BCP Council (Poole area): Jess Glover is delighted to announce that planning permission has been granted for the demolition of the existing dwelling and erection of two detached dwellings on Blake Hill Avenue in Lilliput, Poole. The plans were produced by Brightspace Architects.

The applicants approached Pure Town Planning following the withdrawal of a similar scheme in early 2019 following a recommendation to refuse by the planning officer for two dwellings on the site. While the Council accepted the principle of a plot split on the site to accommodate two dwellings, concern was raised with regard to the footprint, bulk and height of the dwellings, the overbearing and intrusive impact on neighbours, loss of hedge, placement of the dwellings on the site, impact on trees and parking. Through scrutinising the application documents and correspondence from the officer, in collaboration with the architects we were able to devise a revised scheme which we considered to overcome the concerns of the previous scheme.

In terms of the changes proposed, we reduced the height of the dwellings to 3 storeys and positioned them in a staggered position whilst retaining 45 degree sight lines from the rear windows of neighbouring properties, which we considered to reflect the irregular shape of the plot. Furthermore, the repositioning of the dwellings now provided sufficient distance from the mature boundary hedging to ensure the boundary treatment could be retained, thus safeguarding the privacy of neighbours. To safeguard the protected tree to the front of the site and ensure a safe access for vehicles at an appropriate gradient we relocated the access drive from Blake Hill Avenue.

Within our supporting planning statement we provided a direct comparison between the proposed scheme and the previously withdrawn scheme, identifying how the changes made addressed all of the concerns raised by the officer. The statement also justified how the proposal was an appropriate design response to the site’s context and that this form of development would not in itself give rise to demonstrable harm upon the surrounding character and appearance of the area or neighbouring residents.

Upon considering the application and supporting documents, and after some negotiation, the Planning Officer agreed with our conclusions and recommended the scheme for approval. Our client was delighted with the decision, which will deliver two high quality contemporary style family dwellings in a highly desirable location.

If you have recently had a scheme refused and would like professional advice on how to overcome the reasons for refusal and secure a positive outcome for development on your site then why not call Pure Town Planning on 01202 585524 or email info@puretownplanning.co.uk for a FREE 30 minute consultation on how we can help you.