East Boldon house extension plans refused for being 'visually dominant and incongruous'

South Tyneside Council’s planning department registered a planning application in September 2022 for a property at The Hawthorns, East Boldon.

This included a formal planning proposal to construct “two-storey side and front extensions and a single-storey front portico”.

According to council planning documents, the development included the replacement of an existing single-storey garage at the side of the property with a two-storey pitched roof extension.

During council consultation on the plans, no formal objections were received from neighbours or the East Boldon Neighbourhood Forum.

However South Tyneside Council’s planning department rejected the scheme on October 25, 2022, after raising issues about its visual impact.

No concerns were raised about the impact of the extension works on neighbours in terms of overlooking or privacy issues.

But a decision report concluded the plans would have an “adverse impact upon the character and appearance of the host property and the character and appearance of the street scene”.

Planners ruled that the extensions would “lack subservience to the host property [and] fail to complement the shape, scale and proportions of the original dwelling to maintain [its] character”.

As a result, development chiefs argued, the extensions would “appear as visually dominant and incongruous additions within the street scene, interrupting the consistent design and building line along the east side of The Hawthorns.”

The report claimed no pre-application advice had been sought from the local authority prior to the submission of the application.

Council planners also confirmed the scheme “could not be made acceptable with minor amendments”.

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 plans and council ruling can be found via South Tyneside Council’s online planning portal.