Planning Meeting - 12 June '24

MINUTES OF PLANNING APPLICATION MEETING

REF: PL/2024/03811 – THE WHITE HOUSE, BERWICK ST JAMES

Held on Wednesday 12 June 2024 at 7pm in The Reading Room

In Attendance: Julian Glyn-Owen, Village Chair
Guest presenters: Rufus Diffey – The White House resident and planning applicant
Neil MacDougall – Adjacent neighbour, The Leat House
Total attendees: 33

Presentations are in reference to Planning Application PL/2024/03811 for The White House, Berwick St James: a 2 storey front extension and single storey rear and side extension.

Julian Glyn-Owen welcomed all attendees and presenters and outlined the methodology for the meeting and stating that it was customary for Berwick St James to hold meetings to discuss Planning Applications relating to the village. Wiltshire Council planners (Hayley Clark and Joe Richardson) advised The White House neighbours - The Least House and Woodsprings - of the planning application as listed above. Mr Diffey would be invited to present his plans and then open the floor for questions after which Mr Diffey would be asked to leave the meeting. The meeting would then hear Mr MacDougall’s concerns.   Discussions would take place to hear considerations and comments from village residents.
There would be a vote at the end of the meeting.

1. Mr Rufus Diffey - The White House
Rufus Diffey started by stating he and his family had been living in the village since December 2022 and that his family originate from Salisbury. They had chosen Berwick for its quietness. It is his family’s intention to remain in Berwick for a very long time. Mr Diffey presented his slides to show the plans [refer to plans]. His architects are Sarsen Designs.   The plans reflected his wish to enlarge the house with the criteria for a large downstairs open-plan space. Internally it is in need of updating including electrics and positioning for a new staircase. The external elevation would follow existing formation and the front roof pitch will remain the same.

Comments made by residents related to the size of the extension in relation to the size of the plot and that it would make less impact to extend towards the rear and north side. Concerns raised were with regard to the possible enlarged entrance to the property from the road; plans for a second storey above the single side extension, development out of keeping with the village, proximity to the neighbour’s boundary and questions about what the property was going to be used for.

2. Mr Neil MacDougall –The Leat House
Outlined his objections on three factors:

a) How it affected The Leat House;     The single storey extension is too close to The Leat House boundary.  The beech hedge is deciduous and non-permanent so offering no visual protection and privacy during winter months. A further second storey window overlooking their property would be invasive. The White House is already being used for gatherings and the large development lends itself to that pretext rather than sole residential use.

b) Not a suitable fit for the village;    The scale and mass form of the proposed plans affect the character of the existing building – now more mock Georgian in style. Looking at the Wiltshire Local Plan 2023, Berwick St James is classed as a small village and it states that development would be supported if it respects and preserves the existing character and form of the village and that it contributes to the vitality of the village. This is clearly not the case.  

c) Concern for a phase 2 development.     The imbalance between the two sides of the property and the structure of the chimney and flat roof might lend itself to a second floor at a later date.

Neil MacDougall went on to explain how to log onto the Wiltshire Planning site for comments on the plans.

3. Julian Glyn-Owen summarised the main points raised by the residents:

a) Overall percentage size (>40%) of the new extension and two floor front extension deemed to be excessive.
b) The proximity of the single floor extension (south side) is too close to neighbouring property (2.2 m).
c) Plans not in keeping with Berwick St James.
d) The structure of the chimney and flat roof of the extension were brought into question.
e) Development not in line with Wiltshire Local Plan.
f) Suggestions to consider plans to extend north side instead.

Voting:
Those in favour of the Application Plan: 0
Those objecting to the Application Plan: 30
NB: Three residents had to leave before the vote was cast.
Meeting closed at 19.45