In this case, Sutton council had refused permission because the extensions to the house were quite large scale and because the house is located in an Area of Special Local Character (ASLC) where there are more planning protections.
In the appeal decision, the inspector accepted that the house is in an ASLC but pointed out that the house itself was not protected and also that it had been extended quite a lot in various ways in the past.
The inspector decided that the extensions would increase the size of the house but would improve its design. Permission was duly granted.
The planners can be reluctant to grant permission for extensions that change the original design of a house, but this decision shows that there is no reason in principle why this should not be allowed as long as it represents good design in and of itself.
This is our second win in Sutton in a few weeks – we also won an appeal in November for a larger-than-average ground floor extension, another example of a case where the planners at Sutton had been unwilling to grant permission for something that did not accord with their usual guidelines.
If you have been refused permission for extensions in Sutton, contact us now for some free advice on your chances of winning a planning appeal!
