Issue - meetings

Proposal Description: Proposed new 4-bedroom self-build house and garage within the rear garden of Dene Cottage.

The application was introduced. During public participation, Christopher Jenkins spoke in objection to the application, and Councillor Jon Woodman (on behalf of Swanmore Parish Council) spoke in objection to the application and answered members' questions.

Councillor Malcolm Wallace spoke as a ward member and expressed several points on behalf of residents which could be summarised as follows:

1.    He asked the committee to consider the fundamental planning question of whether the site was appropriate for development

2.    He acknowledged that whilst the site lay within the settlement boundary, the general presumption in favour of development was not unconditional and required proposals to respect the character, layout, and pattern of the area, and to comply with the Swanmore Village Design Statement.

3.    He highlighted that the proposal would disrupt the consistent pattern of development on New Road—which consisted of houses fronting the road with long rear gardens and a strong building line—by introducing an uncharacteristic form of back land development.

4.    He argued that physical capacity and access were not the primary tests, as the long rear gardens were a defining feature of the established pattern of the area rather than spare land.

5.    He felt that the proposal conflicted with the Swanmore Village Design Statement, which advised that garden plots should be protected from overdevelopment and inappropriate infilling, and that new developments must respect the scale, spacing, and relationship of neighbouring properties.

6.    He referenced a similar, nearby proposal, which was refused by the council because a rear garden dwelling was deemed cramped, inappropriate, harmful to character and residential amenity, and set an unwelcome precedent.

7.    He questioned the report's emphasis on the application being in outline form, stating that the concerns of residents and the parish council related to the principle of development in this location, which would be difficult to address at the reserved matters stage once established.

8.    He raised concerns regarding the precedent this development would set, warning that it would make resisting similar proposals difficult and could lead to a gradual, cumulative erosion of the area's character.

9.    He urged the committee to give weight to the strength of local concern, the policy context of the Village Design Statement, and the importance of maintaining the character of Swanmore when making their decision.

The committee proceeded to ask questions and debate the application. During discussion on the item, the committee received advice from the Legal Adviser regarding the statutory framework governing self-build and custom housebuilding, specifically regarding the relevance of the Self-build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015 and the council’s register as material planning considerations.

RESOLVED:

That the committee agreed to grant permission for the reasons and subject to the conditions and informatives set out in the report, in addition it was agreed that the subsequent reserved matters application be brought back to the committee for determination to ensure scrutiny of the detailed design, layout, and potential overlooking impacts on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9