Handforth Planning Application | Cheshire East Council | 22/4233M | REFUSAL | Conservatory addition to flat roof at rear | Grangeway
Planning Refusal | First Floor Conservatory Above Existing Flat Roof
View full application details here
This is a retrospective application, for the retention of a conservatory at first floor level, located here to the rear of a house in Handforth. It's a bit of a weird concept, putting a conservatory at first floor level on a house, this is effectively forming a large indoor balcony within which there is not much privacy if you are sitting in the space in particular in the evening when the lights are on, but clearly the applicant felt that it would be a good use of an existing large flat roof, and would probably double-up as stopping a leaking roof in the future.
It appears that the conservatory has been added, and then the neighbour has raised an issue as they have a side window to a bedroom, facing the conservatory, which has lost some daylight. Clearly this addition did require planning permission ,as it does not fall under permitted development , there re real privacy issues with first floor balconies allowing people to peer into the neighbours properties, but on this scheme frosted glass has been used on the side elevation to avoid the privacy issue, and so it just comes down to the loss of light to the side window. The officers report states that the addition would comply with the scale of the surroundings, and that the nearest houses to the rear are a long way away, and so this is not an issue, and so there is only one to address, and that's not an easy one to overcome, now that the conservatory is in place.
PAPA SAYS - We are surprised that whoever built the conservatory did not advise on the need for planning permission and this is an odd addition, so the applicants should have made enquiries with the Local Planning Authority before pressing on. We suspect that if this goes to appeal it will not be successful and there might be some remodelling of the conservatory and an reduction in width to overcome the issue. Always check with the planners or qualified Architects/Planning Consultants if there is any doubt, or it can be very costly.
