Council case officers can be reluctant to grant permission for extensions to the front of a house, worried that they cause harm to the streetscene.
This house is also in a conservation area, where there are additional protections intended to preserve the special character and appearance of heritage assets.
Where case officers see that a house is in a conservation area, they tend, as a reflex, to refuse permission.
However, the correct approach is to examine carefully why the area has been designated as a conservation area and what contribution that particular house makes. In this case, we were able to show that the special character of the area came from the park behind the terraced row and that only the rears of the houses make a meaningful contribution to the conservation area.
The front of the houses, where the extension was proposed, were attractive but not specially protected. There was also considerable variety along the street, with lots of extensions to houses.
We were delighted when the inspector agreed to our reasoning and allowed the appeal. Contact our lovely planning consultants if you find yourself in a similar situation!
