Land off Milton Road, Dinnington, Sheffield, Rotherham

Land off Milton Road, Dinnington, Sheffield, Rotherham — Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council — Appeal Decision Site visit made on 18 January 2024 by F Rafiq BSc (Hons) MCD MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 1 March 2024 Appeal Ref: APP/P4415/W/23/3323525 Land off Milton Road, Dinnington, Rotherham • The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) against a refusal to grant planning permission. • The appeal is made by Mr Christopher Hancock against the decision of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. • The application Ref is RB2023/0104. • The development proposed is the change of use of land for the siting of 5 no. storage containers. Decision 1. The appeal is dismissed. Preliminary Matters 2. The description of development on the application form is long and goes beyond describing the appeal proposal itself. I have, therefore, utilised part of the description of development from the decision notice in my above heading as this more succinctly describes the proposal. The address provided on the application form references High Nook Road, but the appeal site is accessed from Milton Road. I have therefore utilised the address provided on the decision notice. 3. At the time of my visit, the storage containers were in place as well as the gates.

Land off Milton Road, Dinnington, Sheffield, Rotherham — Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council — Appeal Decision I have for clarity, dealt with the appeal based on the submitted plans. Main Issue 4. The main issue is the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area. Reasons 5. The appeal site is access off Milton Road and is bounded by the rear gardens of residential properties on Masefield Close and High Nook Road. The area comprises mainly of two storey semi-detached properties and short terrace rows, which are typically constructed of brick and have a simple appearance with pitched roofs. The generally low or open frontages to properties, which are set back and typically at slightly elevated levels from the road gives the area a regularly proportioned, spacious character. 6. The appeal proposal comprises of a number of storage containers which the appellant states are used to store various family member’s personal items including furniture, toys and camping equipment. The storage containers are coloured green and have a boxlike utilitarian form. This standardised form and https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

Land off Milton Road, Dinnington, Sheffield, Rotherham — Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council — Appeal Decision Appeal Decision APP/P4415/W/23/3323525 the lack of openings results in them appearing as bland unattractive structures which contrasts with the surrounding development that comprises of buildings with a brick finish, pitched roofs and typical fenestration arrangements of doors and windows. 7. The proposal also includes gates close to the access from Milton Road. Whilst these gates limit views of the containers from public vantage points, the development is still visible, particularly from the upper floors of surrounding properties where they appear as incongruous structures that detract from the character and appearance of the area. 8. I therefore conclude that the proposed development has an unacceptable adverse effect on the character and appearance of the area. As such, it is contrary to Policy CS 28 of the Rotherham Local Plan Core Strategy 2013-2028 and Policies SP 11 and SP 55 of the Rotherham Local Plan Sites and Policies, which seek, amongst other matters, high quality development and design that takes all opportunities to improve the character and quality of an area. It also conflicts with paragraph 135 of the National Planning Policy Framework which requires development to be sympathetic to local character.

Land off Milton Road, Dinnington, Sheffield, Rotherham — Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council — Appeal Decision Other Matters 9. I note the concerns that 5 storage containers are excessive for personal use, but this does not alter my conclusion on the main issue. The appellant has referenced the gates that have been installed to prevent fly tipping. This matter would not however outweigh the harm that I have identified. Conclusion 10. I have found that the development conflicts with the development plan read as a whole. It has not been demonstrated that there are any material considerations of sufficient weight to warrant a decision otherwise than in accordance with it. Therefore, I conclude the appeal is dismissed.

Land off Milton Road, Dinnington, Sheffield, Rotherham — Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council — F Rafiq INSPECTOR https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2