BISHOPS LANE (to the rear of 210 Gloucester Road) 14/04914/F
Unfortunately, we were unable to get our letter of response to this application sent in time! This application has now been granted. However, despite this, it may still be of interest to show below what our objection was to this application:
We are concerned about many aspects of this demolition of an existing 2 storey brick warehouse and replacement with a 2 bedroom dwelling as follows;
1. The site is extremely tight and the proposed dwelling is to be of straw bale construction. Straw bale construction by definition produces a wall construction which is very thick and also not suitable for party walls which need to be fire resistant.
2. The house has been moved right to the rear of the site in order to accommodate the straw bale construction and the refuse/recycling at the front, directly alongside the living room window. The corner of the house is shown touching the corner of the rear extension to no 212 which would be very difficult to achieve satisfactorily in practice.
3. The staircase has 17 risers (instead of the normal 13) and is so large (being set around a lightwell) that bedroom 2 is virtually unusable.
4. The west elevation sits directly on a legal boundary with no 208 next door. The windows, including a huge non fire resisting window lighting the staircase, do not comply with Building Regulations. Furthermore, the straw bale construction is clad with timber boarding which again is not suitable for a party wall.
5. The proposed house is said to share the rear garden area with no 212 but the French doors to the dining room are glazed with obscure glass.
6. The external form of the house with its low pitched roof is alien to the area.
In conclusion, we have many concerns about this application and can only recommend refusal in its current form.