Council criticises proposed spacing between homes

NEIGHBOURS have criticised plans to build a three-bedroom house in an infill plot in Tokers Green.

Ian Hart has applied to South Oxfordshire District Council for permission to build the
1.5-storey home on a 10.3m wide plot next to his own home, White House.

Joanna Feast and Chris Marchal, of Rosebury Road, described the plans as “inappropriate overdevelopment”.

Under Dr Hart’s proposal, there would be a 1.2m and 1.6m gap between the new house and his own and Ms Feast’s homes, respectively.

The council has received
26 objections so far from villagers who believe the development would be “overbearing” and impose on neighbours’ privacy.

Ms Feast told a meeting of Kidmore End Parish Council on Wednesday last week that she wished to convey the “weight of feeling” within the community of the inappropriate nature of the development.

She also shared complaints from the neighbouring property at the rear of the site, in Gaskells End, which included light pollution resulting from ongoing work to add an extension to the property, which Dr Hart was granted permission for last year after
18 residents objected.

Ms Feast said: “We’re here today to say how strongly the community feels about the proposed development.

“Because of what has been happening on the site at the White House we also today are representing the views of those at Gaskells End, because of the intrusive nature of the light that comes from White House, particularly at night.

“We don’t know, but we believe that the development there is as yet unfinished, so we’re hoping there will be conditions that can be put in place before that will be completed so that the intrusiveness at Gaskells End properties and also to the nature and the environment will be remedied.

“Considering the nature of the development that has already been done, the general feeling is of the lack of trust that this would be done with the environment in mind but also with the privacy of the residents in mind as well.”

Dr Hart’s previous attempt to build a four-bedroom, 1.5-storey house on the plot was turned down on appeal by the planning inspectorate in April, as it was found to conflict with the neighbourhood development plan.

Dr Hart also spoke at the meeting and told councillors the new application addressed concerns about scale in the previous application by reducing the massing and stepping the roof.

He said: “On the point of spacing in between houses, the parish council report attached to this application states that the typical gaps in Rosebury Road are five to eight metres and I think if you walk down Rosebury Road or look on Google Maps on three-dimensional view, many of the gaps are actually closer to one or two metres.

“Our proposal keeps
1.2 metres on one side and two metres on the other and I would argue a stepped ridge line gives a sense of spacing beyond those distances. There is a huge and beautiful yew tree on the boundary in [the neighbour’s] Furrows garden which will break up the views to some extent.

“We propose to the move the hedge, which is at the side of our house to replant in forward and that’s quite big, over three metres high, so will give more of a leafy aspect to the street scene.”

Councillor Andrew Harland, who sits on the planning committee,  said the proposed spacing between the new house and White House left no provision for privacy or a fence between properties.

He said: “If you live in the White House, when you open the kitchen windows, you can’t actually walk down that path because the windows will block you, that’s because it’s so close, there is no provision for a fence or privacy between the two properties.”

The council resolved to object to the application on the basis of harm to neighbour amenity.

The district council aims to reach a decision by December 10.