Agenda item

Ward: Steyning

Applicant: Mr Cameron Robertson-Aitken

The Head of Development reported that this application sought permission for the erection of two 3-bedroom dwellings and the conversion of a barn to the south-west of the site into one 1-bedroom dwelling.  Three on-site parking spaces were proposed.

The two dwellings would be adjacent to the northern boundary with their own amenity space and include timber cladding, facing brick and render, and full height glazing to the south, east and west elevations, with high level windows on the northern elevation.

The application site was located in the centre of Steyning and comprised the rear yard of the Grade II Listed Building which was the subject of applications DC/17/2625 and DC/17/2626, and a timber frame and flint barn that was adjacent to Charlton Street and south of Carters Barn, the neighbouring property. 

Details of relevant government and council policies and relevant planning history, as contained within the report, were noted by the Committee. The responses from statutory internal and external consultees, as contained within the report, were considered by the Committee.

The Local Member stated that he had asked for the four applications relating to 37 High Street, Steyning to come to Committee in March 2018 before successful negotiations with the applicant to secure the provision of an affordable housing contribution. He had not requested the applications be brought to this meeting, as stated in the report, but understood that his fellow Local Member would have asked it to be brought to Committee.

The Vice-Chairman of the Committee had raised a number of concerns. The Parish Council objected to the application.  One letter of objection had been received. One member of the public spoke in objection to the application and the applicant’s planning consultant addressed the Committee in support of the proposal. A representative of the Parish Council spoke in objection to the application.

Members considered the officer’s planning assessment which indicated that the key issues for consideration in determining the proposal were:  the principle of development; design and appearance; heritage impacts; residential amenity; highways; and affordable housing contribution.

Members discussed concerns regarding: the design of the new dwellings, which Members considered did not relate sympathetically to the surrounding conservation area; the scale and mass of the dwellings in relation to the application site and wider area; and the lack of sufficient parking provision and its impact on the nearby public highway.

RESOLVED

That planning application DC/17/2620 be refused for the following reasons:

(i)      The proposed new-build dwellings, by reason of their unsympathetic siting, scale, form, design and use of materials, represents an overdevelopment of the site and a form of development that would harm the special character and distinctiveness of the surrounding built heritage of the Steyning Conservation Area and adjacent listed buildings, contrary to Policies 33 and 34 of the Horsham District Planning Framework.

(ii)     The proposed development, by reason of the absence of sufficient parking both onsite and in the surrounding area, would fail to provide for adequate and suitably located parking to cater for the demand generated by the development thereby resulting in increased potential for anti-social parking in the area, contrary to Policy 41 of the Horsham District Planning Framework.