Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions Site visit made on 22 January 2026 by E Catcheside BA (Hons) MSc MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 5th February 2026 Appeal A Ref: APP/M2840/W/25/3375267 Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, North Northamptonshire NN18 8HA • 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 Lee Shaw against the decision of North Northamptonshire Council. • The application Ref is NK/2025/0214. • The development proposed is change of use and internal and external alterations to modern detached garage. Appeal B Ref: APP/M2840/Y/25/3375261 Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, North Northamptonshire NN18 8HA • The appeal is made under section 20 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (as amended) against a refusal to grant listed building consent. • The appeal is made by Mr Lee Shaw against the decision of North Northamptonshire Council. • The application Ref is NK/2025/0215. • The works proposed are change of use and internal and external alterations to modern detached garage. Decision – Appeal A 1.

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for change of use and internal and external alterations to modern detached garage at Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, North Northamptonshire NN18 8HA in accordance with the terms of the application, reference NK/2025/0214, subject to the following conditions: 1) The development hereby permitted shall begin not later than three years from the date of this decision. 2) The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: Location Plan (unnumbered), Block Plan (unnumbered), 02, 04, 06, and 07. 3) The external surfaces and windows of the development hereby permitted shall be constructed only in materials that have first been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. Decision – Appeal B 2.

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions The appeal is allowed and listed building consent is granted for change of use and internal and external alterations to modern detached garage at Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, North Northamptonshire NN18 8HA in accordance with the plans submitted with its, including Location Plan (unnumbered), Block Plan (unnumbered), 02, 04, 06, and 07 subject to the following conditions: https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions The appeal is allowed and listed building consent is granted for change of use and internal and external alterations to modern detached garage at Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, North Northamptonshire NN18 8HA in accordance with the plans submitted with its, including Location Plan (unnumbered), Block Plan (unnumbered), 02, 04, 06, and 07 subject to the following conditions: https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions Appeal Decisions APP/M2840/W/25/3375267, APP/M2840/Y/25/3375261 1) The works authorised by this consent shall begin not later than three years before the date of this decision. Preliminary Matters 3. The two appeals relate to the same site and the same scheme. The difference between them is that Appeal A seeks planning permission for the development whilst Appeal B seeks consent for the proposed works to the listed building. The two appeals are covered by separate legislative regimes. However, I have dealt with them together to avoid unnecessary duplication. 4. The description of the development and the works do not explicitly state the proposed use of the garage. However, it is clear from the evidence that the proposed use is a residential annex, and it is on this basis that the applications were considered by the Council. I have therefore considered the appeals in the same manner. 5. As the proposal is in a conservation area and relates to a listed building, I have had special regard to sections 16(2), 66(1), and 72(1) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (as amended) (the Act). Main Issue 6.

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions The main issue in these appeals is whether the proposal would preserve the Grade II listed building known as Paddock Cottage1 or its setting or any features of special architectural or historic interest that it possesses and whether the character or appearance of the Little Oakley Conservation Area (the CA) would be preserved or enhanced. Reasons Historic assets, special interest, and significance 7. The appeal property lies within the village of Little Oakley which, along with some of its rural surroundings, makes up the designated area for the CA. The character and appearance of the CA is largely derived from its collection of traditional stone cottages and farms, interspersed by fields with stone walls. The commonality of the built materials, including limestone facades with roof coverings of thatch, blue slate, and orange pantiles gives the CA a distinctive and cohesive identity. Nonetheless, the form, style, and architectural details of the buildings within the CA varies widely and there are a mix of older and relatively modern properties.

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions There are also a range of window openings that are observable from the street, including casement windows, rooflights, and dormers, such as the front dormers on the adjacent property, Yew Tree Farmhouse. 8. The significance of the CA, insofar as it is relevant to these appeals, lies in its array of vernacular buildings grouped in a linear format along the road, and its rural setting. These features reveal information about historic rural development in this area, and the development of Little Oakley over time. 9. As a vernacular limestone building with a thatched roof, the Grade II listed Paddock Cottage contributes positively to the special interest of the CA. The property, with its small windows that are cut into the eaves of the thatch at the first- floor level, is thought to date from the 18th Century, although the list entry notes 1 List entry number 1192049 https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions Appeal Decisions APP/M2840/W/25/3375267, APP/M2840/Y/25/3375261 that it could have earlier origins. There are single-storey additions to either side of the thatched core of the cottage which have a different character owing, in part, to their tiled roofs and other features such as the relatively large windows with multiple glazing bars. 10. There are also outbuildings on the site, including the garage building with first floor office that is the subject of these appeals. Like the cottage, the garage has limestone walls. However, with a construction date in circa 2003, the garage is not a historic building, and it has some notably contemporary features including a UPVC window and an up-and-over garage door. Collectively, the outbuildings have added significant bulk and mass to the appeal site such that the space between the old cottage and the road is largely filled with built form. There is nothing in the evidence to suggest that the outbuildings are of historical or architectural importance. Due to their relative low profile and smaller scale, the buildings individually and collectively are subservient to the traditional cottage. 11.

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions Notwithstanding the more modern additions, the historic core of the cottage remains discernible in long views when approaching the site form the east owing to its perpendicular orientation to the road, the surviving historic fabric, and the absence of built form in the adjacent paddock. This allows the front elevation of the property to be observed and appreciated from within the building’s setting. 12. Taking all of the above into account, the significance and special interest of Paddock Cottage is derived from its age and the surviving historic fabric, which reveal information about the period in which the building was constructed. The village and the wider rural setting, including the adjacent paddock, also contribute to the significance of the property by enabling the building to be experienced by passers-by and for its close physical relationship to the village and the surrounding rural landscape to be appreciated and understood. Effects of the proposal 13. The Council has not raised any objection to the proposed change of use or the alterations to the interior of the garage.

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions Given that the garage is a modern, self- contained structure with existing uses that are associated with the domestic use of the cottage, no harm to the special interest of the listed building would arise from the proposed internal alterations or its use as an annex. 14. The proposed ground floor windows would not directly reflect the proportions of the traditional windows on the thatched cottage. However, the windows would have a simple form and appearance that would not be unsympathetic given that there is already variety in the size, shape, and design of windows on this site. Moreover, the infilling of the garage door void with limestone would help to integrate the appearance of the new façade with adjacent structures, including the historic part of the cottage and other nearby buildings in the CA. 15. The proposed dormer windows would alter the appearance of the garage by adding additional bulk and mass to the currently unbroken roof slope. However, the dormer windows would be reasonably small in scale, and they would be set well-in from the ridge, eaves, and sides of the roof.

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions Consequently, the dormers would be unlikely to significantly increase the prominence of the garage in views from the street and when entering the village from the east, notwithstanding their orientation and proximity to Mill Hill Road. Because there would be little effect on https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 3

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions Consequently, the dormers would be unlikely to significantly increase the prominence of the garage in views from the street and when entering the village from the east, notwithstanding their orientation and proximity to Mill Hill Road. Because there would be little effect on https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 3

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions Appeal Decisions APP/M2840/W/25/3375267, APP/M2840/Y/25/3375261 the overall proportions of the garage, it would remain subservient to the 18th Century cottage due to its lower height and smaller scale. 16. The gable-topped design of the dormer windows, and the proposed mix of pan tiles and timber boarding, would be in-keeping with the style of the dormer windows I observed on the front elevation of the adjacent Yew Tree Farmhouse, which is sited a similar distance from the road as the garage. For this reason, and due to the wide mix of other window forms and rooflights in the CA, the proposed dormers would not be incongruent in this location, and the character of the village would be unharmed. Furthermore, whilst the proposal, inclusive of the front and dormer windows, would offer visual clues to the residential use of the building, this would not cause harm, as the site already has a domestic character owing to the residential use of the cottage and its siting within a village. 17. There would be no alteration to the spatial arrangement and layout of the historic cottage and the other buildings on this site.

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions Therefore, due to its height, scale, and traditional appearance, the thatched cottage would remain the most prominent structure on this site in views from the street. Moreover, there would be no direct effects to the historic fabric or the design and appearance of the oldest part of the cottage, thus its architectural and historic integrity would be preserved. 18. Overall, and having regard to my duties under the Act, I find that the proposal would preserve the Grade II listed Paddock Cottage, its setting, and its features of special architectural and historic interest; and I also find that the character and appearance of the CA would be preserved. It follows that there would be no conflict with Policies 2 and 8 of the North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy 2011-2031 insofar as they seek to ensure the preservation of heritage assets and their settings and that development is of a high-quality design that responds to a site’s context. There would also be no conflict with the historic environment provisions of the National Planning Policy Framework. Conditions 19.

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — Appeal Decisions In addition to the standard time limit condition I have imposed for both appeals, I have included a condition for Appeal A that lists the approved plans to provide certainty over the development that is permitted. It is not necessary to include a plans condition in respect of Appeal B, because the listed building consent is for the works and plans as approved and as set out in my formal decision. 20. I have also imposed a condition on Appeal A, requiring the proposed external and window materials to be agreed because important details, such as the window frame material and the colour of the frames and boarding are not included on the plans. This condition is required to protect the special interest of the listed building and to preserve the character and appearance of the CA. Conclusion 21. For the reasons given above, Appeal A and Appeal B should be allowed.

Paddock Cottage, Corby Road, Little Oakley, NN18 8HA — North Northamptonshire — E Catcheside INSPECTOR https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 4