17/00093/FUL

13 Norham Road Oxford OX2 6SF

13 February 2017

Removal of existing conservatory, side extension, side facing porch, garage and outbuilding. Erection of a single storey side and rear extension.

Interpretation of this planning application is made more difficult because there is no Design and Access statement and no Heritage Statement. Norham Road has maintained its character remarkably well since the houses were first built at the end of the nineteenth century.

A note on the south elevation plan says that the porch is to be reinstated, indicating that this aspect of the house is being returned to something like its original design but there is no documentation to support this. It is proposed that the conservatory single storey extension on the east side will be demolished and replaced with a single storey extension for utility rooms, with a lean-to roof and simple door. Although stepped back, this aspect of the extension will unfortunately be prominent from the road if the new, second vehicular access from Norham Road is allowed.

The front garden has a single vehicular access with a very attractive border of shrubs running along the rest of the front garden. The proposal for a second access would remove a substantial part, if not all, of this border. This would be against the Council’s policy on not having two accesses and its policy for retaining front gardens. Furthermore, this would not be in keeping with the rest of the road where the houses have single vehicular accesses.

Planning permission for the second vehicular access should be refused.