Plans to convert Jarrow garage into living space rejected by South Tyneside Council

A householder’s planning bid to convert and extend a garage to create “habitable space” has been turned down by council planners.
The plans were rejected by South Tyneside CouncilThe plans were rejected by South Tyneside Council
The plans were rejected by South Tyneside Council

Earlier in May 2021, South Tyneside Council’s planning department received an application for a property in the Fellgate and Hedworth ward, Jarrow.

This included a “garage conversion to habitable space” and a front extension to the property with a bay window.

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According to the planning application, a partition wall was also proposed to retain some of the internal garage space for storage.

After considering all evidence, council planners refused the householder application on September 3, 2021 as it clashed with planning guidance.

The reason for refusal, published on the council’s website, was linked to the proposed driveway length between the converted garage’s front elevation and the public highway.

The statement claimed that the proposals would “represent a substandard form of development and [would be] likely to result in vehicles obstructing the public highway to the detriment of highway safety.”

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It went on to say: “The proposal would therefore fail to accord with the adopted South Tyneside Local Development Framework Development Management Policy DM1 (G), as well as the guidance set out in the associated Supplementary Planning Document 9: Householder Developments.”

According to a report prepared by council officers, proposals included converting the existing garage into a “playroom/store” and extending it forward – with the front elevation “falling flush with the front elevation of the existing dwelling.”

However, the council’s traffic and road safety team said that “with the extension in place, the driveway would not be deep enough tobe used as a driveway.”

The officer report states that a policy around householder developments, known as SPD9, sets out rules around the issue.

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It states that where “an off-street parking space exists, this should be retained with a length of five metres if there is a garage with a roller shutter door.”

The report goes on to say: “Although the proposed extension would host a window and not a roller shutter door, both would be built within the front elevation and the five-metre rule would still apply as sufficient off-street parking would be required.”

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

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