Conversion of garage to home in South Derbyshire secured on appeal

PDP_Garage Dwelling

Planning & Design Practice have been successful in securing planning permission at appeal for the conversion of a garage to a dwelling in the village of Burnaston in south Derbyshire.

The client contacted us having had planning permission refused with very little contact from the council. We reviewed the scheme and amended the proposals in a way which we felt addressed some key weaknesses in the original submission. Unfortunately, the council still felt that the application was objectionable had concerns relating to the impact upon the character and appearance of the area, overlooking into a neighbouring property and highway safety. The overlooking issue was addressed by the relocation of a window and the inspector was content that there would be adequate space for future occupiers to manoeuvre and access the parking space using the shared private drive.

With regards the impact on the character and appearance of the area, the inspector felt that due to the scale of the garage building, which is located between the existing dwelling and the road, and because limited alterations are proposed, the new dwelling would still read as a subordinate building within the group of dwellings and the wider streetscene. The scheme would therefore not look out of place within the mixed streetscene and would maintain the character and appearance of the area.

Our client was naturally delighted with the news, particularly having had a challenging few months personally.

“We were delighted with the news, especially as we had prepared ourselves for disappointment. It was a rocky start to the process, during which we also experienced some other difficulties unrelated to the planning application, but which only added to our challenges. At every stage the team at PDP were approachable, and clear in the next steps and what could be achieved. Throughout the process PDP continued to strive to ensure that we received the best customer service and the whole team were professional and supportive in the management our expectations. This news has come at a perfect time to enhance our future plans. We would most certainly recommend PDP to others.”

This case was a prime example of a homeowner looking to make better use of their existing property. We are getting more and more enquiries along these lines, particularly since the start of the pandemic when circumstances and priorities have changed. The Inspector’s decision is perhaps recognition that the presumption should be in favour of allowing people to do this provided it would not lead to any significant harm in planning terms.

If you are looking to re-purpose any land or buildings or are simply keen to explore the options please get in touch.

Richard Pigott, Director, Planning & Design Practice Ltd

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