Permission was granted to convert the existing buildings at the middle of the site – just north of Bordeaux – into five homes in 2023. That application is set to lapse early next year unless work starts.
But the Bordeaux Vinery applicant has instead followed a path which has been well-trodden by other vinery site owners. Once permission is granted for conversion, it is then easier to get permission to demolish the existing structures and build new houses instead.
Architect Jason Hobbs, in a letter to planning, detailed how the scheme complies with the planning gateway. This included showing that the new scheme has broadly the same volume and footprint as the approved conversion scheme, the same number of units was being created and the new homes would not have an increased impact on neighbouring properties and the surrounding area.
The proposed plans would keep the layout of the site the same, with a pair of semi-detached two-bed homes and then a gap before a terrace of three two-bed homes.
Mr Hobbs said as part of the new scheme they had read the letters of representation from the previous planning report.
‘We feel all the elements that were originally raised have now been resolved,’ he said.
‘That said, we suspect we will get further objections, but this site has now been recognised for five units of accommodation and this will not alter. The design is far better than the first approval so should be supported by the adjoining property owners. The site has been opened up, the greenhouses were an eyesore. This application must be seen to help all parties that border the site and keep a high standard of amenity and open areas for all to enjoy. We honestly can’t see why so many people showed such resistance to our previous application.’
He said that care had been taken to respect others that border the site.
The original application from 2022 drew 17 letters of representation from 30 people. Concerns included the impact of the development on the area and building up a rural area, the lack of suitability of the existing buildings for conversion, the impact on biodiversity and the traffic impact on nearby quiet roads.
The latest plans can be viewed at www.gov.gg/liveplanningapplications.
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