PLANNING chiefs at Warrington are being recommended to throw out a retrospective application for permission for a conservatory by a woman suffering from a disabling medical condition.
The scheme in Warren Road, Appleton has already been rejected once by the borough’s development management committee and is the subject of an appeal.
But a slightly amended version has been submitted to the committee – and officers are again recommending it be refused.
More than 40 nearby residents are supporting the applicant, Mrs Christine Tickle.
The applicant’s GP has told the council the applicant has multiple medical problems and is significantly disabled by them. As a result, she has difficulty climbing the stairs to go to bed and has added the conservatory to provide a ground floor bedroom.
Officers say the conservatory is highly visible on the street scene and fails to harmonise with the original building.
“The conservatory appears overly prominent and incongruous with the character of the area to the detriment of wider visual amenity,” they say.
Although the personal circumstances of an applicant can be considered, the Government’s advice is that they seldom outweigh more general planning considerations.
Neighbours and local councillor Judith Wheeler are supporting the applicant and say the development has not detrimental impact on the area.
The controversial conservatory
Disabled woman’s ground floor bedroom plan opposed
99 Comments
9 Comments
How is it that the brain dead always get employment in Planning?
Absolutely ridiculous. The lady clearly needs this down stairs room and with 40 residents and even her doctor showing support it beggers belief that the council planners are still refusing it.
Not only that the conservatory looks really nice and DOES NOT impact on the ‘street scene’ nor is is affecting ‘visual amenity’ of the street. WBC Planners need to get a grip and show some compassion too.
Will the lady have to demolish her lovely conservatory if the retrospective application and/or appeal are refused?
I live near this lady and tonight they refused planning I cant not believe it, I would love anyone of them to walk a day in her shoes
According to the planning portal most of the time you don’t need planning permission for a conservatory anyway as it falls under ‘permitted development’ subject to certain limits and conditions being met.
Reading through the list this lady’s seems to meet all the ‘permitted development’ conditions including the one that says ‘No extension/conservatory should be forward of the principal elevation or side elevation fronting a highway’.
Hers looks to line up with both the existing side and front elevations so what is the problem ??
I wonder how many schemes of similar size have been rubber stamped by our “planning chiefs” on the advice of planning officers, when it has been as plain as a pike staff to the locals the scheme is “highly visible, overly prominent, incongruous and harmful to the local amenity?”
This is absolutely outrageous. I live further up in Warren Road and pass this conservatory every day. The construction fits in with the local existing buildings perfectly well (I thought they must have had an argument with the builder) this lady obviously needs this extra downstairs room to be able to maintain a reasonably comfortable life. Rules are made for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools. Let’s hope the planning dept can adopt a holistic view of this matter and quickly allow completion of this room.
Hi thank you for your comment, but sadly tonight it has ben refused, I live near this lady and I really like it and I know she needs this.
Planning officers say the conservatory is “highly visible on the street scene and fails to harmonise with the original building” and “it appears overly prominent and incongruous with the character of the area to the detriment of wider visual amenity”
That conservatory has been well designed and looks as though it could be part of the original building rather than a later addition. Over 40 local residents support the application, so they obviously don’t have a problem with it’s appearance. Who carried out the impact assessment? Whilst there is always a degree of ‘subjectivity’ in visual assessment in cases like this the weight should surely fall in favour of the many people who live nearby not the personal opinion of a council officer (note: whose purpose in this regard is to protect the public interest).
There seems to be such a great deal of inconsistency in Warrington planning officers recommendations – an investigation by the LGO might be appropriate.
I went to the meeting tonight and they refused planning, I know this lady and live very close, not only do I think it looks great but I know it will make a massive change to her quality of life, thank you for your support.