BCP Council (Christchurch): Matt Annen is pleased to share the news that BCP Council has granted full planning permission for the removal of an existing conservatory, a ground floor rear extension with balcony above, a new second floor dormer with Juliet balcony to the rear elevation as well as internal re-configuration with new side windows to a semi-detached dwelling in Mudeford, Christchurch. The scheme was designed by ARC Architecture This is a great result on a site that had similar proposals which had already been refused twice.
The challenge
This is not an easy spot to extend. The property sits immediately adjacent to two Grade II listed buildings, on the edge of the Mudeford Quay Conservation Area, and within a Flood Zone.
A balcony scheme had been refused back in 2021. A more ambitious joint proposal for 121 and 121A was then refused in December 2025 on three counts: harm to the setting of the listed buildings, a dominant and visually intrusive form of development affecting No.123, and insufficient flood risk information.
Our approach
Rather than re-apply again and hope that we could turn it around we decided that we would discuss our ideas with the Council first. Pure Town Planning led detailed pre-application discussions with both the case officer and the Council’s Heritage Officer, working alongside ARC Architecture to test exactly what form of development could win support. The Heritage Officer confirmed the revised design was “moving in the right direction” and “better considers the impact on the immediately adjacent Grade II listed cottage.”
We then built the submission around that advice:
- The roof terrace was dropped entirely, replaced by a simple Juliet balcony.
- The rear dormer was substantially reduced in width, scale and massing.
- The first floor balcony was reduced and set in from both sides.
- The application was narrowed to just one property alone, instead of both pairs of semi’s, cutting the overall scale of development.
- A flood risk statement was commissioned and demonstrated betterment,
Our planning statement also set out a genuine permitted development fallback — a 3m deep two storey rear extension and a 50 cubic metre rear dormer — which would have had a far greater impact on the listed neighbour than what was proposed. That carried real weight in the balance.
The outcome
Permission granted at the end of August. The officer’s report concluded that the revised scheme “shouldn’t visually distract like the previous proposal,” that harm to the adjacent heritage assets had been avoided through the significant reduction in scale, and that the design is “in keeping with the character and pattern of development in the area.”
A refused site, a listed neighbour, a conservation area setting and a flood zone — and a consented scheme that gives our client the home they wanted.
Thinking of extending?
If your project sits near a listed building, in a conservation area, or has already been refused, we would love to help you find the route through.
Call our Dorset office on 01202 585524 or our Hampshire office on 01962 435050, or email info@puretownplanning.co.uk for a chat about your site.