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Planning appeal success for Council

Published: 30/11/2021

Flintshire County Council has successfully defended an appeal following the refusal of a recent planning application.

The owner of a property in Hawarden had applied to build a loft conversion with a dormer window. 

The original planning application was refused because of the impact the proposed development would have on the character and appearance of the house itself and of the surrounding area. 

The Inspector concluded that the proposal:

“would fail to harmonise with the site and surroundings in terms of the siting, scale, design, and external appearance. The development would not respect the scale of surrounding development nor present a positive and attractive building frontage. It would also not be a good standard of design in relation to form and scale. The proposed extension would not, in my view, respect the design and setting of the existing dwelling.” 

The Inspector also considered a ‘fallback’ position proposed by the appellant, but he agreed with the Council that “the fallback and the examples of other dormers put forward in support of the development does not outweigh the conflict I have identified with the development plan. The planning balance in this case is against allowing the appeal.”

He concurred with the Council and concluded that the appeal should be dismissed.

Flintshire’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Protection, Councillor Christopher Bithell, said:

“The successful defence of this appeal shows that Flintshire’s original decision was a sound one.  The Council is measured in its approach to considering all applications and we take into account all viewpoints.”