Rear roof terrace at 31 Rush Hill Road, London SW11

“APPLICATION DETAILS: Planning permission is sought for alterations including the creation of a rear roof terrace at first floor level with glazed safety screening surround.”

“The roof terrace would be positioned over a recently built single storey rear extension approved under ref 2022/5011 and would be setback 6.36m from the rear elevation and 2.14m from the side elevation facing the rear gardens of Gowrie Road. The terrace would measure a depth of 1.78 metres, width of 2.7m partially built with brickwork and obscure glazed screening measuring a height of 1.7 metres to the side elevations and 1.1m on the rear elevation.”

“SITE DETAILS: The application site is a three-storey end of terrace house, which is located on the south- western side of Rush Hill Road. The rear garden of the host property backs onto No’s 37 to 51 Gowrie Road. The surrounding character of the area is residential with properties that vary in size and style. The property does not lie within a conservation area.”

“RELATED PLANNING APPLICATIONS: Rush Hill Road 2023 (2022/5011) Approved: Alterations including erection of single-storey rear/side extension in connection with conversion of two flats back into single family dwelling house.”

“Official 2.14 Overall, subject to the recommended condition, the terrace is considered to comply with policy LP2 of the Wandsworth Local Plan (2023) with regard to neighbouring amenity impacts. Fire Safety 3.1 Policy D12 of the London Plan (2021) requires all development proposals to achieve the highest standards of fire safety. The applicant have provided a Reasonable Exception Statement to satisfy this requirement.”

“Conclusion 5.1 The design and scale of the terrace provides an acceptable scheme, which does not harm the character or appearance of the surrounding area. The development is in line with the NPPF (2024), the London Plan (2021), policies LP1 and LP5 of the Wandsworth Local Plan (2023) and guidance within the Wandsworth Housing SPD (2016).”

“The gardens on Rush Hill Road were already quite long, and the existing single storey extension had already impacted a number of residents; • There would be a degree of close overlooking from the proposed roof terrace from the first floor to neighbouring properties; • A number of residents on Gowrie Road had submitted similar applications and received rejections on the grounds that first floor roof terraces were not permitted due to the possibility of overlooking; • The…”

“The Committee considered the proposal to cause harm by way of overlooking to neighbouring properties. Members added that the previous terrace was more akin to a landing area between two separate flats. As the property was now a single house, policy requirements would not ordinarily allow a first-floor terrace.”

“Following advice regarding the wording of a potential proposal to refuse from officers, Councillor Humphries proposed that the application be refused on the grounds that:”

“RESOLVED – (unanimous) that planning permission be refused on the grounds that (a) the low-level siting of the proposal, over the roof of the existing single storey rear extension, would result in unacceptable overlooking to neighbouring residential occupiers irrespective of the mitigation proposed through the 1.7m high screening; and (b) the proposal would result in unacceptable levels of noise and disturbance given the low-level siting of the proposal and its close…”

“(a) the low-level siting of the proposal, over the roof of the existing single storey rear extension, would result in unacceptable overlooking to neighbouring residential occupiers irrespective of the mitigation proposed through the 1.7m high screening; and…”