A Huge Crane Towers Over Marshside Southport

The application site is situated in an area designated as Primarily Residential. It is located conveniently within close proximity of bus routes, local shops, schools and all other amenities. It can therefore be considered to be located in a highly sustainable location.

The Site

The site is an existing vacant plot of land located off Knob Hall Lane. The site had the benefit of

Planning Approval for a detached dormer bungalow reference S/2010/1617 dated 10.02.2011.

The site identified for the proposed dwelling is approximately 900m2 to be severed from the land belonging to 78 Knob Hall Lane, with the remaining land retained by 78 Knob Hall Lane as identified on the site plan submitted with the planning application. .

To the West is a semi detached dormer bungalow and to the east the existing two storey dwelling at no. 78. There is an extensive garden to the rear to be transferred to the proposed property. To the rear of the existing property is a concrete hardstanding which is the base of a garage being constructed. The side wall of the garage will form the rear boundary to the garden retained by no. 78.

The site is generally fenced in by masonry walls and concrete post / timber panel fencing.

Design and Access Statement – Land to the side of 78 Knob Hall Lane. “2

Planning Policy

Sefton Council Planning Policy

The application site is within the Primarily Residential Area identified in the Councils UDP plan.

There are no housing restrictions currently being applied as the number of dwellings being constructed is less than the defined requirement for houses in the Borough. With a severe shortage of housing new housing development should be positively encouraged.

The proposal here is for a single dwelling. The dwelling will be located on a public highway and in a predominantly residential area and will sit with the front elevation on the building line formed by existing properties. Physical boundaries will be retained.

The principle of a dwelling being located on the site was established with a prior approval identified above.

National Planning Policy : National Planning Policy Framework

In addition to these local policies the site also needs to be looked at in the context of National Policy and the new National Planning Policy Framework. This document was published in March 2012 and supersedes a raft of previous legislation including PPS3 (Housing), PPS4 (Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth), PPS Delivering Sustainable Development and PPS 12 (Local Spatial PLanning) amongst many others.

At the heart of the NPPF is the presumption in favour of sustainable development. This means that Local Authorities should:-

positively seek opportunities to meet the development needs of their area

develop a Plan which meets objectively assessed needs with flexibility to adapt to rapid change.

The core planning principles include a proactive drive and support of sustainable economic de- velopment to deliver the homes the country needs.

Design and Access Statement – Land to the side of 78 Knob Hall Lane. “3

The NPPF states that housing applications should be considered in the context of the pre- sumption in favour of sustainable development. Relevant policies for the supply of housing should not be considered up to date if the LPA cannot demonstrate a 5 year supply of deliver- able housing sites. It is the case in Sefton that this supply level cannot be demonstrated .

Paragraph 53 indicates that “inappropriate’” development of residential gardens should be re- sisted, but for the reasons stated above this proposal cannot be considered inappropriate in that it is a common form of development in the area, provides a single dwelling in the primarily residential area, retains the street frontage and does not cause harm to the character of the area.

Given that the site is within the settlement area and therefore in a sustainable location we be- lieve an application for residential development on this site should be considered positively.

Access

Access to the new dwelling is via a new driveway formed on Knob Hall Lane. It will be formed to allow access to both the new dwelling and also to two parking spaces at the front of 78 Knob Hall Lane. The wide access will have the advantage of allowing vehicles to pull over to allow traffic to pass on the narrow street (Knob Hall Lane).

A 2.5m wide access will be provided to the east side of the new dwelling giving access to a hardstanding area and the approved garage. The remaining land at the rear will be garden.

We do not consider that the access will cause any harm to the amenity of residents and this can be more clearly evaluated on site.

The finished floor level of the proposed dwelling is to be raised approximately 750mm above existing site levels to comply with the flood risk assessment (see below). The property is to be accessed from street level via a ramp or stairs and will have level access in accordance with the requirements of the Buildng Regulations. Principle entrance doors to the dwellings will have a large single leaf door with minimum clear opening of 800mm.

The proposed dwelling is provided with a ground floor W.C, compliant with the requirements of the Building Regulations.

Design and Access Statement – Land to the side of 78 Knob Hall Lane. “4

Landscape and Ecology

The proposal will be subject to the requirement for 3 new trees being planted on site in accor- dance with Policy DQ3. As indicated on plan there is ample room to accommodate these trees. There are no ecology issues relating to the site.

Layout and Scale

The layout of the site is shown in the Site Plan submitted with the application. The orientation and position of the house has been dictated by the street scene and building line and by recommended interface distances to surrounding dwellings whilst at the same time maximising the developable potential of the site to accommodate a purpose designed family home.

There are no windows on the east and west sides of the proposed dwelling, other than obscure glazed bathroom windows, and there will be no overlooking issues with neighbouring dwellings.

The rear garden is south facing maximising the potential for natural heat gain to the rear of the dwelling.

Full details of the proposal can be seen clearly in supporting documents as part of the full application.

Design and external appearance.

Whilst there is a wide variety of dwellings in terms of scale and appearance in the immediate vicinity the most appropriate approach for the proposed dwelling is to reference the existing dwelling at 78 Knob Hall Lane. This includes the true two storey form with hipped roofs and windows set in openings. It is a simple and traditional form entirely in character with the residential location.

Materials in the immediate location are a mix of brick and render. It is proposed that the dwelling will be rendered with a brick plinth course. The materials will be consistent with the surroundings including stone sills which sensitively compliment the local aesthetic. The property

is provided with a chimney which is consistent with the existing property at 78.

Design and Access Statement – Land to the side of 78 Knob Hall Lane. “5

The roof is proposed as a hipped roof which softens the relationship with and prevents overbearing of the dormer bungalow to the west. (no. 74).

The new property is generally located 1,500mm from the west boundary with a pinch point where the existing boundary wall is to be retained of 900mm. This point is beyond the rear elevation of the adjacent bungalow. The gap between the new property and 78 is proposed to be 3,550mm. Eaves will be approximately 5,000mm above finished floor level with the ridge approximately 8,600mm above FFL.

The proposed dwelling is comparable in size and height to the existing dwelling

Flood Risk

A flood risk assessment is provided with the application documents. .

The site is on the edge of flood risk zone 2 but within an area widely developed with residen- tial property with large numbers closer to the potential flood source than the existing property. The proposal will not impact or exacerbate risk of flooding of any other properties in the area and is no larger in footprint than the outbuildings that formerly occupied the site.

To ensure safety in the dwelling the following measures will be incorporated:-

1.

2.

Floor level raised to 6.50 AOD.
Concrete floor with built in water barriers to prevent water rising throughout the floor.

3.
above finished floor level.

All electrical sockets, switches and circuitry to be installed a minimum of 1000mmm

4. Other services kept to a similar level.

5. Waterproof and resistant materials to be incorporated to minimise flood damage to the building fabric.

Design and Access Statement – Land to the side of 78 Knob Hall Lane. “6

Summary & Conclusion

The proposal will provide a much needed and high quality family dwelling in a popular residential area on a vacant and appropriate plot of land. A carefully considered design will sit comfortably within the plot. Provisions will be made to eliminate any potential disruption to the adjacent neighbours associated with access to the dwelling..

The site lies within a Primarily Residential Area where new residential development is acceptable and is in accordance with policy constraints.

The proposed site demonstrates that a dwelling can be accommodated on this site as all minimum interface distances are met, as set out in SPG New Housing Development. Windows to side elevations are kept to an absolute minimum and to be obscure glazed where present to prevent overlooking or compromising privacy.

The scale and proposed height of the building are consistent with the location. The roof is to be hipped which reduces any potential impact on neighbours.

The access is carefully designed to allow access to both the new property and no.78 and provide a wider road section to allow on street passing.

We consider that the proposal will preserve the character of the area and will not have a significant detrimental impact on the amenity of neighbours. As such we feel that the proposal complies with Seftons UDP policies CS3, H10 & AD2 and meets the provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework.