Brief

Pool House – Birchenbridge House
Instructed to submit a revised planning application and subsequent appeal for the residential conversion of a pool house and outbuildings in the rural area.
The Project
- The site comprises a pool house and storage shed located within the curtilage of a residential property.
- The site lies outside the built-up area boundary so was subject to countryside policies.
- The site had a previous planning refusal prior to our involvement for a similar scheme.
- We advised the landowner as to how the scheme could be modified to address some of the previous reasons for refusal, and further information provided to address others.
- The planning application was refused on the basis of the site’s location within the countryside and the proposal not being essential to its countryside location. The Council also considered the proposal would detract from the rural character of the area and would encourage car use in a supposed unsustainable location.
- We advised the client to challenge the decision and a subsequent appeal was allowed. The Inspector considered the proposal would enhance the immediate setting and make use of a redundant building thus adhering to the aims of paragraph 79. The Inspector also considered the site to be sustainably located despite being located outside the built-up area boundary.
- Batcheller Monkhouse also challenged the Council’s 5 year housing land supply position which the Council failed to provide any evidence to dispute.

Plan 1 – Birchenbridge House

Plan 2 – Birchenbridge House