“All new development, including innovative designs, should be designed to complement and enhance the local distinctiveness of the character of its immediate locality, reflecting the height, scale, massing, fenestration, materials, landscaping and density of buildings as described in the Place Analysis.” [POLICY 7 LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS: Sid Valley Neighbourhood Plan]
.
Last April, the latest Knowle planning application was submitted – together with comments from the public and stakeholders.
Some months on, at the District Council Planning Committee on Tuesday, 30th January, it was decided to refuse the application – counter to the recommendation of officers:
Former Council Offices, Knowle, Sidmouth, EX10 8HL. 23/0571/MFUL (Major) SIDMOUTH TOWN PDF 2 MB
Proposal: Redevelopment of site to provide: a. Care home building (Class 2) with associated parking, landscaping, staff and resident facilities and associated works. b. Extra car apartment building (53 units) with associated communal lounge, wellbeing suite, restaurant and car provision (Class C2). c. Retirement living apartment building (33 units) with associated communal lounge. d. Erection of 4 houses and 3 townhouses (Class 3) along with accesses; internal car parking, roads, paths, retaining walls, refuse and landscaping associated with development. Retention/refurbishment of building B, erection of habitat building and sub-stations. Demolition of buildings and other than building B.
RESOLVED: Refused contrary to officer recommendation for the following reasons:
The scale, massing and design of the development, in particular the two blocks closest to the southern site boundary, fails to reflect local distinctiveness and is not compatible with the character of the site and does not relate well to its context and its surroundings and so will adversely affect the townscape and local landscape of Sidmouth. As such the development is contrary to Strategies 6 and 26 and Policy D1 of the East Devon Local Plan 2013-2031, Policy 7 of the Sid Valley Neighbourhood Plan, 2018-2032 and the National Planning Policy Framework, 2023 in particular paragraphs 131, 135 and 139.
The scale and orientation of large windows and balconies in the west elevation of the southwestern block of accommodation will result in an unacceptable level of overlooking and overbearing impact on neighbouring properties on Knowle Drive. As such the development is contrary to Policy D1 of the East Devon Local Plan 2013-2031 and the National Planning Policy Framework in particular paragraph 135.
This is Policy 7 of the Sid Valley Neighbourhood Plan:
POLICY 7 LOCAL DISTINCTIVENESS: Development proposals will be expected to have regard to the character of the immediate area as set out in the Place Analysis. All new development, including innovative designs, should be designed to complement and enhance the local distinctiveness of the character of its immediate locality, reflecting the height, scale, massing, fenestration, materials, landscaping and density of buildings as described in the Place Analysis. Building heights should be in keeping with the context of neighbouring properties.
As reported by the Herald, the plans for the ex-East Devon HQ at the Knowle have been rejected – with the BBC following suite with the Sidmouth plans to build on former council offices rejected:
Objector Michael Temple said: “[The] design is undistinguished, off-the-peg, alien, like an urban institution with large side walls without windows… all out of keeping with the town and immediate area and failing to reflect the town’s vernacular. This prime historic parkland site needs something much, much better than this poorly designed and very damaging overdevelopment.”
Sidmouth Town Council supported the non-age-restricted houses, but not the care and retirement parts of the proposed development. Its chair Cllr Chris Lockyear said: “We were opposed to the very large care home and retirement apartments. They are simply too big for that site. They are out of keeping with the area and architecturally very different. They will dominate the surrounding parkland and the surrounding houses. They will be visible from Peak Hill and from Salcombe Hill and therefore will change the appearance of Sidmouth both locally and from afar.”
Councillors nevertheless voted to refuse the application on the grounds the design and shape of the two most southerly blocks would not have been acceptable and would have failed to recognise local distinctiveness. They said the scheme would lead to ‘overlooking’, been too overbearing and would have had an adverse impact on the local landscape. Cllr Ian Barlow (Independent, Sidmouth Town), describing the proposed development as “monolithic”, said: “When I first saw [the design] I thought it perhaps had been the same architect that designed the Bibby Stockholm because it looks about as interesting as that. Do we not like our old people? Do we want them to live in what can be best described as a prison block?”
Here is the VGS submission to the Knowle planning application – and here is a drawing from the developers McCarthy Stone – Sidmouth of their proposal:
…