Front porch and material changes at 17 Muirfield Road, Woking

What was proposed

The application sought a front porch extension and changes to the house’s external materials.

“Permission is sought for the erection of a front porch extension and for alterations to the external materials of the house.”

Officer report

The site and its setting

The house is at the end of a terrace row in Goldsworth Park, with matching nearby properties, a footpath and protected trees beside it.

“The application site is located on the north side of Muirfield Road and is in the Goldsworth Park neighbourhood of Woking. The site is host to a two-storey dwelling house with an integral garage and a rear conservatory. At the front of the house there is a driveway and lawn and to the rear there is a private garden. The house is at the end of a terrace row of four similar properties which are only attached by their garages.”

Officer report

Earlier permissions

Earlier permissions allowed extensions to the house and required external materials to match the existing building.

“Number 17 Muirfield Road was granted planning permission for a first-floor extension in 1978 (PLAN/1997/0685). Condition 3 of the permission required the external elevations of the development to use materials matching the existing building. The reason for the condition was “In the interests of the visual amenities of the area”. This permission has been implemented.”

“More recently number 17 received planning permission for a single storey rear extension (PLAN/2004/0233). As with the previous application a planning condition was included which requires matching external materials to be used. This permission has been implemented.”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended refusal because the proposed materials and their vertical pattern would harm the character and appearance of the street scene.

“The proposed development seeks a front porch extension and changes to the external materials of 17 Muirfield Road. The proposed porch extension is modest in scale and would be appropriate in form for the host dwelling. The existing external materials of the house have a matching appearance to its immediate neighbours and make a positive contribution to the appearance of the street scene.”

“The property is part of a group of dwellings of matching design and materials, and it is prominently located in the Goldsworth Park Estate. The proposed materials and design, including the more vertical emphasis, would result in a front elevation to the property that would be completely at odds with the surrounding streetscene.”

Officer report

The main planning issue

The porch was considered acceptable, but the proposed render, cladding and dark details would contrast sharply with the uniform surrounding houses.

“The first element of the proposed works is a front extension which would infill part of the existing porch canopy of number 17. The extension would enclose a small part of the front porch and would not extend beyond the existing front or side walls of the house. The extension would contain a new front door, facing the northeast side, and a new full- height window facing the front, southeast.”

“In common with the group of four it sits within and other properties in Muirfield Road, the existing house is currently constructed of red multi-brick with white horizontal cladding across the first floor at the front. The proposal instead seeks to install smooth ‘off white’ render and ‘cedar look’ composite cladding.”

Officer report

Consultation and representations

No consultations were required, and no representations were received.

“No consultations were required to be carried out.”

Officer report

Who spoke

The ward councillor supported the proposal because there were no neighbour objections.

What members discussed

Members weighed refurbishment and insulation against preserving Goldsworth Park’s established visual coherence and raised concerns about the proposed vertical cladding and colour changes.

“The Committee noted the applicant’s reference to a previous permission at 22 Martindale Road but accepted the Planning officer’s view that the circumstances were not comparable, as Martindale Road did not have the same strong uniformity or visibility, and the approved materials there retained a horizontal emphasis consistent with the estate’s character.”

“Members discussed the need to balance support for improved insulation and refurbishment with the need to preserve the established visual coherence of Goldsworth Park. It was acknowledged that many properties across the estate may soon require refurbishment due to age; however, concerns were raised that the introduction of vertical cladding, altered colouration, and grey rainwater goods would represent a significant departure from the prevailing pattern.”

Minutes