Planning chiefs reject home extension plans over fears of impact on neighbours including ‘overdominance’ and ‘tunnelling’

The ruling from South Tyneside Council’s planning department was linked to a property in Readhead Road, in the local authority’s Westoe ward.

Earlier this year, in May, an application was lodged for a single-storey rear extension into an area next to a kitchen and family room.

But after assessing the proposals against its planning policies however, South Tyneside Council planning officials refused the application on Friday, September 16.

The main reason for refusal, published on the council’s website, included the impact of the physical development on a neighbouring property.

This included concerns about the rear extension’s “excessive projection adjacent to the shared boundary” and resulting impacts on residential amenity.

Council planners argued that the plans would result in a “significant adverse impact upon the residential amenities enjoyed by the occupiers of this adjoining property particularly in terms [of] overdominance, tunnelling, overshadowing, loss of light and loss of outlook.”

The council’s refusal statement added the proposed extension would clash with a policy in the South Tyneside Local Development Framework.

This policy aims to determine whether a development is “acceptable in relation to any impact on residential amenity”.

The applicant has the right to challenge the council’s refusal decision by lodging an appeal with the Secretary of State.

More information on the application can be found on South Tyneside Council’s online planning portal.