Land rear of 1113 - 1121 Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough, PE1 2AT

Land rear of 1113 - 1121 Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough, PE1 2AT — Peterborough City Council — Appeal Decision Site visit made on 28 March 2023 by K Allen MEng (Hons) MArch PGCert ARB an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 25 May 2023 Appeal Ref: APP/J0540/W/22/3305596 Land to rear 1113 - 1121 Bourges Boulevard, Millfield, Peterborough PE1 2AT • The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 against a refusal to grant outline planning permission. • The appeal is made by Mr T Mahmood against the decision of Peterborough City Council. • The application Ref 22/00270/OUT, dated 9 February 2022, was refused by notice dated 29 April 2022. • The development proposed is described as ‘outline application for new single storey dwelling on land to rear 1113-1121 Bourges Boulevard’. Decision 1. The appeal is dismissed. Preliminary Matter 2. The appeal scheme relates to an outline proposal, with all matters reserved for future consideration. I have considered the appeal accordingly. A plan has been submitted as part of the appeal which indicates how a dwelling could be accommodated on the site. I have taken this plan into account for indicative purposes only. Main Issue 3. The main issue is the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area. Reasons 4.

Land rear of 1113 - 1121 Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough, PE1 2AT — Peterborough City Council — Appeal Decision The area is characterised by high-density rows of terraces arranged in a linear pattern set close to the highway with narrow but long rear gardens. A private road provides access to the rear of the properties to the west of Bourges Boulevard and several single storey outbuildings. The appeal site is located to the rear of the properties, accessed via the private road and comprises disused garden land. 5. Despite the area’s lack of special designation, the variation in use and scale of buildings to the west of Bourges Boulevard, and the reduction in height since the previous appeal1, the proposal would introduce an isolated dwelling in a backland position which would fail to replicate the dense back-to-back layout seen in the wider area. While there are single storey structures in close proximity, they are ancillary to the terrace. Notwithstanding the indicative 1 APP/J0540/W/20/3257785 https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

Land rear of 1113 - 1121 Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough, PE1 2AT — Peterborough City Council — Appeal Decision Appeal Decision APP/J0540/W/22/3305596 nature of the drawings, they show that although the proposal would be similar in height to the surrounding outbuildings, it would be identifiable as an independent dwelling and would therefore appear incongruous with the immediate context. 6. Overall, I conclude that the proposal would harm the character and appearance of the area, in conflict with Policy LP16 of the Peterborough Local Plan 2016- 2036 (July 2019) where it requires that development respects the context of a site, responding to patterns of development and features that contribute positively to local character and distinctiveness. Similarly, it would be contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework (the Framework) which requires development to be sympathetic to local character and maintain a strong sense of place. Other Matters 7. The proposal would provide an additional dwelling in an accessible location, contributing to the Council’s strategic housing requirement. Whilst the Framework seeks to boost the supply of housing, the social and economic benefits of a single dwelling would be limited.

Land rear of 1113 - 1121 Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough, PE1 2AT — Peterborough City Council — Appeal Decision Although there are no concerns regarding residential amenity, biodiversity, flood risk or highway safety, this would amount to a lack of harm and would therefore be neutral factors in the determination of this appeal. I appreciate the appellant’s desire to enhance the visual amenity of the private road whilst reducing fly tipping and anti-social behaviour through natural surveillance, however these issues could be addressed by other means. In any case, these matters do not outweigh the harm I have identified to the character and appearance of the area. Conclusion 8. For the reasons given above, I conclude that the proposal would conflict with the development plan as a whole and there are no material considerations, including the Framework that would outweigh that conflict. Therefore, the appeal is dismissed.

Land rear of 1113 - 1121 Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough, PE1 2AT — Peterborough City Council — K Allen INSPECTOR https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2