By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
There are concerns Cheltenham residents will be “deprived of their right to have a barbecue in the sunshine” as plans for a first floor extension overshadowing their garden are approved.
Paul O’Neill has been given the go-ahead by borough planners to go ahead with raising the roof at his bungalow in Sandy Lane Road in Charlton Park.
The proposals for Farleigh, which include new windows, doors and metal clad canopy render and composite cladding, were decided at Cheltenham Borough Council planning committee last night (May 22).
Officers told the meeting the development would not be any closer to the side boundaries and the gap between properties will be maintained.
The central gable ridge point will be increased by 3.2m and the eves by 0.8m.
The side wing height is to be raised by 1.1m with no increase in eaves’ height. Officers said the extension passes the light test apart from one window of a non-habitable room.
They also said no windows are planned in the rear of the property to avoid overlooking.
Paul O’Neill, the applicant, spoke at the Municipal Offices and said he wanted to extend the roof to deal with condensation issues.
He said the building had been vacant for a considerable amount of time before he and his wife bought it.
“We want to modernise and improve living conditions as it has suffered condensation and damp issues,” he said.
“Opening up and increasing roof sizes will improve this.”
He said it is a modest increase and not a full two storey extension.
“We were mindful of our neighbours’ privacy and opted not to put windows directly at the back of the extension but instead opted for rooflights,” he added.
Ward councillor Steve Harvey (LD, Charlton Park) raised concerns over the impact the scheme will have on neighbourign properties. “A big tall building is going next to them and it will shadow their garden,” he said.
“It’s not because of any intrusion from windows but by the mass that is going up to the south of them which will throw a shadow over their gardens.
“[It’s] loss of amenity, sitting in your garden is being hampered by you being put in the shade.
“So we are not allowed to sit in our gardens and have some sunshine, because that is what this boils down to. Because this thing is going up so high, and it is to the south, their garden would lose sunlight.
“Is sunlight not an amenity? The right to sit in your garden and enjoy a barbecue in the sunshine?”
He said the development will overshadow 19, 20 and 21 Withyholt Park. “It will be overbearing,” he said.
During the debate no councillors spoke against the scheme and the committee voted unanimously to approve the planning permission.