It can be clearly demonstrated that the same District
Council policies as laid out in the Local Plan apply to both the rejected
planning application at Knowle of 1st March 2013 and the planning application
currently out for comment:
The third reason the Development Management Committee
gave for rejecting the 2013 application can be equally applied to the latest
planning application from PegasusLife:
3 - Contrary to policy D1 (Design and Local
Distinctiveness)
3. The proposed
development as a result of its close relationship with Station Road and prominent position on the entrance to the town
would be harmful to the visual amenity and character of Station Road which
forms an important approach to the town through which many tourists and other
visitors to the town pass. The loss of amenity and character to this area would
be contrary to policy D1 (Design and
Local Distinctiveness) of the adopted East Devon Local Plan
combined-special-dmc-agenda-010313.pdf
combined-dmc-agenda-020413.pdf
And indeed, looking at the Proposed Site Plan for the
2013 application, it was judged that these plans did pose considerable ‘impact on the visual amenity and character
of Station Road’:
http://planningapps.eastdevon.gov.uk/Planning/StreamDocPage/obj.pdf?DocNo=1010422&PDF=true&content=obj.pdf
(document 1010422 on page 164)
The question is, however, whether the current plans would
also be ‘harmful to the visual amenity
and character of Station Road’.
With regard to these latest plans, the developer PegasusLife
make their case very clear.
In the accompanying plans on their website they
state that ‘Our site includes the EDDC
buildings and parts of the grounds including the council car park. It does not include
the car park near Station Road.’
https://planning.eastdevon.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=externalDocuments&keyVal=O5ICQCGH01C00
(document 2267858)
However, within the context of not building directly on
Station Road (which was a feature of the 2013 planning application), the
developer omits mention of the height and scope of the buildings on the site as a whole - and that is considerable and unprecedented.
In fact, it has been estimated that should this go ahead, the tallest building on the Knowle site would be the second highest in the area - second only to the parish church:
Such is the height and mass of the proposed development,
in the so-called ‘Dell’ taking up the car park as well as the larger ‘Plateau’
above, there would clearly be considerable ‘loss of amenity and character to
this area’ – not only for Station Road, but for large parts of the town and beyond.
HOW DOES THE
KNOWLE SIT IN ITS LANDSCAPE?
The building cannot be regarded separately from the
grounds.
The Knowle gardens are on the Devon Local Register.
The Devon Gardens Trust has been instrumental in
campaigning for the integrity of the grounds and gardens at Knowle. This is
from their objection to the 2013 planning application:
The parkland of The
Knowle forms part of the attractive approach to Sidmouth, providing an
important contribution to the overall historic character and landscape of the
town. In this respect the development proposed would have a significant
detrimental effect upon the setting of the conservation area and views into and
out of it.
Letter to East Devon - Knowle - 5-11-12.pdf
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: "How buildings sit in their landscape"
PROXIMITY TO EAST DEVON AREA OF
OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY
The Knowle grounds are immediately adjacent to the East
Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – and as such are afforded more
protection than the planning application refers to:
Current maps indicate the close proximity of
Knowle to the East Devon AONB. , as does aerial photography. EDDC’s own regulatory framework requires that proximity to AONB be taken
into account:
‘The policy stipulates that development will
only be permitted within or adjacent to the East Devon AONB where it conserves
or enhances the landscape character of the area, respects traditional local
built forms and complies with policies on development in the countryside.’ (page 130)
eastdevon.gov.uk/media/1167579/combined-dmc-agenda-120612.pdf
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: "How buildings sit in their landscape"
Futures Forum: Knowle: Victorian hotel and grounds ... application to English Heritage for national listing
The East Devon AONB authority also makes this clear:
The EDAP would like
to be consulted on planning applications in the AONB or within close proximity to the boundary, which fall into the
following categories and are thought to be potentially damaging to the AONB
landscape and coastline features. Residential development: applications within
settlements involving 5 or more dwellings (or, where the number of dwellings is
not indicated, the site area is 0.2 hectares or greater), except where the site
is specifically allocated for residential use in an approved plan. Outside
settlements, applications involving a smaller number of dwellings (or a smaller
site area), or the conversion of agricultural buildings, at the discretion of
the planning authority.
VISUAL IMPACT
It is clear, however, that the latest planning
application will have an impact way beyond the immediate vicinity of Knowle.
In its comment so far, the Save Our Sidmouth group has
highlighted ‘the height and visual
intrusiveness of the buildings, and the massing’:
Visual impact of developer’s plans for
Knowle raises concerns
May 18, 2016
PegasusLife have
made their Planning Application for the Knowle. The reference, to be quoted in
any correspondence, is 16/0872/MFUL. The return date for comments and
objections at the moment is 15th June.
Save Our Sidmouth
(SOS) has numerous comments on the proposal, which will be submitted to East
Devon District Council (EDDC) in the near future, and published on this
website, in advance of the due date, to enable you to comment if you so wish.
Foremost amongst
SOS objections will be
— the excessive
number of dwellings planned, (Currently 115, in contrast to 50 allocated in the
Local Plan)
— insufficient
parking for the residents, which will mean they are likely to use the remaining
public car park
— building on the
existing terraces
— use of
inappropriate materials and finishes
— and, very
importantly, the height and visual intrusiveness of the buildings, and the
massing.
The buildings are
high (e.g. building F is nearly 7m higher than the existing roof line) and will
have a far greater visual impact than the present ones.
Present view of Knowle buildings as seen from across the Bickwell Valley:
An approximation with heights verified, of the west face of the Knowle Plateau using Pegasus’s drawings – as not supplied in their Townscape and Visual Impact Report. The rear buildings have been omitted here, in order to show a section of the existing Knowle building- for scale:
Visual impact of developer’s plans for Knowle, raises concerns | Save Our Sidmouth
On the other hand, the Townscape and Visual Landscape
document from developers PegasusLife, part of the Planning, Design and Access
Statement, is breath-taking in its blasé take on the visual impact of its
proposed plans:
The Policy D1 in the adopted Local Plan makes it clear
that it is a priority of the District Council to preserve the local
distinctiveness of Sidmouth – and it is clear that this latest planning
application does not do this.
The Local Plan has several statements to that effect:
Strategy 48 - Local Distinctiveness in the
Built Environment:
Local distinctiveness and the importance of
local design standards in the development process will be of critical
importance to ensure that East Devon's towns and villages retain their
intrinsic physical built qualities.
Where towns or villages are or have been despoiled we will seek to have
qualities reinstated through good design. Use of local materials and local
forms and styles will be essential to this distinctiveness.
We will work with
our partners and local communities to produce Design Statements to guide new development and ensure its
appropriateness.
And the Policy continues with a commitment to look after
the historic landscape – which echoes the concerns of the DMC in 2013 about the
impression Sidmouth would give ‘tourists and other visitors’:
Historic Environment:
18.60 We regard it as essential that we
conserve and enhance the historic environment of East Devon. The traditional
buildings of East Devon bring pleasure to residents and visitors alike, they
form a key part of the tourism appeal of the District and help define the
identity of East Devon.
As for the Policy D1 itself, it is difficult to see how
the current planning application cannot be rejected, as it fails to observe the
key demands however many pages of Design and Access Statement there are (and
there are 125 pages) - notably with regards to 'the scale, massing, density and height' of the buildings:
D1 - Design and Local Distinctiveness:
In order to ensure
that new development, including the refurbishment of existing buildings to
include renewable energy, is of a high quality design and locally distinctive,
a formal Design and Access Statement should accompany applications setting out
the design principles to be adopted should accompany proposals for new
development.
Proposals should
have regard to Village and Design Statements and other local policy proposals,
including Neighbourhood Plans, whether adopted as Supplementary Planning
Guidance or promoted through other means. Proposals will only be permitted
where they:
1. Respect the key characteristics and
special qualities of the area in which the development is proposed.
2. Ensure that the scale, massing, density,
height, fenestration and materials of buildings relate well to their context.
3. Do not adversely affect:
a) The distinctive historic or architectural
character of the area.
b) The urban form, in terms of significant
street patterns, groups of buildings and open spaces.
.
..
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