16/P/01138 – The Royal Oak, Felday Glade, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking 1

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App No: 16/P/01138 Type: F 8 Wk Deadline: 05/09/2016 Appn Type: Full Application Case Officer: John Busher Parish: Shere Ward: Tillingbourne Agent : Mr. Jonathan Tan

Lytle Associates Architects 20 Quarry Street Guildford GU1 3UY

Applicant: Mr. Tom Mayne Brookmead Trust c/o Mattioli Woods 1 Penman Way Grove Park Enderby Leicester LE19 1SY

Location: The Royal Oak, Felday Glade, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, RH5 6PF

Proposal: Proposed single storey front extension and porch following demolition of existing porch; construction of a single storey building to the side (micro brewery) together with extension and alterations to rear parking area (amended plans received 21.07.16).

This application has been referred to the Planning Committee because more than 10 letters of objection have been received, contrary to the Officer's recommendation. Site description The site lies in the Green Belt within the Holmbury St Mary identified settlement area. It also lies within the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), an Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) and the Holmbury St Mary Conservation Area. The area is rural and historic in character, the site in question is situated to the south of a village green which is surrounded by residential properties and in close proximity to a 19th century grade I listed church. The site comprises of a two storey detached property which has a hipped roof and two front gable elements. The pub has garden areas at the front and the rear. The site is level and there are no protected trees in the vicinity of the proposed development. Proposal Proposed single storey front extension and porch following demolition of existing porch; construction of a single storey building to the side (micro brewery) together with extension and alterations to rear parking area (amended plans received 21.07.16 and 17.08.16). The amended plans saw significant changes to the original plans. These changes include the removal of the single storey side extension which served the toilets, the relocation and the reduction in size of the micro brewery, and the increase in the number of parking spaces. Additional changes were made to the location of the micro brewery, following comments made by the Parish Council. Relevant planning history

Reference: Description: Decision Summary:

Appeal:

07/P/02171 Change of use of rear garden from

private residential to commercial (pub) garden.

Permitted Development 03/12/2007

N/A

07/P/02170 Single storey pitched roof extension of

rear to provide covered al fresco area with terrace (revision to 07/P/01204 - additional windows to rear elevation)

Approve 10/12/2007

N/A

07/P/01204 Single storey pitched roof extension at

rear to provide covered aSl fresco area with terrace.

Approve 10/08/2007

N/A

Consultations Environment Health Officer: No objection, but informative recommended. Shere Parish Council: No formal comment due to prejudicial interest. However, the Parish Council noted that the proposed micro brewery was located on Parish Council land and that the curtilage of the public house may also extend over Parish Council land. [Officer Note: The applicant was made aware of these comments and the location of the micro brewery has been amended to overcome these issues. The applicant's agent is satisfied that the proposed development is now solely on land owned by the applicant]. Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Officer: No objection. Tree Officer: No objection. Third party comments: 20 letters of representation have been received raising the following objections and concerns:

object to the intensification and change of use of the site;

planning application provides no environmental assessment or economic viability assessment;

reduction in car parking spaces;

increase in traffic due to the development;

proposal would be oversized, out of scale and would be an overdevelopment of the site;

proposal would be harmful to the character of the Conservation Area;

increased noise and smells;

loss of trees is unacceptable and would negatively impact on the character of the area;

loss of views to the nearby grade I listed St Mary's Church;

proposed brewery would be a small industrial unit; and

impact on neighbouring amenity to surrounding properties. 1 letter of representation has been received outlining the following comment in support of the proposal:

proposal will improve the local amenity. Following the receipt of amended plans 2 additional letters have been received reiterating

the original comments and making the further points:

removal of existing verandah and its replacement would be harmful to the character of the building and heritage asset;

increase in traffic;

loss of a tree;

limited detailing in regards to noise, smell, class of use of the building;

micro brewery is out of keeping with the character of the area;

not enough parking provided; and

micro brewery would be a disproportionate addition which represents an overdevelopment of the site.

Also following the receipt of amended plans, one letter has been received confirming the withdrawal of an earlier objection and to support the proposal. The following comments have been made:

the proposed micro brewery is on Royal Oak land [Officer Note: This issue has been addressed above];

reducing tree sizes has been sympathetically addressed; and

parking on-site has been increased. Planning policies The following policies are relevant to the determination of this application. National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) Core planning principles Chapter 3. Supporting a prosperous rural economy Chapter 7. Requiring good design Chapter 9. Protecting Green Belt land Chapter 11. Conserving and enhancing the natural environment Chapter 12. Conserving and enhancing the historic environment Guildford Borough Local Plan 2003 (as saved by CLG Direction 24 September 2007): RE1 Extent of the Green Belt RE3 Identified Settlements in the Green Belt RE5 Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty AONB RE6 Area of Great Landscape Value AGLV G1 General Standards of Development G5 Design Code HE7 New Development in Conservation Areas HE10 Dev Which Affects the Setting of a CA NE5 Dev. Affecting Trees, Hedges & Woodlands Planning considerations The main planning considerations in this case are:

the principle of development

the impact on the Green Belt

the impact on the scale and character of the existing building

the impact on the character of the conservation area

the impact on neighbouring amenity

parking considerations

impact on trees and vegetation

The principle of development Paragraph 28 of The National Planning Policy Framework states that planning policies should support economic growth in rural areas in order to create jobs and prosperity by taking a positive approach to sustainable new development. To promote a strong rural economy, local and neighbourhood plans should: support the sustainable growth and expansion of all types of business and enterprise in rural areas, both through conversion of existing buildings and well designed new buildings. Planning policies should also promote the retention and development of local services and community facilities in villages, such as local shops, meeting places, sports venues, cultural buildings, public houses and places of worship. The impact on the Green Belt The National Planning Policy Framework states that inappropriate development is, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt and should not be approved except in very special circumstances. Furthermore, when considering any planning application, local planning authorities should ensure that substantial weight is given to any harm to the Green Belt. Very special circumstances' will not exist unless the potential harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations. An important aim of Green Belt policy is to prevent dwellings growing incrementally over time thereby progressively eroding the openness of the Green Belt. It is acknowledged that the site is located within the Green Belt and the Holmbury St Mary settlement boundary. However, consideration does need to be given to how the development would impact on the Green Belt. Given that the extensions are modest in size and scale and that they would not be disproportionate in size, it is not deemed that the proposal would result in harm to the Green Belt. Further to this, given the modest size of the extensions and the surrounding area, which is a built up rural village, it is not considered that the proposal would result in a materially harmful impact on the openness of the Green Belt. Furthermore the proposal would not conflict with the purposes of including land within the Green Belt. The proposal therefore complies with policies RE3 and H9 of the Guildford Borough Local Plan 2003 (as saved by CLG Direction 20/09/07) and the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The impact on the scale and character of the existing building It is considered that the proposed extension would be of an appropriate scale and appearance which would not have a detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the existing pub. The proposed front extension, incorporating a porch, is considered to provide good quality additional seating to the front of the pub, it would be a modest addition to the existing building in terms of scale, and would not have a detrimental impact on the character of the existing building. The proposed micro brewery would be located to the side of the pub, and has been significantly reduced in width from the original plans submitted. Its relocation reduces the sprawl of the micro brewery across the site, and is considered to be of an acceptable size and scale for the site. Heritage Consideration

Statutory provisions: Section 72(1) of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 states that ‘In the exercise, with respect to any buildings or other land in a conservation area, of any functions under or by virtue of any of the provisions mentioned in subsection (2), special attention shall be paid to the desirability of preserving or enhancing the character or appearance of that area. NPPF provisions: It is one of the core principles of the NPPF that heritage assets should be conserved in a manner appropriate to their significance. Chapter 12 of the National Planning Policy Framework at para 129 sets out that the local planning authority should identify and assess the particular significance of any heritage asset…They should take this assessment into account when considering the impact of a proposal on a heritage asset, to avoid or minimise conflict between the heritage asset’s conservation and any aspect of the proposal. Paras 131-135 sets out the framework for decision making in planning applications relating to heritage assets and this application takes account of the relevant considerations in these paragraphs. This public house is situated in a prominent location within the heart of the village and has been vacant for some time. The building dates from the 19th Century and is not listed. The proposal is to refurbish the building to provide additional seating capacity internally to the front of the building. The only other alteration to the front of the building is the rebuilding of the front porch and veranda. The proposal also includes the addition of a micro brewery to the side of the pub. From the original plans submitted, the micro brewery was to be located to the rear of the pub and proposed to extend across the width of the public house and to be clad in timber boards under a gable slate roof. A covered way was proposed to connect it to the pub. The introduction of this extension would have had quite a significant effect upon reducing the amount of open garden space and also would reduce the parking capacity. It would also have resulted in effectively creating a small industrial unit, which although it may be described as a small building, in this context, it was relatively large and would have been taller than the ridge of the pub due to the high ground level at the rear. However, amended plans saw the size of the proposed micro brewery be reduced following the removal of the covered way, as well as it being relocated to the side of the pub. On this basis, the Conservation Officer has raised no objections to the impact of the micro brewery. Concern has also been raised by third party representations over the potential loss of views to St Mary's Church, a grade I listed church. This church is located approximately 45 metres away from the application site, and is situated on higher ground that the application site. Similarly, the proposed micro brewery would be obscured by the existing built form. By virtue of this, it is not considered that there would be a harmful impact on the setting, views or the character of the listed church. Therefore the proposal, subject to the use of appropriate materials, would preserve the

character of the Conservation Area in accordance with policy HE7 of the saved local plan 2003. As such, no material harm to the designated heritage asset has been identified and having due regard to Section 72 of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Area) Act 1990 permission should be granted. The impact on neighbouring amenity The proposed works would be located to both the front and the side of the pub, with the nearest residential properties being Old Glade Cottage and Clereholt Cottage, Felday Glade. The dwelling houses themselves are located over 20 metres from the pub. As such no concerns are raised regarding the proposal in terms of loss of light, loss of privacy and overbearing impact to the neighbouring dwellings. Concerns have been raised, by third party comments, regarding noise and potential odors from the micro brewery. The Council's Environmental Health team has raised no objection the proposal. It is not deemed that there would be a harmful impact in this regard. Therefore the proposal complies with saved policy G1(3) of the Guildford Borough Local Plan. Parking Third party representations also gave rise to concerns regarding the loss of parking spaces, which potentially would have result in the increase in off-street parking around the village green. Whilst the original plans resulted in the loss of parking, amended plans would result in an increase in the number of available parking space. The applicant has stated that the proposal seeks to provide a total of 22 car parking spaces (including two disabled spaces) resulting in an increase of 14 spaces from the existing context. There would also be 10 cycle parking racks provided along the north-west elevation. Given this, it is considered that the proposal provides adequate parking and as such, no objection is raised on these grounds. Impact on trees/vegetation Policy NE5 of the saved Local Plan protects the loss of trees within the Conservation Area unless the trees need to be removed on arboricultural grounds or the development outweighs the amenity value of the trees. The Council's Consultant Tree Officer has visited the site and assessed the submitted tree information. The proposal seeks to remove one tree (T8), for the proposed micro brewery. The Tree Officer has raised no objection to the removal of T8 on arboricultural grounds and amenity grounds. Conclusion The proposed micro brewery and extensions are acceptable in scale and would not result in harm to the character of the existing building or the surrounding area, or result in a loss of amenity to neighbouring properties. It would also support the rural economy and provides a significant benefit in this regard. The proposal accords with development plan policies and is acceptable. RECOMMENDATION:

Approve subject to the following condition(s) and reason(s) :-

1. The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission. Reason: In pursuance of Section 196D of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and Sections 74 and 75 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

2. The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: 1729_01; 1729_02; 1729_04; 1729_14 Rev C; 1729_15 Rev B; 1729_16 Rev B; 1729_17 Rev B; 1729_18 Rev B; 1729_19 Rev B; 14570416 Site Plan; 14570416 Sheet 1 of 5; 14570416 Sheet 2 of 5; 14570416 Sheet 3 of 5; 14570416 Sheet 4 of 5; 14570416 Sheet 5 of 5 received on 31/5/16; 21/7/16 and 17.08.16. Reason: To ensure that the development is carried out in accordance with the approved plans and in the interests of proper planning.

3. No development shall take place until details and samples of the proposed external hardstanding, facing and roofing materials including colour and finish have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority. The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details and samples. Reason: To ensure that the external appearance of the extensions and new buildings are satisfactory. This is required to be a pre-commencement condition as the appearance of the new built form goes to the heart of the permission.

4. The development hereby approved shall only be carried out in full accordance with the applicant's Arboricultural Impact Assessment and Method Statement (prepared by ACD Environmental, Revision A 16.08.2016). Within any area fenced in accordance with this condition, nothing shall be stored, placed or disposed of above or below ground, the ground level shall not be altered, no excavations shall be made, nor shall any fires be lit, without the prior written consent of the local planning authority. The fencing shall be maintained in accordance with the approved details, until all equipment, machinery and surplus materials have been moved from the site. Reason: To protect the trees on site which are to be retained in the interests of the visual amenities of the locality.

Informatives: 1. If you need any advice regarding Building Regulations please do not hesitate to

contact Guildford Borough Council Building Control on 01483 444545 or buildingcontrol@guildford.gov.uk

2. In accordance with paragraphs 186 and 187 of the National Planning Policy Framework, Guildford Borough Council takes a positive and proactive approach to

development proposals focused on looking for solutions. We work with applicants in a positive and proactive manner by:

offering a pre-application advice service

updating applicants/agents of any issues that may arise in the processing of their application and where possible suggesting solutions

In this instance the applicant did not enter into pre application discussion but further changes were sought throughout the application process in order to make the application acceptable.

3. The applicant is reminded of the need for the development to comply with the requirements of the Food Safety Act 1990, The Food Safety Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 and relevant EC Regulations and is advised to consult with the Environmental Health Manager.

4. The applicant is reminded of the need for the development to comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and is advised to consul with the Environmental Health Manager.