AN APPLICATION for retrospective planning permission for a conservatory in Old Harlow is set to go before the Harlow Council planning committee.

The application site relates to Flat 3, Hillsborough House, 9 Churchgate Street.

Details of the Proposal

Retrospective planning permission is sought for the construction of a single storey rear extension to replace existing conservatory, measuring 2.4 metres in depth, 3 metres in height and 6.2 metres in width.

There is currently a partially built rear extension of cement board cladding construction. The Heritage Officer was consulted and raised concerns over the materials used, arguing that these would not be acceptable within a conservation area and that they would fail to demonstrate a subservient relationship with the host building.

Following correspondence between the case officer and agent, the application has been amended with the cement board cladding being replaced with brickwork to match the existing building, and there have been amendments to the parapet detailing.

Permission is therefore for sought for the erection of a single storey rear extension of brick construction to match the existing building, consisting of UPVC timber sash windows and buffstone capping to parapet wall.

Objections

There have been multiple objections to this application.

• Appearance: no attempt has been made to source a similar colour or appearance of the original building which is a light-yellow brick. Hillsborough House is over 100 years old, and has been maintained to uphold the valued history of this House. In the First World War it was used as a hospital for the convalescence of returning soldiers. To have this new build is totally out of character to the building and in our opinion is a monstrosity. The new build is a grey colour concrete structure. It is more like a proper extension than a conservatory. The proposed (and partially built) extension is timber framed with cement board cladding which is not in keeping with the rest of the property which is in a conservation area.
• Appearance: This revised application is an even worse eyesore than the previous one. This is not a replacement of a worn out glass conservatory, but a full throttle extension, the former of which I would not have objected to. But the design of this one is ugly, out of keeping with local architecture and the proposed brickwork will not match with the remainder of the older building yellow brickwork. The buff stone capping and the raised parapet is completely inappropriate in a conservation area, not in keeping with the rest of the property. The materials have changed from the grey colour concrete to bricks that they say will match the existing building which we feel will not still be a perfect match. We must also take into account the meaning of

“Conservation Area which is areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve. Conservation Areas enjoy protection from poor-quality development. They ensure that the best of our heritage is kept for future generations, they help ensure that every place retains as much as possible of its own unique identity.

• –  Amenity: Both the partially built structure and the proposed design significantly restrict my view of the communal garden from my balcony and window negatively effecting my enjoyment of my property with a potential reduction in resale value. The proposed/existing roof light/lantern is directly under my balcony such that stray light can enter my bedroom and I will be able to see directly into the room below resulting in a significant reduction in privacy. The garden area is communal and the partially built/proposed structure significantly impairs the enjoyment of the garden by other owners.
• –  Amenity: The original conservatory had a sloping glass roof while the proposed structure has a flat roof which reduces the view of the communal garden and the enjoyment of the property by the resident of the flat above.

The application will be heard on Wednesday January 11th at the Civic Offices in The Water Gardens, Harlow.

For further details, go to www.harlow.gov.uk and submit HW/HSE/22/00414 in the planning portal.