THE DEMOLITION of a derelict structure in favour of a new bungalow in its place has been approved – but not without concern about on-site parking.
Permission to demolish what remains at Fir Tree Cottage, in Monument Lane, Chalfont St Peter was carried during an East Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee, on Tuesday, August 25 – but some members took issue with the site’s “cramped” specifications.
The applicant, Mr Lawrence Fenwick, sought conditional permission to tear down the existing building described as “dilapidated and derelict” in council documents – and in its place construct a four/five-bed chalet bungalow with three parking spaces and a new access point onto Monument Lane.
READ MORE: Planning permission denied as amended plot still ‘inadequate’
The existing structure has not been occupied “for a number of years” and is not considered habitable.
The plot itself is narrow, as is the garden which is expected to be approximately 15 metres in depth, as per the council standard. A bin storage area is also proposed.
Cllr Jonathan Rush called the application in for committee scrutiny, raising concerns about the proposal not respecting the character of the surrounding area “by virtue of its scale”.
He also claimed it does not “respond appropriately to existing adjacent buildings”.
However, “the proposed replacement dwelling is not considered to negatively impact upon the character and appearance of the area”, according to council documents.
Cllr Rush pointed to the proposed parking layout, arguing “there is just not enough space to manoeuvre”. His sentiments were echoed by Cllr Des Bray.
READ MORE: Plot with ‘long and troubled history’ has parking changes approved
Cllr Rush also said Monument Lane is a sloping “rat run” where cars speed “all the time”, and that the proposed development is on the bend which “impedes sightlines”.
He finished by saying the proposal ‘squeezes a house into a narrow plot which appears cramped in comparison with the surrounding area’. Four letters of objection received chimed with Cllr Rush’s overall case.
Cllr John Gladwin agreed with Cllr Rush, adding the proposed parking is “ridiculous” and the application should be rejected on that point alone. Cllr Jane MacBean also said the application should be rejected.
However, the senior planning officer present, Lucy Wenzel, said the highways authority considered the parking dimensions “sufficient” and sightline concerns are not “strong enough grounds to substantiate refusal”.
By close of business, members voted to approve the application.
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