40 SHERBORNE ROAD , FELTHAM, TW14 8ES

40 SHERBORNE ROAD , FELTHAM, TW14 8ES — London Borough of Hounslow — Appeal Decision Site visit made on 20 October 2022 Decision by Alison Scott (BA Hons) Dip TP MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 17 November 2022 Appeal Ref: APP/F5540/W/21/3286792 40 Sherborne Road, Feltham, TW14 8ES • The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 against a refusal to grant planning permission. • The appeal is made by Mr Sukhviner Singh Dhaliwal against the decision of London Borough of Hounslow. • The application Ref 01013/40/P2 dated 24 March 2021, was refused by notice dated 19 May 2021. • The development proposed is Erection of new house adjacent to 40 Sherborne Road with rear parking for the host property. Installation of new drop kerb. Decision 1. The appeal is dismissed. Procedural Matters 2. The appellant has submitted amended plans with the proposal indicating the width of the vehicular access to be reduced. No formal consultation on these plans has occurred. Therefore, I have discounted them as part of my assessment. Main Issues 3. The main issues are: • The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the local area; and • Whether or not the proposal would lead to detriment to pedestrian and highway safety.

40 SHERBORNE ROAD , FELTHAM, TW14 8ES — London Borough of Hounslow — Appeal Decision Reasons Character and Appearance 4. The locality consists of semi-detached or short rows of two-storey houses. The appeal site is a two-storey semi-detached dwelling located on a prominent corner junction benefitting from a large side garden. 5. Where the cross-roads of Cedar Road and Sherborne Road meet, there are four pairs of semi-detached houses that share similar design characteristics, all set back from the road with grass verges in front. They create a distinctive and planned context to this junction. In addition, the pairs of semi’s are symmetrical even though it is noticeable that some have been extended to the side. These resemble ancillary extensions. https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

40 SHERBORNE ROAD , FELTHAM, TW14 8ES — London Borough of Hounslow — Appeal Decision Reasons Character and Appearance 4. The locality consists of semi-detached or short rows of two-storey houses. The appeal site is a two-storey semi-detached dwelling located on a prominent corner junction benefitting from a large side garden. 5. Where the cross-roads of Cedar Road and Sherborne Road meet, there are four pairs of semi-detached houses that share similar design characteristics, all set back from the road with grass verges in front. They create a distinctive and planned context to this junction. In addition, the pairs of semi’s are symmetrical even though it is noticeable that some have been extended to the side. These resemble ancillary extensions. https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

40 SHERBORNE ROAD , FELTHAM, TW14 8ES — London Borough of Hounslow — Appeal Decision Appeal Decision APP/F5540/W/21/3286792 6. It is intended to sub-divide the plot to build a new house attached to the side of the appeal site to create a third dwelling. This would be severely at odds in this location where the four pairs of semi’s are cornered to address the roads and are intentionally designed as such. 7. Whilst it would broadly follow the scale and mass of the semi’s here with corresponding roof over, the location of the corner bay window would not respect the appearance of the other houses it is intended to take design cues from. This would further unbalance the symmetry that is a feature of the houses here. 8. In addition, although houses have been extended to the side, the visual gaps between houses create definition before the houses of the return street begin. This would be uncharacteristically disrupted as a consequence of the proposal, further leading to a visually intrusive effect upon the character and appearance of the local area. 9. Therefore, to conclude on this main issue, a new dwelling attached to the pair of semi’s that are positioned in a distinctive arrangement, together with its design would appear intrusive and would not safeguard the character and appearance of the local area.

40 SHERBORNE ROAD , FELTHAM, TW14 8ES — London Borough of Hounslow — Appeal Decision It would thus not meet the design expectations of the Hounslow Local Plan 2015-2030 Policies CC1 and CC2. Pedestrian and Highway safety 10. Off street parking would be provided with a vehicular access substantially wider than the Council’s adopted Residential Crossovers and Off-Street Parking Policy 2016 to which I apportion significant weight. 11. Dropped kerbs the full width of the front of houses are evident in the locality. This creates conflict with the vehicle and the pedestrian in particular, due to their widths and the pedestrian having to cross wide swathes of vehicular driveways. A situation as this would be further exacerbated due to the appeal proposal where the free, safe and secure passage of pedestrians would be adversely compromised. 12. I could see that local roads are reasonably heavily parked with on-street vehicles present at the time of my visit. This is most likely attributed to the fact that the local area’s PTAL level is 1b and therefore has very poor access to public transport. 13.

40 SHERBORNE ROAD , FELTHAM, TW14 8ES — London Borough of Hounslow — Appeal Decision Due to the vehicular access width, it would result in the loss of up to two on- street parking spaces whilst increasing demand for parking within the local area and only providing one dedicated off-street parking space. Off-street cycle parking would not mitigate the effects of such. Therefore, parking stress upon local roads would increase leading to an adverse effect upon the local area. 14. Therefore, to conclude on this main issue, highway and pedestrian safety would not be safeguarded and would thus not comply with the objectives of the Hounslow Local Plan 2015-2030 Policy EC2 and the adopted Residential Crossovers and Off-street Parking Policy to avoid adverse impacts upon the transport network. The proposal would also conflict with Policy T4 of The London Plan which provides that, amongst other things, development proposals should not increase road danger. https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2

40 SHERBORNE ROAD , FELTHAM, TW14 8ES — London Borough of Hounslow — Appeal Decision Appeal Decision APP/F5540/W/21/3286792 Other Matters 15. Even if the size of the dwelling would exceed Council’s required minimum spacing standards with the living conditions of the future occupants not in dispute between the parties, would not lead me to reach an acceptable conclusion on the matter. Neither would its acceptable energy sustainability credentials or the small contribution one dwelling would make to the Borough’s housing stock. Whilst these matters, taken in combination, have been afforded moderate weight, in my view they are not sufficient to outweigh the considerable planning harm identified on the main issues. Conclusion 16. I find that the matters advanced in support of the proposal, do not, either individually or collectively, outweigh the harm identified, nor the conflict with the development plan. For the reasons given above, I conclude that the appeal is dismissed.

40 SHERBORNE ROAD , FELTHAM, TW14 8ES — London Borough of Hounslow — Alison Scott INSPECTOR https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 3