Joel Street, Eastcote Pinner

1. 1.The proposed two-storey front extension, by reason of its excessive width, forward projection, poor proportional balance and incongruous design detailing including the inset balcony and chamfered corners, together with the failure to provide meaningful soft landscaping or greening within the forecourt, would result in an overly dominant, visually intrusive and poorly integrated form of development. The proposal would therefore be detrimental to the character and appearance of the area. The development is contrary to Policies BE1 of the Hillingdon Local Plan: Part 1 - Strategic Policies (2012), DMHB 11 and DMHB 12 of the Hillingdon Local Plan: Part 2 - Development Management Policies (2020), Policy D4 of the London Plan (2021), and Paragraph 135 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2024).
2. 2.The site lies adjacent to the Eastcote Village Conservation Area. The proposed two-storey front extension, by reason of its siting, scale and design, would bring built form significantly closer to the street frontage and visually dominate the gap between the existing building line and the Conservation Area boundary. The development would therefore harm the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and its setting. The harm is assessed to be at the lower end of 'less than substantial', however the limited public benefits arising from the provision of a single additional dwelling do not outweigh this harm. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policies HE1 of the Hillingdon Local Plan: Part 1, DMHB 1 and DMHB 4 of the Hillingdon Local Plan: Part 2, Policy HC1 of the London Plan (2021), and Paragraph 214 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2024).
3. 3.The proposed one-bedroom flat would provide inadequate headroom and would rely solely on rooflights for outlook from key habitable rooms. In addition, the proposed balcony provides insufficient usable space and would be significantly constrained by the roof form. As such, the proposed development would fail to provide acceptable living conditions for future occupiers, contrary to Policy D6 of the London Plan (2021), Policies DMHB 16 and DMHB 18 of the Hillingdon Local Plan: Part 2 (2020), and Paragraph 135 f) of the National Planning Policy Framework (2024).
4. 4.The proposal fails to demonstrate that nearby trees of amenity value, including a protected tree within the adjoining property at 31 Deerlings Drive, would not be adversely affected by the development. Furthermore, the proposal fails to include any meaningful landscaping or greening within the forecourt or communal areas, resulting in a harsh and unsympathetic setting dominated by hard surfacing. The development would therefore fail to protect or enhance existing landscape features or contribute positively to the visual amenity of the area, contrary to Policies DMHB 11 and DMHB 14 of the Hillingdon Local Plan: Part 2 (2020), Policies G1 and G7 of the London Plan (2021), and Paragraph 136 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2024).
5. 5.The application site lies within Flood Zones 2 and 3. No Sequential Test has been submitted to demonstrate that there are no reasonably available sites appropriate for the proposed development in areas of lower flood risk. Accordingly, the proposal fails to demonstrate that the development would be safe or sustainable in flood risk terms, contrary to Policy DMEI 9 of the Hillingdon Local Plan: Part 2 (2020), Policy SI 12 of the London Plan (2021), and Paragraphs 170 and 174 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2024).
6. 6.Insufficient information has been provided to determine the potential impacts of the proposed development on bats, a European Protected Species. In the absence of appropriate surveys or mitigation details, the Local Planning Authority cannot be satisfied that the proposal would not result in harm to protected species or their habitats. The proposal therefore fails to comply with Policy DMEI 7 of the Hillingdon Local Plan: Part 2 (2020), Policy G6 of the London Plan (2021), and Paragraph 187 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2024).

From the council's decision notice.

Application type

Full planning permission