Garage roof alterations at 13 Morven Drive, Motherwell

What was proposed

Retrospective permission was sought for replacing the roofs of three garages and raising the middle garage to accommodate a camper van.

“Retrospective Planning Permission is sought for alterations carried out to the roof of an existing garage blook located to the rear of Morven Drive in Bill Quay. The garages are part of 14 block of flat roof garages, arranged in two rows of seven garages. This application specifically relates to 3 garages within one of the blocks.”

“The alterations that have taken place include the full roof replacement of the 3 garages, along with an increase in the height of the middle garage.”

Officer report

The site and its use

The garages form part of a uniform block of fourteen flat-roof garages, with no change proposed to their parking and storage use.

“No Change of Use is proposed to the garages. The applicant has advised that the garages would remain in the same original use, parking/storage…”

Officer report

The main planning issue

The raised roof was considered unacceptable in design terms, although its distance from neighbours avoided adverse effects from loss of light, shadowing or overbearing impact.

“- Does not have an unacceptable impact on amenity or character of an area, and does not cause unacceptable disturbance, through an increase in noise, disturbance, traffic and parking congestion, smells, fumes or other harmful effects, or conflict with other adjoining uses; - safeguards the enjoyment of light, outlook and privacy; and - ensures a high quality of design and amenity…”

“The raised roof is to the central of the three garages and the separation distance between this raised roof and the nearest habitable room window of a neighbouring property is approximately 13m. It is therefore considered that given this distance, the proposal does not result in an adverse impact on the residential amenity or living conditions of neighbours in terms of loss of light, shadowing or overbearing impact.”

Officer report

Consultation response

The Transport Planning Team had no objection, and the proposal was considered acceptable on highway safety and ecological grounds.

“The Council’s Transport Planning Team was consulted on the proposal. In their response, they stated that they had no objection to the proposal.”

“5.28The proposal is therefore considered to be acceptable on transport and highway safety grounds in accordance with policies CS13 and MSGP15 of the Local Plan and the NPPF.”

Officer report

Who spoke

The applicant spoke in favour of the application, and Councillor Patterson withdrew from the discussion and vote.

The committee’s decision

Planning permission was refused because the increased roof height conflicted with the uniform flat-roof design and harmed the street scene and residents’ outlook.

“That planning permission be REFUSED due to following reasons, the Service Director of Climate Change, Compliance, Planning and Transport are authorised to add, vary and amend the reasons as necessary;”

“The increased roof height of the middle garage is out of keeping with the uniform flat roof design of the garage block and results in an incongruous and visually intrusive feature, to the detriment of the street scene and the residential amenity of residents on Morven Drive, in terms of their outlook. The development is contrary to Policies CS15, MSGP17 and MSGP24 of the Local Plan and the design aims of the National Planning Policy Framework.”

Minutes