APPLICATION:       MA/12/0209           Date: 15 February 2012  Received: 16 February 2012

The recommendation for this application is being reported to Committee for decision because:

·         Councillor Collins is the applicant.

1.           POLICIES

• Maidstone Borough-Wide Local Plan 2000: ENV28, ENV45
• South East Plan 2009: CC1, CC6, C4, BE6
• Government Policy: National Planning Policy Framework 2012

2.      HISTORY

• MA/12/0552         - Conversion of and alterations to two existing outbuildings for use as garden room and annex ancillary to Gudgeon Oast and alterations to approved scheme for conversion of Gudgeon Oast to residential (MA/10/1021) being changes to the arrangement of openings, introduction of external steps – CURRENTLY INVALID

• MA/11/0944         - An application to discharge conditions relating to MA/10/1021 - (conversion and adaptation of the oasthouse to form a two bedroom residential dwelling) - being details of condition 2 materials being Ashdown red bricks, plain clay Babylon Kent peg tiles and feather edged boarding; condition 4 joinery – APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS

• MA/10/1021         - Conversion and adaptation of the oasthouse to form a two bedroom residential dwelling – APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS

• MA/08/0026         - Conversion and adaptation of oasthouse to form a B1 office unit (Resubmission of MA/07/0429) – REFUSED, ALLOWED AT APPEAL

• MA/07/0429         - Conversion and adaptation to form a live/work unit – REFUSED

• MA/93/0019         - Change of use of redundant agricultural building to uses within class B1 (renewal of MA/88/0445) - APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS

• MA/89/0273         - Change of use from oasthouse and outside store for light building materials – REFUSED

• MA/88/0445         - Change of use of redundant agricultural building to a Class B1 business use - APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS

3.      BACKGROUND

3.1    Planning permission has preciously been granted subject to conditions for the conversion of Gudgeon Oast to a dwellinghouse under MA/10/1021. An application to discharge pre-commencement conditions (including details of external materials) was subsequently submitted and approved, as detailed above. The application to discharge conditions was granted subject to a condition requiring the approved feather boarding to be stained black, and maintained as such thereafter.

4.      CONSULTATIONS

4.1     Hunton Parish Council: did not wish to comment on the application.

4.2    Maidstone Borough Council Conservation Officer: raises no objection to the proposed variation.

5.      REPRESENTATIONS

5.1    No representations have been received.

6.      CONSIDERATIONS

6.1    Site Description

6.1.1 The proposal site is located in open countryside in the rural parish of Hunton. The site has no specific environmental or economic designations in the Local Plan.

6.1.2 Gudgeon Oast is located in the north of the site, immediately adjacent to West Street from which the building is clearly visible in public views. The building comprises an oasthouse, the roundel of which is in the process of being restored and the stowage rebuilt as part of the implementation of planning permission MA/10/1021 for the conversion of the building to a dwellinghouse.

6.2    Proposal

6.2.1  An application to discharge conditions, including external materials, attached to MA/10/1021 was approved under MA/11/0944. Condition 1 attached to the discharge of conditions reads as follows:-

The feather boarding hereby permitted shall be stained black before the first occupation of the dwelling and shall be subsequently maintained in that condition thereafter;

6.2.2  The condition was imposed in order to secure the character and appearance of the development and prevent the use of an inappropriate finish to the development.

6.2.3  This application seeks to vary the condition to allow the weather boarding to be painted white.

6.3    Considerations

6.3.1 The main issues for consideration are whether the proposed change would be harmful to the character of the surrounding area or the building itself.

6.3.2 The Maidstone Borough Council Conservation Officer has confirmed that the use of a white finish is traditional in the area, and has on this basis raised no objection to the proposed variation of the condition on heritage grounds. On these grounds, notwithstanding the prominent position of the building in the streetscene and views of the open countryside, it is not considered that the proposed variation would result in visual harm to the quality of the countryside or the historic integrity of the oast itself, and that the painting of the weather boarding white would result in an acceptable appearance to the development.

6.3.3 It is not considered that the variation of the condition would result in any impact upon the residential amenity of the occupiers of the neighbouring residential dwellings or have any implications for highway safety.

7.      CONCLUSION

7.1    For these reasons, it is considered that the proposal to vary the condition subject to a further condition requiring the feather boarding to be painted white and maintained as such in order to secure the appearance of the building should be recommended for approval.

8.      RECOMMENDATION

GRANT PLANNING PERMISSION subject to the following condition:    

1.   The feather boarding hereby permitted shall be painted white before the first occupation of the dwelling and shall be subsequently maintained in that condition thereafter;

Reason: To ensure a satisfactory appearance to the development and to secure the historic character of the building in accordance with policies ENV28 and ENV45 of the Maidstone Borough-Wide Local Plan 2000, CC1 and CC6 of the South East Plan 2009.

The proposed development, subject to the conditions stated, is considered to comply with the policies of the Development Plan (Maidstone Borough-Wide Local Plan 2000 and the South East Plan 2009) and there are no overriding material considerations to indicate a refusal of planning consent.