The appeal site was adjacent to a commercial area. A statement of common ground recognised that the existing buildings on the appeal site had little architectural merit and that the area would suffer no harm from their demolition. The wider area surrounding the site was notably and almost entirely two-storey in character. In this context the inspector found that the proposed four-storey flat-roofed building would have a very substantial presence and would be out-of-scale and character with the surrounding area. This would be much emphasised by the structure’s close proximity to all four of the site boundaries and its unusually immediate visibility from public views on all sides. While the scheme would not give rise to material hazards to drivers and pedestrians the appeal was dismissed due to the effect of the scheme on the character of the area.
Inspector: Roy Foster; Hearing
