Appeal win for an extension to a ground floor flat in Lambeth

We are delighted with our recent appeal win for a basement extension in Lambeth, to change a 2 bedroom flat into a 4 bedroom duplex apartment.
The London Borough of Lambeth Planning Department had initially refused consent for the excavation of the existing basement to create additional living accommodation for 2 main reasons, summarised as:

• Concerns over the siting, design and mass of the built form;
• The overall impact of the proposed design on neighbouring amenity.

We were approached to review the refused application and come up with a robust strategy to support the proposed development at appeal.

Adding value by analysing site context and substantiating with local precedents

After a thorough site appraisal and review of similar extensions in the immediate vicinity, it became apparent that the nature of the site gradient played a great deal in the overall design strategy, something we noticed had been missed by the Planning Officer. This key information together with a summary of a number of similar permitted extensions in the area, gave rise to a solid platform on which our appeal argument was based.
Our in-depth research on similar extensions in the same road enabled us to demonstrate that:

• Light wells were a common theme in similarly situated extensions;
• The size, depth and proposed materials were in-keeping with the local aesthetic;
• The design was consistent with neighbouring rear-extensions;
• Over-looking would be limited by virtue of the characteristics of the site and the existing trees providing additional screening;
• The sloping site would reduce the impact and perceived mass of the proposals.

We were delighted that the Planning Inspector agreed with our key arguments and that the appeal was allowed and planning permission granted.

About Us:

We are a team of knowledgeable planners and urban designers who go the extra mile for our clients. We add value to numerous applications; from householder enquiries to commercial units and development opportunities. If you need professional planning support on our project, contact the team to see how we can best assist: enquiries@plainview.co.uk
IMAGE SOURCE: CLPD 2017