100 Ravensbourne Avenue
Update 15 November 2024
New application.
See images below. The artist's impression is approximately correct except that this new application would be for a half hip roof with tiles to match the colour of next door's tiles (and not grey as currently built) and only one, smaller roof light rather than the two currently shown.
The change to grey tiles would certainly deal with an earlier concern of the Inspector.
However, is the half-hip (rather than the original full hip) acceptable? Maybe not, because of what the Inspector said (para 14):-
"I have had regard to the variety of styles of properties located within Ravensbourne Avenue; however, the 1930’s style hipped roof semi-detached properties make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of area. The few examples I observed of side gables appear as an exception to this character and do not read as positive features in the locality."
Similarly, para 9 and 11 of the Inspector’s report are also relevant.
"The host dwelling had a hipped roof which replicated that of the adjoining semi-detached house and reflected the predominant roof form in the locality. Whilst the neighbouring property has been altered, the introduction of the hip to gable extension unbalances the roof line. By virtue of its significant size and design, the hip to gable extension is an incongruous addition which fails to reflect the character and appearance of the area."
and,
"There is also a noticeable reduction in the appearance of a gap between the host property and its neighbour, which is caused by the hip to gable design of the extension. Whilst the size of the gaps found between this style of property tend to be smaller than some of the others within the road, the original hipped roof design helped contribute to a more open sense of character, a positive feature of the conservation area, which is lost as a result of the development."
In addition, when the Council considered the previous application (half hip with grey tiles and two roof lights to the front) the Planning Officer said: -
"To overcome objections raised by both the Council and Planning Inspector, the current application proposes a partial hip to both the main roof and the rear dormer, whilst this would help to minimise some of the bulk of the current arrangement and improve the size of the gap between the host dwelling and its neighbour thereby contributing to a more open sense of character, it would remain highly visible within the street scene and would not overcome the unbalancing effect on the pair of semi's [our italics].[...] Whilst the proposed dormer is to the rear of the dwelling and would not be highly visible from the public realm, it is considered that the substantial alteration to the roofline and the loft conversion introduces inappropriate and overly bulky forms[our italics]"
In other words, the Council does not like the half hip design.
The Council's Planning Officer will have to consider the application in the light of the Inspector's comments and his/her previous judgement of the half hip.
On balance, given the above analysis, the Council is very likely going to refuse this application.
Update 28 September 2024
A planning application for a half hip roof (see artist's impression of what this would look like) was recently refused which means that the constructed gable addition remains without authorisation. The owner currently has 3 options:
- Return the roof to a fully hipped profile
- Appeal the refusal to try to get approval for a half hip design
- Submit another application for a new design (but it is hard to think what this could be)
We await developments.
In January 2022, an application was lodged for 'proposed loft conversion with new gable & rear dormer' at 100 Ravensbourne Avenue. In March 2022, the property looked like this (first picture below: rhs). In October 2022 permission was refused. At some point, building work commenced (without permission) - see secondpicture for current appearance. An Appeal was lodged and last month it was dismissed, the Inspector citing harm to the Conservation Area.
LBB have now commenced an enforcement enquiry . What happens now? A possible course of action is that LBB will issue an Enforcement Notice requiring the extension to be removed. The Notice can be appealed but this is unlikely to be successful. An expensive alteration of some sort is probably required.
