Positive response received for pre-application discussions with Local Planning Authority for new house in Prees, Whitchurch, Shropshire.

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Following an initial consultation with the client En-Plan: Planing & Architecture drafted a pre-application proposal to Shropshire County Council Planning Department showing how we could place a new residential unit in the rear curtilage of an existing house in the village of Prees in North Shropshire.  The proposal utilised the existing pattern of development and previously approved applications in the locality to demonstrate that  a new unit in the location proposed would not have a detrimental impact upon the character of the area. 

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The Site

33 Harvern Gardens is a semi-detached dwelling house, situated within a cul-de-sac in the village of Prees. The site currently occupies the main dwelling house and a detached small outbuilding located to the rear of the garden area. The site is surround by residential dwelling to all boundaries and access is gained from the cul-de-sac road to the north. Prees is identified as a community cluster in the Site Allocations and Management of Development (SAMDev) Plan and has a development boundary. The site is located within the village development boundary of Prees.

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Prees is a small village and civil parish located in Shropshire, England. It is situated in the northern part of Shropshire, close to the border with Cheshire. Prees is situated in a rural area of North Shropshire, and it is roughly 9 miles north of the town of Whitchurch. The surrounding area is known for its agricultural activities, and farming plays a significant role in the local economy. Prees is served by the nearby Prees railway station, which is on the Welsh Marches Line, providing rail connections to destinations like Shrewsbury and Crewe. The village is also located near the A49 road, which offers good road access to other parts of Shropshire and neighboring counties. Prees is a relatively small village, but it typically has essential amenities such as local shops, a village hall, and a church to serve the needs of its residents. The village is surrounded by picturesque countryside and farmland, making it an attractive location for those who appreciate rural living and outdoor activities. Prees is known for its quiet and rural character, offering a peaceful setting for its residents. As with any location, the specific details about Prees may change over time, so for the most up-to-date information about the village and its amenities, it's advisable to consult local sources or official websites.

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Planning Issues

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The site lies within the community cluster for Prees, as identified in the SAMDev Plan. Therefore, the proposal falls to be assessed against adopted Core Strategy policies CS1 and CS4. As a proposal for open market housing, the proposal therefore is look upon as sustainable development. The SAMDev Plan provides a detailed map showing the development boundary and detailed policy setting out the development guidelines for the community Cluster. Within policy S18 (at S18.2(i)) the housing guideline for the cluster is:
 

S18.2(i): Prees and Prees Higher Heath Community Cluster.

Prees and Prees Higher Heath are a Community Cluster which will provide future housing growth of around 100 dwellings over the period to 2026. This will be delivered through the development of two allocated sites in Prees, together with development of infilling, groups of houses and conversions on suitable sites within the development boundary identified on the Policies Map for both villages. In considering applications for infilling development the preference will be for schemes to create a suitable road frontage, avoiding further back-land development, and for a maximum of three dwellings….’

The application site is located within a residential area and is surrounded by residential development to all boundaries, with the highway to the south. Therefore, this development would be considered as infill development in policy terms and would not result in the loss of open countryside land or back land development.

Therefore, the key factor in determining this proposal is assessing whether there would be any significant impact or harm because of the proposed development that would outweigh the benefits.

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Design

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The points listed below will need to be considered at the full application stage and the applicant will need to submit full detailed drawings, the development must ensure that no impact on the surrounding residential amenity is caused and would not result in the following:-
• Over development of the site
• Sufficient amenity land to support the proposed
• Overlooking
• Loss of Privacy
• Overbearing Impact
• Loss of Light
• Noise & Disturbance
Due to the site’s location, and the existing surrounding residential development to all boundaries, and the highway to the south / west, any new openings will have the potential to look out to the neighbouring properties and their amenity areas.

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Highways

Policy CS6 'Sustainable Design and Development Principles' of the Shropshire Core Strategy indicates that proposals likely to generate significant levels of traffic should be located in accessible locations where there are opportunities for walking, cycling and use of public transport can be maximised and the need for car-based travel to be reduced. This policy also indicates that development should be designed to be safe and accessible to all.

SAMDev Policy MD2: ‘Sustainable Design’ states that development must be designed in such a way as to not result in an unacceptable adverse impact on local infrastructure, for example adequate onsite car parking should be incorporated within a development site to ensure that cars do not overspill onto surrounding roads and therefore negatively impacting on the local road network.
 

The Council Planning Highways Technician who has provided the following response: -
The principle of the proposed dwelling served off the turning head of Cricket Meadow is likely to be acceptable from a highways perspective, subject to the site being served via a satisfactory access, parking and turning facilities being commensurate with the local conditions and highway safety.

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Drainage

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The Council's Flood Risk and Water Management Team who have provided the following response:-
The technical details submitted for this Planning Application have been appraised by WSP UK Ltd, on behalf of Shropshire Council as Local Drainage Authority. All correspondence/feedback must be directed through to Shropshire Council’s Development Management Team.

1. The use of soakaways should be investigated in the first instance for surface water disposal. Percolation tests and the sizing of the soakaways should be designed in accordance with BRE Digest 365. Full details, calculations, dimensions and location plan of the percolation tests and the proposed soakaways should be submitted for approval. Surface water should pass through a silt trap or catchpit prior to entering the soakaway to reduce sediment build up within the soakaway. The site is identified as being at moderate risk of groundwater flooding. The level of water table should be determined if the use of infiltration techniques are being proposed. Should soakaways are not feasible, drainage calculations should limit the discharge rate from the site equivalent to 5.0 l/s runoff rate should be submitted for approval. The attenuation drainage system should be designed so that storm events of up to 1 in 100 year + 35% for climate change will not cause flooding of any property either within the proposed development or any other in the vicinity.

2. Urban creep is the conversion of permeable surfaces to impermeable over time e.g. surfacing of front gardens to provide additional parking spaces, extensions to existing buildings, creation of large patio areas.
The appropriate allowance for urban creep must be included in the design of the drainage system over the lifetime of the proposed development. The allowances set out below must be applied to the impermeable area within the property curtilage:
Residential Dwellings per hectare Change allowance % of impermeable area
Less than 25 10
30 8
35 6

45 4
More than 50 2
Flats & apartments 0
Note: where the inclusion of the appropriate allowance would increase the total impermeable area to greater than 100%, 100% should be used as the maximum. Curtilage” means area of land around a building or group of buildings which is for the private use of the occupants of the buildings.

3. If non permeable surfacing is used on the new access, driveway and parking area or the new access slopes toward the highway, the applicant should submit for approval a drainage system to ensure that no surface water runoff from the new access run onto the highway.

4. The proposed method of foul water sewage disposal should be identified and submitted for approval, along with details of any agreements with the local water authority and the foul water drainage system should comply with the Building Regulations H2.

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Community Infrastructure Levy

Policy CS9 'Infrastructure Contributions' of the Shropshire Core Strategy indicates that development that provides additional dwellings or residential extensions over 100 square metres should help deliver more sustainable communities by making contributions to the local infrastructure. The arrangements for the use of the levy funds are detailed in the Local Development Frame Implementation Plan.
Outline applications will be liable to pay CIL when the development is built, but as the liability is calculated at Reserved Matters stage there is no need to submit any CIL forms with the outline application. Liability for CIL accompanies the last reserved matters consent, and is calculated on the levy rates that are applicable at that date (CIL Regulation 8(4)). If an outline application includes phasing of development, each phase is treated as a separate development for the purpose of paying CIL. As above, the CIL

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Conclusion

The site falls within the development boundary for Prees, and the proposed dwelling is to be located on an area of residential garden land. The application site is located within a residential area and is surrounded by residential development to the north / east and north / west, with the highway to the south / west. Therefore, this development would be considered as infill development.

Due to the site location Council do have concerns that the proposed scheme will result in harm to the nearby existing residential amenity, with regards to the loss of privacy, overlooking and the potential overbearing impact being caused, therefore if an application was to be submitted officers would advised that the orientation and design of the proposed dwelling is carefully considered to ensure minimal harm is caused to the existing properties and residence.

Taking into account the above considerations the Council offered their backing to a formal application being submitted at a later date, whihc is encouraging for the onwers.

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Further Information

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If you would like to find out more about how our Planning Consultancy and Architectural Design Services can work in perfect sync to achieve a successful outcome in the planning system please CONTACT US and we will be only too happy to talk through any questions or development proposals you may have.

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