RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT - PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT Demolition of Existing Cottages and Erection of Replacement Dwelling at 1+2 Shoeluck ...
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RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
Demolition of Existing Cottages and
Erection of Replacement Dwelling at
1+2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane,
Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
PLANNING AND DESIGN
STATEMENT
February 2021
PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
CONTENTS
1. Summary
2. Introduction
3. Site and Surroundings
4. Proposal and Design
5. Policies and Assessment
6. Conclusion
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FEBRUARY 2021
PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
Aerial photo of site context.
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FEBRUARY 2021
PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
1. SUMMARY
1.1 The application concerns the removal of two existing cottages,
together with a considerable number of outbuildings, and the
erection of a new dwelling.
1.2 The application relates to Nos. 1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages,
Church Lane, Abridge, a pair of semi-detached two storey
former farm workers cottages located in the Green Belt. The
site is served by a single access providing access to 1 Shoeluck
Cottages.
1.3 The current proposal seeks to remove all of the existing
structures from the site. A new two-storey dwelling is
proposed, to be constructed in a slightly amended position, set
further back from the line of the existing cottages in order to
to facilitate access, visibility, parking and landscaping. It is
proposed to enlarge the existing position of the access following
pre-application discussions with Essex County Council, the
Local Highways Authority, these comments are to follow.
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
2. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
2.1 Shoeluck Cottages have no formal planning history. They are
indicated on a map dated 1872 but the dates they were built is
unknown. Internal timber framing could indicate some history
though not necessarily any value. It is believed that they were
extended in the early 1960s with the addition of rear two storey
flat roofed extensions. They were in the same ownership at that
time and matching extensions were added simultaneously to
both properties to provide a ground floor bathroom and a third
bedroom on the first floor.
2.2 It is understood that planning permission was not then required
or sought. Other alterations and additions have occurred since
then though there is no record.
2.3 A considerable number of outbuildings exist and have been
constructed within the rear gardens of the cottages. They are
of various forms, sizes and for a variety of ancillary purposes
associated to the dwellings.
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
3. SITE AND SURROUNDINGS
3.1 Shoeluck Cottages are located on the south side of the A113
(Ongar Road) and on the east side of Church Lane close to the
junction of Ongar Road with Church Lane. The 40mph speed
limit sign posts lie to the south of Church Lane. On Ongar Road
the 40mph sign posts are located to the east of the cottages.
There are existing bus stops adjacent on both sides of Ongar
Road very close to the cottages. The nearest station is at
Theydon Bois some 3 km away.
3.2 No. 1 has a vehicular access off Church Lane and ample parking
and garaging within the site while No. 2 has a rough gravelled
parking area outside the plot frontage and directly abutting the
highway.
3.3 The combined site of the cottages is roughly triangular. The
plots for each house are unequal in size with No. 1 Shoeluck
Cottages having the larger extent. The total site extent is 0.13
ha. (0.33 acres).
3.4 The landscape is agricultural, arable and rural. Fields are
generally extensive and geometric in form unless crossed by
watercourses including the sinuous River Roding to the north
and east. Abridge lies to the south west while Ongar lies to the
east beyond the M25 corridor.
3.5 Shoeluck Cottages comprise a pair of semi-detached farm
workers cottages of uncertain date. They are no longer
associated with the farm to which they belonged historically.
They are not well-built properties and though extended to the
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
rear in the 1960s to provide improved facilities and an
additional bedroom, they have been little altered and never
updated. They lack central heating, they are damp, they are
poorly insulated, and they have single glazed windows. They
are on mains water and have an electric supply. Drainage is not
mains and there is no gas. They are also modest in size, visually
almost appearing to be one dwelling rather than two.
The view from Church Lane.
3.6 The original cottages are of a traditional scale and mass with a
double pitched hipped and tiled roof form and a heavy brick-
built central chimney stack set within the forward roof section
(maximum height 7.5m with ridge at 6.40m). The exterior walls
are finished with smooth painted render and have a dark
painted plinth course. On the front elevation there is for each
cottage one tripartite window to the ground floor, serving the
lounge, and a similar window above at first floor, serving the
largest bedroom. The front elevation to Church Lane is
rhythmic and pleasant.
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
The view from the junction of Ongar Road and Church Lane.
3.7 The cottages are entered from the side elevations to the north
and south. A simple canopy marks the doorway and there is a
small window adjacent. There is a further tripartite ground floor
window towards the back of each cottage. It serves the kitchen
in both cases. No. 2 has a tall narrow chimney externally
attached to the side elevation accommodating a log burner. The
windows to the second bedroom in both cases are located on
the rear elevation of the original dwellings. Windows for the
bathrooms and the third bedrooms are on the ground floor rear
and first floor side elevations within the poorly designed rear
extensions. The flat roofed rear extensions are unsightly and
join poorly with the traditional original cottages. In addition,
No. 1 has a small single storey lean to porch abutting the flat
roofed rear extension. It has a simple clay tiled roof.
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
3.8 The gardens are mature with trees, hedging and shrubbery.
From Ongar Road views of the cottages are restricted by a
hedge but the inferior quality and awkward design of the two
storey additions is clear to see.
The view from Ongar Road.
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
4. PROPOSAL AND DESIGN
4.1 It is proposed to demolish all buildings within the residential
site.
4.2 The option of forming one house from the coalescence and
conversion of the two cottages and extending them has been
fully explored and costed. However, it has been found unviable
on the basis of cost, impracticality and the technical problems
of providing low energy and high-performance specifications,
services and finishes.
4.3 The cottages are to be replaced by a contemporary dwelling of
two storeys. The proposal represents the kind of sustainable
development promoted by the National Planning Policy
Framework (NPPF).
4.4 The existing properties combined comprise 92 square metres
in terms of floor area, No. 1 being slightly bigger as a result of
the rear single storey porch extension. Cottage No. 1 has
outbuildings of 46 square metres and Cottage No. 2 has
outbuildings totalling 27 square metres. The total existing floor
area is 255 square metres. The footprint is 165 square metres.
4.5 The volume of the existing cottages is 496 cubic metres and
the outbuildings a further 181 cubic metres making a combined
total of 677 cubic metres. The figures stated here do not include
any allowance for development (outbuildings or extensions
including porches) that could be constructed under existing
permitted development rights.
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
4.6 All calculations are shown on the submitted drawings Nos. 20-
010/01, 20-010/02, 20-010/03, 20-010/04 and 20-010/05.
4.7 The proposed dwelling has a ground floor of 155 square metres
and first floor of 145 square metres giving a total floor area of
300 square metres. The volume is 725 cubic metres. The
maximum roof height is 7.30 metres.
4.8 Turning to a comparison of the existing and the proposed
dwelling, it is the case that the proposed dwelling is bigger than
the existing cottages in terms of floor area and volume.
However, the proposed dwelling is smaller in terms of footprint.
The importance of the smaller footprint is that the site will
appear to contain less building coverage, will be less cluttered
and will visually comprise less in the way of physical
development of the site. Though the proposed floor area is
bigger than the existing, the increase is relatively modest and
represents the size of a large double garage, something that
could be constructed in each garden without planning
permission. In terms of volume, it is accepted that the increase
appears substantial but a great part of that is due to the
unusual roof forms of the existing cottages, with a large flat
area of roof as well as a double-pitch.
4.9 The erection of a well-designed replacement dwelling offers a
valuable opportunity to improve the visual amenity of the
Green Belt. To this end the proposal is a clearly modern
dwelling not a pastiche of traditional forms or styles. It employs
traditional natural materials together with high specification
construction methods to deliver a dwelling with inherently low
energy and low water consumption. Air source heat pumps are
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1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
to be implemented along with the installation of Photovoltaic
Panels.
4.10 The position of the proposed house has been set further from
the Church Lane road frontage. There are a number of reasons
for this and they include making the dwelling better relate to
the plot and making the access as safe and useable as possible.
It is also important to ensure that the hard and soft landscaping
of the site is considered at an early stage. It is essential to
ensure that visibility is not comprised but enhanced and to
ensure that all vehicles entering and leaving the site can so
safely and without any adverse effect upon other road users.
Landscaping is very important is making certain that the
proposal works well in its immediate environment.
4.11 In summary, it is proposed to construct a dwelling with a
footprint smaller than the existing cottages, but with a floor
area larger than the cottages. The increased floor area would
not be significantly or unreasonably so, taking into account the
removal of the outbuildings and permitted development rights.
Removal of the outbuildings would be considered beneficial in
visual and character terms.
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
5. POLICIES AND ASSESSMENT
5.1 The site lies within the Metropolitan Green Belt.
5.2 The Development Plan comprises the rather dated 1998 Epping
Forest District Local Plan, adopted January 1998, and the Local
Plan Alterations, adopted July 2006, where consistent with the
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). All LPA policy
documents predate the NPPF. Green Belt policies within the
EFDLP/LPA generally reflect PPG2, previous national planning
guidance which is no longer in effect. The policies of relevance
are:-
Policy GB2A – Development in the Green Belt
Policy GB15A – Replacement Dwellings
Policy DBE4 – Design in the Green Belt
Policies NC1-NC5 – Nature Conservation
Policy RP4 – Contaminated Land
5.3 Policy GB2A sets out that in the Green Belt new buildings (and
changes of use as well as extensions to buildings) are not
appropriate unless they fall into certain specified categories.
Sub-section (vi) states that a new building is appropriate
where it is a replacement for an existing dwelling and in
accordance with policy GB15A.
5.4 In turn, Policy GB15A is concerned only with replacement
dwellings. Existing permanent dwellings may be replaced with
a new dwelling where the replacement would not be materially
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
greater than the original one and would not have a greater
impact upon the openness of the Green Belt and would not
necessitate more garden ground.
5.5 Policy DBE4 is concerned with the design of new buildings in
the Green Belt. It is stated that they should respect the wider
landscape setting and should respect local character in terms
of plan form and detailing.
5.6 The emerging Epping Forest Local Plan Submission Version
(2017) has not been adopted and does not form part of the
statutory development plan. It is a material consideration. In
moving forward, it must be found to be consistent with the
National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Hearings were
undertaken in early 2019.
5.7 Policies from the LPSV (2017) that may be considered to be
relevant include:-
Policy SP6 – Green Belt and District Open Land
Policy DM4 – Green Belt
Policy DM9 – High Quality Design.
5.8 Policy SP6 advises that the openness of the Green Belt will be
protected from inappropriate development in accordance with
national planning policy and Policy DM4.
5.9 Policy DM4 sets out the purposes of the Green Belt, in other
words repeats and restates the NPPF position (and the PPG3
position before that) that new buildings are inappropriate
unless they fall into stated categories. It goes on to say that in
accordance with national policy within the Green Belt planning
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
permission will not be granted for inappropriate development
unless very special circumstances exist. In the third part of
the policy a list of exceptions is set out in which new buildings
may be appropriate.
5.10 Sub-section (iv) confirms that replacement of a building is
appropriate provided that the proposed building is of the same
use and not materially larger than the one to be replaced. Other
sub-sections set out that the redevelopment of previously
developed land is not inappropriate where the impact on
openness is not greater.
5.11 Policy DM9 relates to the need for high quality design in all new
developments. All development should be design led. This
relates to context, place, sustainability, climate change as well
as landscaping, amenity and amenity considerations.
5.12 Policies NC1 to NC5 aim to protect the natural environment
and to ensure that there is no los s of biodiversity or loss of
habitat. Wildlife is protected by the policies whether in
statutorily designated sites, and the aim is to prevent loss of
wildlife and habitat, to replace habitats where possible and to
promote in its widest sense nature conservation in all localities.
5.13 This application is accompanied by a Preliminary Ecological
Appraisal Survey undertaken by the specialist advisors Arbtech.
It is a through document researched as a desk study and on
site. The starting point is that the site is not subject to any
designation. There are no statutory or non-statutory
designated sites within one kilometre of the site. One kilometre
is considered to be the zone of influence of this development.
The report makes recommendations about landscaping/habitat
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1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
enhancements, construction advice and possible further survey
work.
5.14 Policy RP4 relates to contaminated land. A report from Ground
and Environmental Investigation Limited accompanies this
application. Such a report was requested due to the existence
of Ministry of Defence land adjacent to the site. There is no
indication or suggestion that the site itself is contaminated.
5.15 Ministry of Defence land is located to the south and west of the
site and it comprises undeveloped land (fields). There may be
asbestos in buildings on the site and that might be expected.
Removal is straightforward with a suitable contractor. In all
other respects the risk to human health, water resources,
plants, and buildings is low as no sources of ground
contamination have been identified.
5.16 The NPPF is considerably more up-to-date than the Local Plan
1998 and 2006 Alterations. The golden thread running through
the NPPF from its arrival in 2012 and as amended more recently
is the promotion of sustainable development. In terms of Green
Belts, they are to be protected in policy making and in terms of
development management and there is an explicit recognition
of the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside.
5.17 In the Green Belt the fundamental aim is to keep land
permanently open. The essential characteristics of Green Belts
are their openness and their permanence. The construction of
new buildings is inappropriate, and always has been, though
there are exceptions both in national policy as well as in local
policy as set out earlier.
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1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
5.18 Two exceptions are relevant here and set out a para. 145. Sub-
section d) indicates that a replacement building should be in
the same use as that removed and not materially larger. This
accords with the adopted policies and the emerging policies of
Epping Forest District Council. Sub-section g) indicates that the
redevelopment of previously developed land (PDL) accords with
Green Belt objectives provided that development would not
have a greater impact upon the Green Belt than existing
development. The application site – being residential and not
in a built-up area - comprises PDL where the definition in the
NPPF Glossary is employed.
5.19 The proposal to replace the cottages with one dwelling does not
conflict per se with national or existing or emerging local plan
policies. The matter of size needs to be carefully considered
and will be explored further. The requirement is that the
replacement dwelling should not be ‘materially larger’ though
no guidance is provided on how that may be judged.
5.20 Before the matters of size and design are further considered, a
different matter should be evaluated. The NPPF identifies
planning’s key role in inter alia, meeting the challenge of
climate change and flooding, in conserving and enhancing the
natural environment, promoting sustainability and requiring
good design. In relation to housing, there is a need and
Government directive to increase supply and to deliver a wide
choice of high-quality homes. In this particular case, the
existing cottages are not of high-quality in terms of standard of
construction and facilities. While on the face of it, it might seem
desirable to upgrade, extend and conjoin the dwellings to form
one dwelling, this option has been fully explored and it is simply
neither economically realistic nor sensible to retain the existing
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
structures. They are not capable of providing a house fit for the
21st century, a house that needs to be fuel and water efficient,
of a sustainable construction and designed to take account of
climate change.
5.21 Turning to the matter of size, the footprint, floor area and
volumes of the existing structures (with outbuildings) are set
out on the submitted drawings. The proposed figures are set
out too. It can be seen that in some respect the proposal is
larger than existing and in some respects it is smaller. The
actual figures do not matter. Neither local nor national policy
set out size parameters. Government guidance is absent. Policy
refers to the replacement house not being materially larger
than existing. In considering the redevelopment of previously
developed land the important factor is the matter of impact.
The impact on the openness of the Green Belt should not be
greater.
5.22 It is considered that the key aspect of the replacement of the
cottages and outbuildings is the floor area as this is such a
fundamental factor in the perception of development. The site
currently has a very large amount of development, of buildings
of a variety of shapes and forms. They cover a large part of the
site leaving little open space. The outbuildings comprise visual
clutter. There could be even more as permitted development
right would permit further outbuildings and further significant
extensions. The proposal has clear and substantial merit in that
it would ensure that the existing visual clutter and plot
coverage in terms of footprint was consolidated onto one part
of the site leaving the remainder open and undeveloped.
Openness would be enhanced, and the plot coverage (footprint)
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
would be reduced even without taking unextinguished
permitted development rights.
5.23 It is accepted that the proposed house would be higher than
the existing cottages, but its slight relocation further into the
site, further distant from Church Lane would make perceived
height less apparent and reduce any adverse visual impact. The
impact upon openness should be considered to be neutral in
this respect. It is accepted also that the volume of the building
would be greater but that is made on the basis of the
replacement of the existing with the proposed single house.
Taking into account the fact that the cottages could both be
further extended, and additional outbuildings provided, the
effect upon the Green Belt (of volume changes) is best
described as neutral. It should be noted that in all respects
what is proposed would improve the appearance of the site by
removing a random and incoherent collection of structures and
buildings and would provide a significantly better standard of
residential accommodation than exists at present.
5.24 Taken in the round the proposal does not inherently conflict
with national or local policy as it is not materially larger than
the cottages and outbuildings that are to be replaced.
5.25 In terms of design, while it may be tempting to employ a style
of architecture that harks back to bygone days, and is a
pastiche of historic forms, this approach has been considered
and ruled out here. A more honest approach has been adopted
with the design of a house fit for its site and fit for its time. A
simple form is proposed with a limited palette of materials –
slate, render and stone. The roof pitches and the spans relate
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
well to traditional forms in the locality, but the design is of 2021
with high quality materials and specification.
5.26 Attention can be drawn to many examples of replacement
houses in Epping Forest District Council’s area. In the past
policies appear to have been implemented rather inconsistently
and enormous houses have been permitted as replacements for
modest structures. The Elms (to the south and indicated on
the aerial photo below) is one such case. It is close to the
application site. The original ranch-style dwelling has been
replaced by a house, a mansion, many, many times larger in
terms of height, volume and floor area. Officers appear to have
overlooked the introduction of a basement floor and not taken
account of (alternatively they accepted at face value) the very
substantial increases both in height and volume. It was
concluded in the case of The Elms there was no harm to
openness despite some very obvious indications that there was
no or no comparison between the original and the replacement
dwelling by any standard.
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
5.27 In the current case, it is clear that the proposed replacement
dwelling accords with policy in all respects, namely in terms of
size, use and design. It is not materially larger than the
cottages and accords with national and local policy
considerations. It also raises no issues in connection with
ecology and nature conservation nor in terms of land
contamination.
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FEBRUARY 2021PLANNING AND DESIGN STATEMENT
1 and 2 Shoeluck Cottages, Church Lane, Abridge, Essex RM4 1AB
6. CONCLUSION
6.1 The proposed replacement dwelling in the Green Belt wholly
satisfies all policies both local and national. It is an exception
to the policy of restraint. It will not give rise to harm to
openness, to character or to the purposes of the Green Belt. It
will not harm nature and natural assets. There is no risk as a
consequence of ground contamination as none has been found.
6.2 The application offers a significant opportunity to promote a far
better designed and superior quality dwelling on a developed
site without loss of openness or loss of permanence to the
Green Belt. The proposal does not offend the aims or purposes
of Green Belt designation and would improve the visual amenity
of the Green Belt in that location by removing a large number
of outbuildings and some poorly extended and low-grade
cottages. Moreover, it would provide for a significantly more
sustainable form of development than exists on site at present.
6.3 Officers are urged to support the application.
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