Winchester planners approve plans to expand bungalow

The plans, submitted by Crown Winchester, proposed adding a ground floor front, rear and side extension to a house in Old Kennels Lane, as well as making roof alterations to provide first-floor accommodation.

City council planning officers recommended that the plans be approved, with the Winchester City Council planning committee discussing the application on Wednesday, October 16.

The property in Old Kennels Lane (Image: Google Maps) READ MORE: Council says it is working with cops to tackle recurring car meets

Susan Pratt, of Old Kennels Lane, objected to the plans, telling the committee: “The proposed five-bedroom development is too large for the plot size, resulting in unreasonable alterations to accommodate front and rear box dormers, which will be overbearing and oppressive for neighbours. It will set a precedent within Old Kennels Lane to change existing bungalows to two-storey houses.

“It is one of the narrowest plots in this section. By turning the roof line 90 degrees, the expanded roof will dominate the current street scene.”

Christopher Tolley, also of Old Kennels Lane, also objected: “A house that has four bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor is not a one-and-a-half storey chalet, it is a two-storey house.

"The large dormer windows in the development will be overbearing and out of scale with the neighbouring properties. When your planning officer says the windows will not adversely affect the street scene, I think he is mistaken. I am sure you should reject this application.”

In a written statement read to the committee, Brendan Gibbs from Oliver’s Battery Parish Council also objected. He said: The building would be an overdevelopment of this relatively small site. The proposed development would be overbearing as it spreads across the site and is surrounded by one storey bungalows on both sides. In addition, this proposal would overlook and overshadow nearby dwellings and therefore adversely affect neighbours”.

Jeremy Tyrell, managing director of T2 Architects and agent for the application, voiced his support for the plans.

He said: “The design before you is the result of a proactive and positive pre-application dialogue with your officers. A previous proposal provided by others for a full two-storey dwelling was withdrawn following officers advise.

“Following this, our client, the applicant, appointed us. The revised proposals are modest in scale and respectful to the surrounding context.

“We hope you will follow your officers' recommendation to approve this application.”

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Cllr Brian Laming said: “I think it is quite an innovative design. There are too many questions in my mind.

“The overlooking of the properties behind it, we are not looking at just one property, we are looking at several because it is built on a slope and the safety of exiting the property when you have got three cars parked there. So, I cannot support this application.”

Cllr Suzanne White said: “I think, having looked at this and looking at the other properties, I feel this is in keeping with what is already there.

“I was worried about the back dormers overlooking the other properties but I am satisfied by the screening. We saw a lot of trees, hedges and high fences, and the windows are not at the side of the dormers, so I am going to support it.”

The committee voted to support the application.