Site: Garage Courts between 114-116 , Camwood Crescent, Lincoln, LN6 0PN

Application No: 2014/0912/RG3

Target Date:

Agent: Geoff Carter Architects

Applicant: City of Lincoln Council

Development: Erection of 4 semi-detached bungalows.

Background The application proposes 4 dwellings on an existing garage site located off Camwood Crescent. The buildings would be single storey and would be laid out in two pairs of semi-detached bungalows. Camwood Crescent is located within the Birchwood housing estate accessed from Dellfield Avenue. The site is currently occupied by 25 garages owned by the City of Lincoln Council. This is one of 5 sites currently put forward for housing development. The garages are currently laid out in three blocks, positioned on the boundaries of the site. The rear walls of the garages are positioned on the rear boundaries of 192-200 Woodfield Avenue, 1-6 Dellfield Avenue and 112-114 Camwood Crescent. The site would utilise the existing access between No. 114 and 116 Camwood Crescent. The proposed development would consist of 4 no. two bedroom bungalows with associated parking to the front of each plot. There is an existing garage within the garden on No. 13 Ebony Grove and access to this garage would be maintained through the proposal. The south, east and western boundaries would be defined by 1.8 metre high close boarded timber fence as part of this development. The wall defining the northern boundary would remain unchanged. It is worth noting that the properties would be built to the Lifetime Homes standard. Lifetime Homes are ordinary homes designed to incorporate 16 Design Criteria to support the changing needs of individuals and families at different stages of life. Housing that is designed to the Lifetime Homes Standard will be convenient for most occupants, including some (but not all) wheelchair users and disabled visitors, without the necessity for substantial alterations. A Lifetime Home will meet the requirements of a wide range of households, including families with push chairs as well as some wheelchair users. The additional functionality and accessibility it provides is also helpful to everyone in ordinary daily life. Case Officer Site Visit Undertaken on 13th February 2015.

Issues National and Local Planning Policy The principle of the development Impact on Visual amenity Impact on Residential amenity

Policies Referred to National Planning Policy Framework Policy 34 - Design and Amenity Standards Policy 56A - New Housing (Self-Contained)

Consultations Consultations were carried out in accordance with the Statement of Community Involvement, adopted May 2014. Responses Environmental Health Environmental Health Amy Barnard 3 Dellfield Avenue

Lincoln Lincolnshire LN6 0PT

Kathryn Fallon 13 Ebony Grove

An email has been received in response to the consultation process from 3 Dellfield Avenue. The rear garden of No. 3 backs onto the application site. The resident’s concerns relate to privacy, noise, appearance and loss of land. Comments have also been received from the owner of 13 Ebony Grove. The majority of the comments relate to how the building work will progress including time of year, boundary treatments during construction etc. The resident also raises concern with regarding to reversing out of her garage onto the development site. This is dealt with below under ‘other issues’. Consideration of Issues National and Local Planning Policy Paragraph 14 of the National Planning Policy Framework (the Framework) outlines that “at the heart of the National Planning Policy Framework is a presumption in favour of sustainable development, which should be seen as a golden thread running through both plan-making and decision-taking. For decision-taking this means:

approving development proposals that accord with the development plan without delay; and

where the development plan is absent, silent or relevant policies are out of date, granting permission unless:

any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits, when assessed against the policies in this Framework taken as a whole; or

specific policies in this Framework indicate development should be restricted.

Chapter 6, para 49 states that housing applications should be considered in the context of the presumption in favour of sustainable development.

The site is located within an area allocated as residential within the City of Lincoln Proposals Map and as such the following Polices require consideration. Policy 34 indicates that planning permission will be granted for new buildings as long as they meet the following requirements:

the scale, massing, height, design, external appearance and facing materials to be used in the development must complement the architectural style and townscape character of the locality;

the siting and layout of any new building or extension must ensure a satisfactory physical and functional relationship to adjoining buildings and streetscape;

the amenities which occupiers of neighbouring properties may reasonable expect to enjoy must not be harmed by, or as a result of, the development.

Policy 56A: New Housing (Self Contained) Planning permission will be granted for new, self-contained housing on sites within areas shown on the proposals map as being predominantly for residential use. ‘Self contained accommodation’ is that occupied by a single household and where the household has the exclusive use of living, dining and sleeping space, kitchen facilities, a w.c. and a bath or shower, all behind its own private door. The Principle of the Development Given the existing national and local planning policy and the predominantly residential use of the surrounding area it is considered that the proposed site is suitable for residential development and the proposal is therefore acceptable in principle. Visual Amenity A visit to the site established that the area has been subject to fly tipping and some of the garages have been vandalised whilst others have been unused for some time. Bringing the site forward for development would ensure that the site is put to a good use and would offer significant improvements to visual amenity. The proposed dwellings would be of a simple design, semi detached, single storey and constructed of red facing brick, concrete tiles and grey UPVC windows. Whilst a number of the surrounding properties are 2 or 3 storey it is considered that the proposed single storey would not be out of keeping in this location particularly as the existing garages are single storey. Furthermore there are a mixture of housing types and designs within the wider locality. The site is not directly visible from Camwood Crescent and I am satisfied that the development would sit comfortably within the site and would present a significant improvement to the visual amenity of this area. Residential Amenity Policy 34 of the Adopted Local Plan, along with Paragraphs 17, 59 and 123 of the NPPF, refer to the implications of development upon amenity. “The amenities which occupiers of neighbouring properties may reasonable expect to enjoy must not be harmed by, or as a result of, the development” It is therefore necessary to determine whether the proposals would result in any harmful implications upon amenity.

With regard to the impact on residential amenity, as the dwellings would be single storey there would be limited impact on the surrounding neighbouring properties. The proposed 1.8 metre close boarded fence to the neighbouring boundaries would ensure that privacy would be maintained to the gardens of the surrounding properties. Whilst the gable ends of the bungalows would be presented to the rear boundary of No. 1 Dellfield Avenue and the side boundary of No. 13 Ebony Grove, given the proposed properties would be single storey and have shallow pitched roofs, I am satisfied they will not appear unduly overbearing to the residents of the neighbouring properties. I am also satisfied sufficient separation is maintained between the existing properties on Camwood Crescent and Ebony Grove and that the occupants of these properties would not be unduly harmed by the proposal. The existing access road between No. 114 and 116 Camwood Crescent will be utilised for the proposed development. As this access has previously been used for access to the former garages, I am not concerned that noise and disturbance through vehicular access would be unduly harmful to the occupants of these surrounding properties. Other Issues Loss of Garages Whilst the proposal would result in the loss of garages, it is noted that given their size, the majority of the garages are used as storage. Furthermore, a parking space per dwelling would be provided as part of the development. In this instance, given that there is no on street parking restrictions in the area it is considered that there would be sufficient on street capacity for any cars currently using the garages for parking to be displaced. The access itself has been previously used for access for 25 garages. The Highway Authority have raised no objections to the proposal, subject to conditions regarding the access being completed before the use is implemented. I am satisfied that the continued use of the access for the 4 proposed dwellings would be acceptable and would not cause harm to highway safety. Access to the private garage in the garden of No. 13 Ebony Grove has been maintained as part of the development. The occupant of this property has raised concerns that no turning space is provided to access her garage although as the access is not public highway, would only serve 4 properties and the private garage would be accessed through council land, I do not consider that it would be unreasonable or unsafe for the occupant to reverse onto the access road without a turning space. Furthermore, the Highway Authority have raised no objection to this situation and I therefore consider this would not cause harm to highway safety. Conclusion It has been demonstrated that the development of the site for the use proposed is acceptable in principle given that the area is shown on the proposals map as being predominantly for residential use as outlined in Policy 56A. In terms of the appearance of the proposed buildings it is considered that the design takes into account the local area in accordance with policy set out within the NPPF. The proposed use would not have an adverse impact on the amenity currently enjoyed by local residents. This is therefore in accordance with Policy 34 of the Local Plan.

Financial Implications None. Legal Implications None. Application Negotiated Either at Pre-Application or During Process of Application No. Equality Implications None. Application Determined Within Target Date No – But extension of time agreed.

Recommendation Deemed consent with conditions Conditions Development to commence within three years Development to be in accordance with plans Contaminated Land Landscaping scheme Standard highway condition regarding the access Report by: Planning Manager

Access to the site from Camwood Crescent

View towards Ebony Grove

View towards to rear of Ebony Grove

View towards the rear of Dellfield Avenue

View towards the rear of Camwood Crescent

Point A - I am the home owner of 13 Ebony Grove, my property wall runs the full length of the proposed development – there is a mention of 1.8 m timber fence along my wall – surely this will cause no man’s land in between my wall and the fence, for litter, and vermin to get into – also I will be unable to treat my fence – this was only ever put up for privacy from people walking through the garages. It is not more feasible to take down my brick wall (up to my conservatory extension and replace with the 1.8 m timber fence (Council’s responsibility)? This would have to be solid and sturdy as I have dogs. Also I am somewhat concerned that the existing wall may not be strong enough to with stand the ground movements caused by the proposed construction work that will be undertaken with the diggers, dumper, tippers, rollers etc that will be accessing the garage site. This wall came with the house when I bought it so I have no idea of foundations levels etc. Point B – access to my garage has been retained, but from the plans it appears that if I drive into my garage I will have to reverse the full length of the garages to get out ? Is this correct, as surely this is a health and safety regard – in case of children playing etc. Surely I need somewhere where I can reverse out of and turn the car around to then drive out front ways. This appears to be an accident waiting to happen if I have to reverse the full length of the development when cars will be incoming as well. Point C – the access to the garages at Ebony Grove, it mentions “ at the appropriate time it will be stopped up with the option to including into adjacent front gardens”. What is the appropriate time as until this is blocked up there is the chance that the local kids will congregate in there, as it will cause a little shelter. Also, rubbish will blow into it and it will be unappealing to look at. If this is incorporated into mine and my neighbours garden, will I be given a new brick wall surrounding my garden as the only way to incorporate the extra space is to knock it down. I take it this will be done free of charge for both of us and the wall at the front would also have to be done otherwise it would not match? I am not against the proposal building works, I am actually all for it, but I need to know that my property will not be hindered by the works or left worse than when you started with other problems that maybe are not foreseen at present. Contact Kathryn Fallon 13 Ebony Grove Birchwood Lincoln LN6 0PW Neighbour Comments