Planning Appraisal Group - TrustNews March 08
You win some, you lose some. This has certainly been the case with appeal decisions made since our last TrustNews. The appeal to allow the demolition of Lang House, Chilbolton Avenue, a house of importance to the character of the road, has been dismissed. However, the appeal to build four covered courts at the Winchester Lawn Tennis Club, Bereweeke Road, and the appeal by Sunrise Senior Living to build a 3-storey 80-bed assisted living home on the sites of Warden Hill, Woodgate House and The Chestnuts, Stockbridge Road, have both been allowed.
Decisions have also be made on a number of applications mentioned earlier. The 375 residential units on Queen's Road, to be used by the University of Winchester, have been granted, as has the development on the site of the Royal Observer HQ, Abbotts Road, where we felt the style of the houses was not altogether satisfactory and that the development should not be gated. The proposal for alterations which we felt were very inappropriate at 3 Fordington Avenue has been withdrawn.
The partial demolition and rebuilding of 31 Nuns Road (NB not No 3 as stated last time) has been granted, something that obviously had to happen in view of the gap the unauthorised demolition has left in the terrace. We had objected to the proposal to install upvc windows, saying that new buildings can have efficient double-glazed timber windows; it is good to note that permission was given provided the new windows were of timber and matched the design and finish of the fenestration of the original building. We also considered it would be essential that everything (type of brick bond and mortar, etc) be undertaken in the way it would have been when the house was built, and urged that a very close eye should be kept on the rebuilding process.
The viewing panels have seen the usual quota of shop signs, extensions and loft conversions with dormers - mostly too large for the size of the existing house and few complying with the architectural description of a dormer window: A window placed vertically in a sloping roof and with a roof of its own. The name derives from the fact that it usually serves sleeping quarters. The requirements of sleeping quarters have clearly changed since this definition was made, because most of the so-called dormers we see seem more like sheds on the roof than windows.
While often welcoming contemporary schemes, we felt the minimalist shopfront proposed for 6B Parchment Street would be detrimental because it failed to relate to either the Listed Building or the character of the street, and we therefore strongly objected to the replacement of the existing shopfront.
Another contemporary scheme we found unacceptable was at Cranworth Hall, Cranworth Road, for a 4-storey block accommodating five 2- & 1-bed flats and a childcare nursery on the ground floor. Neither the demolition of the existing building nor the proposed use of the site was a problem: it was the inadequate details provided, the design and the ungainly appearance of the building we objected to, because we felt it would be both uncharacteristic of the locality and an intrusive element on this important route into Winchester.
We have also strongly objected to the second proposal by Banner Homes to demolish 17 Bereweeke Road, this time for 11 new dwellings. This Victorian house makes a considerable contribution to the character of the road, and although it was not claimed this substantial building is structurally unsound, the Sustainability Report quoted favourable values for replacing the existing structure with one of similar size that incorporated components desirable for sustainable development. The Trust wondered how relevant this was for a development consisting of five separate structures with their many external walls, especially as there was no indication that any of the suggested desirable components would be used in the development.
Another application to which the Trust has strongly objected is the Banner Homes proposal to demolish Kirtling House, 52 Chilbolton Avenue, to make way for 12 dwellings of very ordinary design. Again nothing was said about the building being structurally unsound (impossible, in view of the initial marketing ploy used for its sale), and the claim that the building had no architectural or historic importance and made less contribution than the boundary hedge seemed suspect for several reasons: hedges are ephemeral and can die and vanish, while the presence of the house (an original structure felt worth retaining in the LADS Area F) can be appreciated when travelling north along Chilbolton Avenue. We also disliked the access proposed to run immediately in front of the recent development at Nos 46-48.
There have been a number of evening presentations since the last TrustNews, some pre-application, while others were requested to provide additional details to ensure our comments were well informed.
Pre-application presentations included the demolition of Barnaby, Northbrook Avenue, for two 5-bedroom townhouses and two 2-bedroom apartments, which seemed acceptable and the conclusions made then have since been included in our comments, and the proposal to build on the land adjoining The Croft, St John's Street, for which we had presentations from both the developers and the local residents. The information provided by these presentations will be of great value when formulating the Trust's comments after the application for this scheme has been seen by the viewing panels.
Post-application presentations included a proposal to convert the barn of Wharf Farm, Wharf Hill, to residential use and build another 4 dwellings in the garden, to which we objected because it was felt the style of the new houses was not sympathetic to their surroundings and that too much was being crammed onto the site. We did not object to the three other schemes for which we had presentations, but made what we hope were helpful comments on the proposal to demolish the Stanmore Hotel, Stanmore Lane, for a 56-bed nursing home, the proposed 5-storey block of 75 residential student units at Erasmus Park Student Village, Easton Lane, and the 88 residential development in place of Highcroft, Romsey Road.
A busy start to the year!