_Report of Handling
North Lanarkshire Council · 22 March 2023
Back to Local Review Body — 22 March 2023 and its agenda
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DELEGATED REPORT
PLANNING APP No: 22/01029/PPP
Date Application Valid: 9 September 2022
Proposal Subdivision of plot to create single dwellinghouse (in principle)
Address 254 Bonkle Road
Newmains
North Lanarkshire
ML2 9QQ
Case Officer:
Ann McGregor
Local Plan Policies
PP3 Purpose of Place
AD3 Amount of Development
EDQ1 Site Appraisal
EDQ3 Quality of Development
Planning History
19/00772/FUL Single storey side and rear extension
22/01029/PPP Subdivision of plot to create single dwellinghouse (in principle)
Site Assessment
Date(s)
Weekly List Date 15 September 2022
Neighbour
Notification Sent 14 September 2022 Neighbour Notification
Expiry Date 5 October 2022
Advert Date 28 September 2022 Advert Expiry Date
Report
Detailed Considerations:
Siting
The application site lies opposite Bonkle House Hotel (Auchter House) on the southeast side of Bonkle Road. Bonkle
House Hotel is a 17th century style gabled villa and Grade C listed building (c1886). The site is not situated in
Conservation Area but stands adjacent to the site of the early settlement of Auchter Brigend, which was abandoned in
1654, before Bonkle itself was founded in the late eighteenth century.
The site occupies an area of garden ground situated to the side and rear of a detached single storey property at 254
Bonkle Road, built c1940-45 ('the host building'). The host building has a slate pitched roof, grey/buff rendered external
walls and contains a small rear extension. It is set within a sizeable plot of 1633 square metres which is enclosed to
the front by a hedge and to the west by mature trees, hedges and shrubbery. The eastern boundary of the plot is
defined by a timber post and wire fence. The rear boundary is more open but is defined by low lying dense vegetation
beyond which lie fields up to the edge of the A71.
Properties opposite and to the east of 254 Bonkle Road were built between the period 1904 and 1939, typically within
long feu plots with short front gardens and dwarf walling or hedge enclosures. Whilst several plots along this stretch of
Bonkle Road (north and south side of the road) have been extended and/or contain outbuildings and garages in rear
gardens, they have nevertheless maintained their original plot characteristics with no subdivision of plots having taken
place to date.
Design and Materials
The application is submitted in principle only, therefore matters concerning detailed design, external materials and
landscaping are reserved for future consideration.
A block plan submitted in support of the application provides an indication of the site layout and footprint of the
dwelling. The proposed dwelling would be located to the rear of the host dwelling and would have a footprint of approx.
75-80 square metres.
Daylight/Sunlight
It is assumed that a new single storey dwelling could be accommodated in the rear garden of the plot without
adversely impacting the daylight and sunlight of the host building and/or neighbouring properties .
Boundary TreatmentPage 2
Details of boundary treatment have not been submitted. Several trees to the front of the property and a section of hedge would be removed to accommodate a widened access/drive. Privacy Whilst detailed plans have not been submitted, the proposed block plan indicates that the orientation of the new dwelling would face away from the host building. The positioning of windows would face east and west. Sufficient separation distance would also be maintained between the new dwelling, host building and neighbouring properties to avoid any breach of privacy. Adjacent Levels The garden to the rear of the host building is uneven and consists of various bumps, dips, holes and small mounds of earth where vegetation has been removed. Generally however, the topography of the site is level with immediate neighbouring properties on the south side of Bonkle Road. Landscaping (including garden ground) The proposed dwelling incorporates sufficent garden ground (front and rear) to satisfy the Council's minimum open space requirements. Access, Parking and Turning The proposed dwelling would be accessed off Bonkle Road via the existing access. In order to accommodate a widened access, it would be necessary to remove a section of hedge fronting Bonkle Road, together with approximately three trees and vegetation in the front garden and a section of hedge along the edge of the public road. The resultant drive would either be shared to serve both the existing and proposed dwellings or would be physically subdivided; no details have been provided. Details of turning within the site and visibility splays have not been provided. Site Constraints Coal Authority (Low Risk Area) Listed Building Consultation Zone Consultation Responses NLC Protective Services:- Has raised no objection to the proposal subject to conditions relating to construction hours, control of dust, no burning of waste materials and provision of a Potential Ground Contamination/ Site Investigation Report. Any Other Material Considerations NLC Open Space Guidelines: Space around dwellings NLC Car Parking Provision Officer Report: Planning Assessment Section 25 of the Town and country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 provides that planning decisions are derermined in accordance with the relevant development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The application raises no strategic issues in terms of the Clydeplan Strategic Development Plan and can therefore be determined in the context of the North Lanarkshire Local Development Plan (Adopted on 6th July 2022) and other material considerations. Planning permission in principle is sought for the subdivision of the plot at 254 Bonkle Road, Newmains, to accommodate a 3 bedroom dwelling and two car parking spaces in the rear garden of the plot. Detailed matters concerning layout, landscaping, boundary treatment, scale, design and external appearance, access/visibility and turning are reserved for future consideration. The proposal is therefore determined on this basis and the submitted plans are illustrative only. The main issues for consideration are: 1. Principle of housing in the General Urban Area 2. Effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area. 3. Effect of the proposal on the setting of the host building. 4. Effect of the proposal on the living conditions of neighbouring properties. 5. Effect of the proposal on highway safety. Principle of Housing in the General Urban Area: The application site is shown on the proposals map as being located within the General Urban Area where Policies PP3 'Purpose of Place' and AD 3 'Amount of Development' apply. Policy PP 3 seeks to maintain and improve the level
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of amenity appropriate to the local context and deems development within Use Class 9 (Houses) to be a compatible land use offering the best opportunity to meet the objectives of the policy. Where housing is proposed in the General Urban Area, justification as to the amount of development (a requirement under Policy AD 3) and/or nature and scale of development is not required. The principle of housing development in the General Urban Area is however subject to the requirement that development is in keeping with the prevailing residential character and that it improves the level of amenity in the urban area; matters that are subject to the more prescriptive environmental and design quality requirements of Policies EDQ1 and EDQ3. Effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area: Policy EDQ 1 'Site Appraisal' seeks to ensure that new development is of an appropriate form and design, relative to matters concerning, for example, building lines, plot ratios, layout, groupings, types of enclosure (e.g. fences, walls, hedges). Policy EDQ 3 'Quality of Development' supports development where high standards of site planning and sustainable design are achieved. Bonkle Road, extending from Bonkle House Hotel in the west to the property at No. 273 approximately 150 metres to the east, consists of detached and semi-detached dwellings located on either side of the road. The properties are set within long feu plots behind small front gardens with stone wall or hedge enclosures. The Grade C Listed Bonkle House Hotel opposite the application site and positioned at a sharp curvature in the road, together with established trees that line either side of the street at this point, add to the semi-rural character along this stretch of road. Whilst, the existing properties in the street vary in size and scale to some degree, there is consistency in the pattern and layout of development with all properties following established building lines and fronting the street to add to the strong historical pattern and grain of development. In marked contrast, the proposed dwelling would be set behind the existing dwelling within a backland setting. It would lack the same street frontage that commonly defines and characterises properties in Bonkle Road. There are no other comparable examples of dwellings having been approved or constructed in the rear gardens of properties along this stretch of road and/or in the vicinity and with the exception of small, ancillary domestic buildings, rear gardens are currently free from built form. A number of trees and vegetation in the front garden, including the existing front boundary hedge would have to be removed to accommodate the proposed access and widened drive, much to the detriment of street character, visual amenity and biodiversity. Notwithstanding the fact that the development would not be visible in the streetscene due to its secondary position, additional vehicular movements on the drive would make the site appear more conspicuous in the street scene and this would also negatively impact the street's semi-rural street character. Following subdivision of the original plot, the host building would occupy an area of 842 square metres and the proposed dwelling would occupy the remaining 791 square metres of garden ground to the rear and side. The subdivision of the plot would consequently, introduce an uncharacteristic from of backland development that would fail to respect the existing pattern and grain of development and would be harmful to the character and appearance of the area, contrary to Policies EDQ1 and EDQ3 of the Development Plan. Effect of the proposal on the setting of host building: The existing dwelling sits in a sizeable plot which is large enough to accommodate a second dwelling without compromising the function of the existing dwelling or the Council's minimum garden size requirements. However, the subdivision of the plot would diminish the spatial setting of the host dwelling to the detriment of street character and semi-rural nature of the area, contrary to Policies EDQ1 and EDQ3 of the Development Plan. Effect of the proposal on the living conditions of neighbouring properties: No details have been provided in respect of window orientation or boundary treatment. However, the proposal is unlikely to have an adverse impact on the amenities of neighbouring occupiers as it is sufficiently distanced es/ from neighbouring properti In relation to matters concerning daylight and sunlight, the proposed dwelling could potentially be accommodated without detriment to the occupiers of the host dwelling. However, due to the positioning of the dwelling and associated parking and in the absence of satisfactory mitigation, the occupiers of the host dwelling could potentially experience a loss of privacy, increased sense of enclosure, loss of openness and poor outlook. Effect of the proposal on highway safety: Policy EDQ3 requires high standards of site planning and sustainable design, including the requirement to ensure that new development provides secure, and convenient access into and through the development. The host dwelling is accessed via a long and narrow drive off Bonkle Road; a busy through road, consisting of two lanes and carrying a large volume of traffic to Newmains through Crindledyke. During a site visit it was observed on site that vehicles along this stretch of road were travelling at a speed in excess of 30mph. The proposed access is close to a relatively sharp curve in the road to the west. The proposed dwelling would share the existing access with the host dwelling. Trees, vegetation and hedging would be removed to accommodate a widened drive and parking would be provided to the rear of the host dwelling. Removal of trees and vegetation is unlikely to assist in ensuring that the required visibility splays could be achieved at this particular location; generally at 2.5m set back from the edge of the carriageway to the driver's sitting position and a splay of 60m in either direction should be achieved on roads with a speed limit of 30mph. No information has been provided to show that visibility splays can be achieved and/or that the Applicant has control over all land that would
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form part of the required visibility splays. Vehicles turning right whilst exiting the drive would have limited visibility to oncoming traffic from the southwest. Similarly, vehicles turning left when exiting the site would have limited visibility to oncoming traffic from the northeast due to an existing boundary hedge. Vehicles turning right into the driveway would potentially cause traffic to build up behind the vehicle whilst the driver waited for an adequate break in the traffic; this could impede the free flow of traffic. In view of the above, the proposal is likely to have an unacceptable impact on road safety, contrary to Policy EDQ3. Date 14 December 2022 Representations The Planning Authority has received 1 letter of objection based on grounds of potential loss of privacy, noise and disturbance. Response: The layout of the proposed dwelling is illustrative only. The application seeks a decision in principle only with all matters concerning noise, disturbance and privacy reserved for future consideration. Reasoned Justification The proposed development would introduce an uncharacteristic form of backland development that would be harmful to the semi-rural character and visual appearance of the streetscene and general area contrary to Policies EDQ1 and EDQ3. No information has been provided to demonstrate that required visibility splays could be achieved at this location and no material considerations have been presented that would outweigh the significant harm that the development would cause. It is therefore recommended that planning permission be refused for those reasons. Recommendation: Refuse for the Following Reasons:- 1. The proposed development would introduce an uncharacteristic form of backland development that would be harmful to the semi-rural character and visual appearance of the streetscene and general area contrary to Policies EDQ1 and EDQ3. 2. The proposal fails to demonstrate that adequate visibility splays can be achieved in accordance with the speed of the road, to the satisfaction of the Planning Authority. The intensification of the access combined with the lack of such visibility would result in an unacceptable degree of hazard to all road users to the detriment of road safety.
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Informatives; No Informatives