A recent planning application [APP/17/00578 ] has been just been withdrawn as of 4th July 2017.
This was a scheme to add a 3-storey extension to the rear and side of the existing Victorian property at 17 North Parade to provide additional living and sleeping accommodation.
Our consultation response included the following comments:
The submitted drawings lack sufficient detail of the relative positions of existing windows of the directly adjacent properties, No18 North Parade and No 30 Government Road. The applicant/agent should be asked to include this additional information. Only then can any understanding of how the neighbours may be adversely affected by the scale of the extension be properly assessed.
The lack of a streetscene elevation along Government Road makes it impossible to understand how the direct neighbours at No 30 Government Road may be adversely affected by the scale of the extension. Proposed Elevation A on submitted drawing AL(–)017 should include the front elevation of No 30 Government Road to alleviate this.
It should be noted that No 30 Government Road has two existing windows at first floor level on the elevation facing this proposed rear extension. The submitted plans do not show the relative position of these existing windows and their close proximity to the proposed extension.
This planning application should be properly assessed to determine its effect on daylight and sunlight to neighbouring properties. We expect that the tests to be used for this assessment are those as set out in the Building Research Establishment (BRE) document ‘Site Layout Planning for Daylight and Sunlight: A guide to good practice (2011)’. In particular the 25° and the 45° rules for adjacent neighbours existing windows.
The application letter states that the submission is on behalf of the Hughes family who are looking to extend their family home with a ‘granny annex’ allowing their extended family to live with them. However this property is currently listed on AirBnB as available for short term rental of the whole house. See link below for property listing.
The March 2015 Deregulation Act, set rules to allow homeowners to let their property for up to 90 days a year.
Clearly if this whole property is being made available for short term let for more than 90 days a year it is no longer being used mainly as a private residence.
If the property is being used for a significant level of business activity this may effect the area and the owners of neighbouring property.
If this is the case then a change of use application should potentially be enforced as it can no longer be considered as solely a dwelling/home.
Only then could this property, should it be effectively operating as a guest house, be considered accordingly with regards to planning permission and any potentially adverse effects on the local area.
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