Why Was This Refused?
- ✓Site lies within an area of open space where development is generally discouraged
- ✓Structural engineer's report confirmed the cottage could not be renovated without removing most walls and the entire roof
- ✓So little of the original building would remain that the proposal did not meet the spirit of the relevant housing policy
- ✓A usable access track to the public highway is required by policy but would cross a managed agricultural field and a public footpath
- ✓The access track would need to carry vehicles up to 12.5 tonnes, causing significant harm to the character and appearance of the setting
- ✓character
- ✓access
This application sought approval in principle to reinstate residential use of a redundant cottage at Ballalona, Ronague Road, Ronague, and to create an access drive to the public highway. The site sits within an area of open space where development is generally discouraged. The Planning Committee refused the application on 2 March 2009. A structural engineer's report submitted with the application concluded that the cottage could not be converted to habitable accommodation without collapsing or removing more than one wall, and that the roof would need to be completely removed. With so little of the original structure remaining, the proposal was judged not to comply with the spirit of the policy that allows renovation of redundant dwellings in such areas. A second reason for refusal concerned access.
The Planning Committee refused the application for two main reasons. First, the cottage was in such poor structural condition that renovation would require removing most of its walls and the entire roof, leaving so little of the original building that the proposal would not meet the policy allowing renovation of redundant dwellings in open space areas. Second, creating the required vehicle access track across a managed agricultural field — capable of bearing a fire appliance weighing up to 12.5 tonnes — would cause significant and adverse harm to the appearance of the cottage's setting and the surrounding area.
Refusal Reasons
- ✕The site lies within an area of open space in which development is generally discouraged. The renovation of the cottage could be permitted under the provisions of Housing Policy 13 of the Strategic Plan, however, the structural engineer's report which accompanies the application describes the condition of the cottage which, it is considered is not capable of undergoing renovation and conversion to habitable accommodation without the collapse or removal of more than one of the walls, particularly in view of the need for natural ventilation. As such, and as the roof will need to be completely removed, there will be so little of the original cottage remaining that the proposal would not comply with the spirit of the policy.
- ✕Housing Policy 13 requires there to be a usable track between the cottage and the public highway and in this case there is a significant distance between the cottage and the road and where there is presently the route of a public footpath which takes the form of part of a managed agricultural field which would be significantly and adversely affected by the introduction of a formal track or lane. Building Regulations would require that such an access must be able to accommodate a fire appliance and bear weight of up to 12.5 tonnes - the accommodation of this would result in a significant and adverse change to the appearance of the setting of the cottage and the area around it.
