss of light by any of the works proposed; the supporting letter attached at the back of the report is from this neighbour. The garage backs onto the neighbouring garden to the south but is set against garden a shed belonging to that property. 19. Overall, this is considered to be a good proposal that will bring improvements to the front elevation of the property by the addition of traditional windows and general renovation. The changes to the rear are of a good design while retaining a strong identifiable reference to the stone built projection. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE AIMS OF THE NATIONAL PARK Conserve and Enhance the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Area 20. The proposal includes the retention of the projecting wall to the side lane and the gable, both will be retained with a stone finish. This helps to conserve the cultural heritage of the building. In addition the window changes proposed for the front elevation will enhance the character of Main Street. Promote Sustainable Use of Natural Resources 21. This is a small domestic proposal but the stones to be removed from the existing rear projection and likely to be re-used in the two storey extension. Promote Understanding and Enjoyment of the Area 22. This aim is not directly relevant to what is a domestic proposal. Promote Sustainable Economic and Social Development of the Area 23. The proposal involves physical improvements to a house within the Park area. RECOMMENDATION 24. That Members of the Committee support a recommendation to: GRANT Full Planning Permission for the alterations to existing dwelling and extend into cottage and erect double garage to rear at Hawthorn House and Cottage, Tomintoul, subject to the following conditions. 1. The development to which this permission relates must be begun within five years from the date of this permission. 2. Exact details and specifications of all proposed external finishing materials (including roofing materials for both extension and garage and coping stones) shall be submitted for the further approval of the CNPA acting as Planning Authority before any work commences on site. 3. The rear projecting wall onto the side lane and gable end to be retained as shown on drawing No 06:22:05C and no additional openings shall be inserted into the side and gable walls unless agreed in writing by the CNPA acting as Planning Authority. Andrew Tait Planning Officer, Development Control 16 October 2005 planning@cairngorms.co.uk The map on the first page of this report has been produced to aid in the statutory process of dealing with planning applications. The map is to help identify the site and its surroundings and to aid Planning Officers, Committee Members and the Public in the determination of the proposal. Maps shown in the Planning Committee Report can only be used for the purposes of the Planning Committee. Any other use risks infringing Crown Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Maps produced within this Planning Committee Report can only be reproduced with the express permission of the Cairngorms National Park Authority and other Copyright holders. This permission must be granted in advance.