Planning,
12 November 2010
An inspector has upheld an enforcement notice against two outbuildings on a swimming pool deck at a listed house in Warwickshire, finding that they harm its setting.
The building was a substantial arts and crafts house dating from 1903
designed by a noted architect. The outbuildings were on a lower terrace
and provided sitting and dining accommodation, with a kitchen in one
building overlooking the pool and a changing area in the other. They
were finished in shiplap boarding with clay tile roofs.
The inspector considered that the grounds close to the house contributed
significantly to its quality and made a positive contribution to the
heritage asset. By contrast, he judged that the design of the two
outbuildings failed to appreciate the importance of the setting and the
contribution the openness of the terrace made to the house.
In his view, they were substantial intrusions into the open and almost
subservient setting with their brash and incongruous plan forms. They
were unacceptably close to the house and too dominant, he concluded.
They showed no understanding of the history or layout of the property
and its gardens, he found.
DCS Number 100-069-436
Inspector Stuart Reid; Inquiry