1 Edale Close, Toal Farm, Washington, Tyne & Wear, NE38 8FH

1 Edale Close, Toal Farm, Washington, Tyne & Wear, NE38 8FH — Sunderland City Council — Appeal Decision Site visit made on 9 January 2024 by A Caines BSc(Hons) MSc TP MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 12 January 2024 Appeal Ref: APP/J4525/W/23/3329424 1 Edale Close, Teal Farm, Washington, Tyne & Wear NE38 8FH • 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 Darrin Pavey against the decision of Sunderland City Council. • The application Ref 23/01079/FUL, dated 5 May 2023, was refused by notice dated 31 August 2023. • The development proposed is a double garage. Decision 1. The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for a double garage at 1 Edale Close, Teal Farm, Washington, Tyne & Wear NE38 8FH in accordance with the terms of the application Ref 23/01079/FUL, dated 5 May 2023, subject to the following conditions: 1) The development hereby permitted shall begin not later than 3 years from the date of this decision. 2) The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: 10/01A; 10/02; 10/03.

1 Edale Close, Toal Farm, Washington, Tyne & Wear, NE38 8FH — Sunderland City Council — Appeal Decision 3) No above ground construction works shall take place until details of hard and soft landscape works have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. These details shall include: i) identification of all trees, plants and/or hedges to be retained on the site; ii) new or retained boundary treatments; iii) hard surfacing materials specifications; iv) planting species, sizes, layout, and numbers, if any; v) a timetable for implementation. The hard and soft landscaping works shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details and timings. If any trees or plants subject to the landscaping scheme (new or to be retained) die, are removed or become seriously damaged or defective, they shall be replaced in the next available planting season with others of similar size and species, unless the local planning authority gives written consent to any variation. https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

1 Edale Close, Toal Farm, Washington, Tyne & Wear, NE38 8FH — Sunderland City Council — Appeal Decision Appeal Decision APP/J4525/W/23/3329424 Procedural Matter 2. On 19 December 2023, the Government published a revised National Planning Policy Framework (the Framework). However, the revised Framework does not materially alter the national policy approach in respect of the main issues raised in this appeal and therefore no parties have been prejudiced by its publication. Main Issue 3. The main issue in this appeal is the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area. Reasons 4. 1 Edale Close is a two-storey detached house located at the entrance to a modern planned housing estate. The proposal is to construct a detached double garage on a grassed area to the north (side) of the property. A similar garage exists at 2 Edale Close immediately to the east of the site. 5. The Council advises that the land was intended to form part of the estate’s landscaping/open space. However, it is now in private ownership and is physically separated from the memorial garden and recreation space that has been established further to the north.

1 Edale Close, Toal Farm, Washington, Tyne & Wear, NE38 8FH — Sunderland City Council — Appeal Decision A newly planted hedge along the roadside boundary provides further enclosure from the public realm, and in combination with the garage at 2 Edale Close, gives the land an appearance of a garden associated with the adjacent houses. In this context, the proposed domestic garage would not be an uncharacteristic form of development. 6. Furthermore, the design and style of the garage would closely reflect the size, form, and appearance of the existing garage at 2 Edale Close, as well as the general character of the surrounding residential buildings. In addition, its scale would be clearly subordinate to the much larger houses it would be seen in context with, particularly when viewed from the north where it would be seen against the backdrop of 1 and 2 Edale Close. This, together with its distance from the roadside boundary and the maturation of any new and surrounding landscaping over time, would ensure that the garage is not an unduly dominant or conspicuous element within the wider street scene, notwithstanding the gateway location of the site. Nor would it have any significant effect on the openness of the area given the wide grass verges and other public open spaces in the immediate vicinity.

1 Edale Close, Toal Farm, Washington, Tyne & Wear, NE38 8FH — Sunderland City Council — Appeal Decision The specific details of landscaping and boundary treatments can be satisfactorily dealt with by an appropriately worded planning condition. 7. In conclusion, I am satisfied that the development could be accommodated at the site without causing harm to the character and appearance of the surrounding area. As such, the proposal complies with the design, character, and appearance requirements of Policy BH1 of the Sunderland Core Strategy and Development Plan 2020, and chapter 12 of the Framework. For the same reasons, the proposal complies with the aims of the Sunderland Development Management Supplementary Planning Document 2021. Conditions 8. As suggested by the Council, I have imposed a condition specifying the approved plans to provide certainty. A condition relating to landscaping is https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2

1 Edale Close, Toal Farm, Washington, Tyne & Wear, NE38 8FH — Sunderland City Council — Appeal Decision Appeal Decision APP/J4525/W/23/3329424 necessary to ensure a satisfactory appearance of the development, but I have amended the suggested wording to ensure precision. However, the suggested condition relating to materials is not necessary as these are adequately described on the approved plans. Conclusion 9. For the reasons given, I conclude that the appeal should be allowed.

1 Edale Close, Toal Farm, Washington, Tyne & Wear, NE38 8FH — Sunderland City Council — A Caines INSPECTOR https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 3