APPLICATION NO.	P22/S4211/HH
APPLICATION TYPE	HOUSEHOLDER
REGISTERED	21.11.2022
PARISH	SHIPLAKE
WARD MEMBERS	Leigh Rawlins Mike Giles
APPLICANT	Mr and Mrs Moore
SITE	The Annexe The White House Bolney Road Lower Shiplake, RG9 3NR
PROPOSAL	Retention of extensions to existing annexe building and additional replacement barn for domestic uses ancillary to The White House
OFFICER	Tom Wyatt

1.0	INTRODUCTION AND PROPOSAL
1.1	This application is referred to Planning Committee at the discretion of the Planning Manager.
1.2	The application site, which is shown on the copy of the OS plan attached as Appendix A, identifies the residential plot associated with The White House, which is a detached, listed dwelling located within Lower Shiplake. The annex and barn buildings in question are situated on land in front of Poplar Eyot Court formerly associated with this property. The land was sold to the occupiers of The White House and the front access gates to Poplar Eyot Court have been moved towards the dwelling in order for The White House to access the land as well. This is best indicated on the plans below:
1.3	Previous ownership: Current ownership:
1.4	The barn and annex building are accessed from The White House via a footpath which runs across the new shared access.
1.5	The proposal seeks retrospective planning permission for a barn building for ancillary use to The White House in place of a previous manege and stable building. Further to this the annex building has been extended at ground floor level and this application also seeks permission for the retention of the extensions and the use of the building as an office/meeting space for purposes ancillary to The White House. Works have taken place to the boundaries in order for The White House to access the land and the first part of the driveway serving Poplar Eyot Court is now also being used to provide access to the new parking area to the west of the barn.
1.6	Copies of the plans showing the proposed development are attached as Appendix B whilst other documentation associated with the application and all of the consultation responses can be viewed on the council’s website, www.southoxon.gov.uk.

2.0

SUMMARY OF CONSULTATIONS & REPRESENTATIONS

2.1

Full copies of the representations are available on the Council’s website at www.southoxon.gov.uk under the planning reference number. Shiplake Parish Council – Objects with the following key points. · If this were two houses built in this location we would most strongly object that they are already built in the floodplain, without planning permission. · If we take at face value that these substantial buildings are not to be used as accommodation but only for occasional commercial office use, incidental business run by the residents of the White House we would object on the grounds that this location is not zoned for commercial office buildings of this scale and nature and that it is in the floodplain. We do not accept the premise that there will be no increase in footfall. · This is a residential area of great value at this location (Shiplake Neighbourhood Plan Special character area 3 very low density detached properties set in extensive grounds - Riverside I, and important woodland and tree belts of Shiplake parish (see Figure DG9: Plan highlighting important natural features in the parish - as extracted from Landscape Character Assessment (SPLCA)) undertaken by Kirkham Landscape Planning Ltd/The terra firma Consultancy Ltd). We would highlight their findings as described in the Shiplake NP: ‘Due to the extremely low density setting, the high degree of landscaping and the varied age, design and style of buildings in this riverside environment, the character area would benefit from protection to ensure that future development does not take place in a manner which may detrimentally impact on the special character of the area.’ We would ask officers to review these policies carefully to establish if these buildings comply with the policy and its intent from a planning perspective. · We understand the land on which these substantial building now stand has been transferred to the White House, a grade II listed property and would ask officers to investigate whether this infringes planning regulations and reasonable responsibilities of applying for permissions of such a designated property. County Archaeological Services (OCC) – No archaeological constraints to the scheme. Drainage  – No objections Highways Liaison Officer (OCC) – No objections CPRE – Concerns over light spill from roof lanterns Neighbouring occupiers have made no comments on this application.

3.0	RELEVANT PLANNING HISTORY
3.1	P04/E1339/RET - Approved (28/11/2006) Demolition of and rebuilding of annex building.

4.0	ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
4.1	Not applicable for this scale and nature of development.

5.0	POLICY & GUIDANCE
5.1	Development Plan Policies
	South Oxfordshire Local Plan 2035 (SOLP) Policies: DES1  -  Delivering High Quality Development DES2  -  Enhancing Local Character DES6  -  Residential Amenity DES8  -  Promoting Sustainable Design ENV6  -  Historic Environment ENV9  -  Archaeology and Scheduled Monuments EP4  -  Flood Risk H20  -  Extensions to Dwellings
5.2	Shiplake Neighbourhood Plan SV4 – Employment Development SV5 – Dwelling Extensions SV7 – Settlement Character SV9 – Valued Landscapes SV10 – Riverside Related Development SV19 – New Development and Highway Safety SV12 – Dark Skies and Lighting SV23 – Special Character Areas SV24 – Building Materials / Design / Density / Layout
5.3	Supplementary Planning Guidance/Documents South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse Joint Design Guide 2022
5.4	National Planning Policy Framework and Planning Practice Guidance
5.5	Other Relevant Legislation
	Human Rights Act 1998 The provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998 have been taken into account in the processing of the application and the preparation of this report.
	Equality Act 2010 In determining this planning application, the Council has regard to its equalities obligations including its obligations under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010.

6.0	PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS
6.1	The relevant planning considerations are the following: · Principle of development · Visual and landscape impact · Residential amenity · Access and parking · Drainage · Ecology
6.2	Principle of development As a prelude to the development proposed under this application the ownership and boundaries of The White House and Poplar Eyot Court were changed as shown on the plans in Section 1 above.  Planning permission is not required for either a change in ownership of the land or a change in the garden areas associated with the two properties as it does not involve a material change of use of the land.
6.3	The annex was granted planning permission in November 2006 under application P04/E1339/RET.  The permission is subject to the following condition: That the additional living accommodation hereby permitted shall be occupied and used only in connection with and ancillary to the occupation and use of the existing property the Dower House as a single dwellinghouse, as specified in the application, and shall not be occupied or used separately therefrom. Reason: As the separate occupation of the accommodation would be contrary to the Council's housing policies and would represent an undesirable subdivision of the property, resulting in inadequate standards of amenity and privacy, contrary to Policies G1, H6 and H11 of the South Oxfordshire Local Plan.
6.4	The ’Dower House’ is the same property as that now known as Poplar Eyot Court.  As the annex is now within the ownership of The White House rather than Poplar Eyot Court there is a technical breach of the above Condition.  However, providing that the annex building remains ancillary to an adjoining primary residential use I do not consider that there is any material difference as to whether the annex building is used in connection with Poplar Eyot Court or The White House in terms of the characterisation of the use.
6.5	Whilst the extensions to the annex require planning permission, the building could have been used lawfully for office/home working purposes associated with Poplar Eyot Court.  It therefore follows that the office/home working use of the building ancillary to the residential occupation of The White House would also be acceptable as there is no intensification of the building’s use due to simply swapping its ancillary function between two existing properties.  The ground floor extensions have added additional ancillary space, but having regard to the floor space of the original building I do not consider that this additional floor space is disproportionate in terms of allowing for a significant intensification of the ancillary use that could already take place.  A letter from the applicant’s agent is attached as Appendix C, which explains the proposed use of the annex and the barn, and there is no reason to question these intentions.
6.6	The principle of erecting a domestic outbuilding or extending an existing ancillary building is clearly acceptable having regard to Policy H20 of the SOLP, which states: Extensions to dwellings or the erection and extension of ancillary buildings within the curtilage of a dwelling, will be permitted provided that: i) within the Green Belt the extension or the alteration of a building does not result in disproportionate additions over and above the size of the original* building; ii) adequate and satisfactory parking is provided. Development should have regard to the Oxfordshire County Council parking standards, unless specific evidence is provided to justify otherwise; and iii) sufficient amenity areas are provided for the extended dwelling. The site is not within the Green Belt. The White House occupies a very large residential plot and there are clearly no concerns regarding the loss of garden space or under provision of parking space.  The barn building is sizeable but not disproportionately so in terms of the size of the plot and its stated use to accommodate a golf simulator for the enjoyment of the occupier of The White House.
6.7	Visual and Landscape Impact Policy DES1 of the SOLP and Policy SV24 of the SNP seek to ensure that all new development is of a high-quality design. Policy SV24 states, ‘New development, extensions, alterations and replacement dwellings should be to a high standard of design, in keeping with the character of the area and should demonstrate how regard has been given to the Shiplake Villages Character Appraisal at Appendix 6 to this Plan.’
6.8	The site is located within the Special Character Area 3 – Very low density-detached properties set in extensive grounds as set out within the SNP.  Page 76 of the SNP sets out the special characteristics of this area as follows, ‘The area benefits from a mature, sylvan landscaped setting along Bolney Road where densities are less than 2dph and gaps between dwellings are significant. Dwellings are often individual and of architectural merit. These are entirely contained by the landscape and often concealed from this aspect. Conversely, properties are highly visible from the Thames, where an entirely different perspective is gained. Many dwellings have prominent and significant boat houses which in culmination overall, give this area a unique character.’
6.9	As intimated above, along this section of Bolney Road the main dwellings are generally set back into the site, closer to the riverside with long frontages.  However, there are various garages/ancillary outbuildings situated within the large front gardens of these plots given that the back gardens are generally smaller and look onto the river.  The buildings vary architecturally and most have their own unique style. The White House is listed and as the proposed buildings are not located within its front garden or in close proximity to the listed building I do not consider that they would have an adverse impact on its setting.
6.10	The site is bordered by mature trees and hedging, and the barn building is set back within the plot from the front boundary with Bolney Road by approximately 50 metres and is only readily visible directly to the front of the site as one travels along Bolney Road. The design and scale of the building reflects a traditional barn or outbuilding, and high quality traditional materials have been used for its construction, including clay tiles and timber cladding over a timber framed structure.
6.11	As noted in the SNP the residential plots in this part of the village are substantial, and the plot now associated with the White House is approximately 1.3 ha whilst the remaining plot for Poplar Eyot Court is still large at approximately 0.7 ha.  Over time large outbuildings situated between the dwellings and Bolney Road have become a characteristic of the built form, and given the verdant and low density nature of the built form these outbuildings have been assimilated successfully without detracting from the spacious character and appearance of the area. In my view the proposed barn, due to its unobtrusive siting and high quality design, would also respect this established character and would therefore comply with the relevant SNP and SOLP policies.
6.12	I am also mindful that the barn has replaced a previous stable building and that the proposed car parking area has replaced a former manege.  This area is largely screened in any public views from Bolney Lane by the existing front boundary walls and would does not diminish the spacious appearance of the front part of the site.  There is an opportunity for some further planting behind the front boundary walls and in my view this would be desirable to enhance the sylvan qualities of the site and to further screen and soften the already limited visual impact of the barn.
6.13	The annex building was granted in 2006 as a two storey building and the approved floor plans (shown attached as Appendix D) essentially show two 2 bed flats over the ground and first floors.  The amount of accommodation approved for an ancillary function is substantial and would be equivalent to a 3 or 4 bed detached dwelling.  The extensions to the building are all at ground floor level to the front, side and rear of the building.  There are no public views of these extensions due to their relatively low height, the position of the building set well back from both Bolney Road and the River Thames and the screening effects of existing buildings, walls and vegetation.  As such the extensions have no material visual or landscape impact on the character and appearance of the area, and do not undermine the SNP’s objectives to respect the low density sylvan nature of the area.
6.14	I have noted the CPRE’s concerns about the light spill from the lantern lights.  Policy SV12 of the SNP seeks to control lighting to prevent light pollution and to maintain dark skies.  In this case the lanterns serve ancillary ground floor accommodation where the use of lighting will be limited.  In any case the relevant parts of the building are in close proximity to existing larger buildings, including the first floor area of the annex building itself where lighting will also be apparent and likely to be more pronounced.  The presence of adjacent thick vegetation and nearby development also serves to mitigate any significant visual intrusion from the lighting.
6.15	Residential amenity Policy DES6 of the SOLP aims to protect the amenity of neighbouring uses from issues such as loss of privacy or day/sunlight, visual intrusion, noise, contamination or external lighting.
6.16	No comments from neighbouring occupiers have been submitted in relation to this application.  As the annex is now effectively within the garden area of The White House having previously been used for purposes ancillary to Poplar Eyot Court, the impact of the development on the amenity of Poplar Eyot Court is a material consideration. The annex is separated from Poplar Eyot Court by a boundary wall, which screens the ground floor, including the extensions.  The first floor window arrangements have not changed since the 2006 permission, and includes three windows looking towards Poplar Eyot Court, which are obscure glazed and should be conditioned to remain as such to prevent overlooking to the frontage of the adjoining dwelling.  In my view the physical relationship between the annex and Poplar Eyot Court is acceptable given the strong intervening physical boundary between the two buildings, the separation to the front of the neighbouring dwelling and the spacious grounds of Poplar Eyot Court.  The extensions at ground floor level do not materially alter the relationship between the building and the adjoining dwelling to the north, Bolney Court, where mature evergreen trees on the shared boundary prevent any mutual loss of privacy.
6.17	Access and Parking The proposal includes a relatively large parking area towards the front of the site, however, the access into the site from Bolney Road is not being altered.  Instead, the existing access will serve the proposed parking area for The White House as well as continue to serve the main driveway to Poplar Eyot Court.
6.18	In the letter attached as Appendix C it is explained that the parking area ‘will be useful for all visitors to the house, including family, deliveries, clients and maintenance staff, leaving the area in front of the house uncluttered and available for residents.’  The car parking area to the front of The White House is constrained by its size and narrow driveway, and is not suitable for the parking of cars in addition to those used by the residents of the dwelling.  In terms of protecting the setting of the listed building it would not be desirable for additional hardstanding to be provided to the front of the dwelling.  Having regard to the size of the residential plot and the use of the annex building as proposed I consider that the size of the car parking area is justified and would prevent overspill of parking on to Bolney Road.
6.19	The Highway Authority has raised no objections to the proposal noting that the local estate road network is private and, that therefore, the proposals do not impact directly upon the public highway, and that parking and turning opportunity is provided within the curtilage and is considered acceptable.
6.20	Drainage The site largely sits within Flood Zone 3.  In accordance with national planning policy requirements and the requirements of Policy EP4 of the SOLP, a flood risk assessment has been submitted with the application.  This document concludes that there is no increased risk to residents or neighbours and no net increase in impermeable areas as a consequence of the proposed development, and that the development will not adversely impact on the floodplain or increase flood risk elsewhere.  The council’s Drainage Engineer has raised no objections to the proposal on the grounds of flood risk or surface water drainage.
6.21	Impact on Protected Species, Trees and Biodiversity Policy ENV2 of the SOLP seeks to ensure that development does not result in harm or loss to the ecological resource of the district including protected species and ancient woodland.  Policy ENV3 of the SOLP seeks to support proposals that would conserve, restore and enhance biodiversity in the district.  Policy ENV1 seeks to protect important landscape features, including trees.
6.22	There is no evidence of protected species or important trees being impacted by the development, which has involved the redevelopment of buildings and land previously used for equestrian purposes.  The application submission outlines that bird and bat boxes will be installed on the buildings, and a condition to require this is recommended.  Additional planting will also help to achieve biodiversity enhancements on the site.
6.23	Community Infrastructure Levy The proposal is CIL liable because the proposed development results in a net increase in floorspace of more than 100 square metres.
6.24	Pre-commencement conditions No pre-commencement conditions are required as the application is retrospective, and the works already undertaken.

7.0

Conclusion and Planning Balance The application site has a long established use as residential garden.  The incorporation of the site into the grounds of The White House does not in itself require planning permission.  The annex building is also long established and could already be used for any ancillary residential use, including home office use.  The extensions to the annex are relatively modest in scale and inconspicuous in public views and do not harm the character and appearance of the site or its surroundings.  The barn building is of a high quality design and construction using traditional materials.  The development respects the spacious and sylvan qualities of this part of the village as identified within the Shiplake Neighbourhood Plan, and would be in keeping with the grain of the surrounding built form.  There are no technical objections to the proposal in relation to matters including highway safety, drainage, flood risk, or ecology and, in the view of Officers, the proposed development complies with the relevant development plan policies, subject to the conditions recommended below.

8.0	RECOMMENDATION
	Grant Planning Permission subject to the following conditions:
	1 : Development to be carried out in accordance with the approved plans 2 : Landscaping scheme to be agreed prior to first use and implemented in the next planting season 3 : Biodiversity enhancements to be agreed and implemented 4 : Buildings to be used for purposes ancillary to the residential occupation of The White House 5 : First floor windows on the south east elevation of the annex building to be obscure glazed

Author: Tom Wyatt

Email: Planning@southoxon.gov.uk

Tel: 01235 422600