Three larger terraced houses at Elkington House, Westcliff-on-Sea

What is proposed

The application would add habitable roof accommodation, alter ground-floor windows and entrances, and change the parking layout for three houses.

“The amendments seek to alter the elevations and the internal layout to create an additional floor with habitable accommodation in the roof, with balconies to the front within the front gables. No changes are proposed to the scale, height, depth, form or positioning of the dwellings approved in the 2023 application.”

“The proposal also includes an amended parking layout. There is no net loss of parking spaces, but the configuration of the parking spaces has been changed, repositioning them from the northern side of the forecourt to the western side of the forecourt. This will enable a fire engine to turn within this space. This change also impacts the layout of landscaping and refuse storage.”

Officer report

Site and surroundings

The site is behind a vacant former care home in a residential area, with access from Imperial Avenue and a protected tree at the front.

“The application site is to the northern side of Imperial Avenue. Pedestrian and vehicular access is from a driveway off Imperial Avenue. The site includes land to the rear of a mainly two-storey building most recently used as a care home (Elkington House), which has been vacant since 2022. The proposal relates to the rear half of the site behind Elkington House.”

“The area is residential in nature. The site is not within a conservation area or subject to any site-specific planning policies. The Robinia tree at the front of the wider site, next to Imperial Avenue, is protected by Tree Preservation Order TPO 4/93 (T8).”

Officer report

Planning history

The three-house scheme was approved in 2023, while later applications covered the frontage building, details, amendments and related planning matters.

“Table 1: Relevant Planning History of the Application Site Reference Description Outcome 26/00552/AMDT Application to vary Condition 02 (Approved Plans) and Condition 08 (Car park Layout) to allow amendments to the approved car parking layout, including the substitution of approved plans (Material Amendment to planning permission 25/00257/FUL dated 01.07.2025).”

“Details agreed 25/00670/AD Application for approval of details pursuant to conditions 03 (details of materials), 05 (refuse and recycling storage and cycle parking), 06 (hard and soft landscaping), 13 (external illumination of the site) and 17 (Tree Protection) of planning permission 23/00451/FUL dated 31/08/2023. Details agreed…”

Officer report

Officers’ assessment

Officers considered the design, neighbour relationships, housing standards, parking, sustainability and drainage acceptable, subject to conditions.

“It is considered that the amended proposal would have a comparable relationship with the neighbours to the previously approved scheme which was found to be acceptable in all regards. The relationship is also found to be acceptable when considered on its individual merits. The amended proposal is therefore also considered to have an acceptable impact on the amenities of neighbours and is policy compliant in this regard.”

“The parking layout has been amended to make space for a turning circle for vehicles including a fire appliance. This necessitates a change to the parking layout with 5 of the 6 spaces proposed moving from the north side to the west side of the rear dwellings’ forecourt area. Each dwelling will have 2 spaces so there is no net loss of spaces, so still complying with the Council’s adopted standards and each dwelling has access to EV charging.”

Officer report

Consultation responses

A neighbour and the residents’ association objected to overdevelopment, privacy, parking, refuse access, congestion and fire appliance access, while consultees raised no objections.

“The addition of rooms in the roof is an over development of the site. • Concerns regarding construction vehicles accessing the site and impact on existing verges. • Concern about access for refuse collections. Refuse vehicles will not be able to reverse into the site. • Impact on congestion from potential increase in residents within these properties as a result of the roof accommodation. • The fire appliance access is unworkable.”

“The swept path analysis on the amended parking layout demonstrates that a fire appliance can enter, manoeuvre, and exit the site satisfactorily. There is therefore no objection to the relocation of the parking spaces from the north to the west of the site.”

Officer report

Who spoke

The application was called in by Councillor Folkard for consideration by the Planning Committee.

Committee decision

The committee granted planning permission for the amended scheme subject to conditions covering plans, parking, refuse, landscaping, drainage and other matters.

“That PLANNING PERMISSION BE GRANTED subject to the following conditions:”

“The hard and soft landscaping including tree planting and boundary treatments at the site shall be carried out in full accordance with the proposed landscaping scheme as shown on approved plan reference 10 001C or any other details that have previously been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority under the terms of this condition.”

Minutes