The Chelsea Society has objected to a planning application for a two storey extension at the rear of Sloane Square House
The host building has little or no merit and the proposal would cause serious harm to neighbouring properties and the locality for the following reasons:-
1. The bulk, height and mass of this extension/infil is highly inappropriate due to its proximity to Chester Cottages, a delightful and rare residential enclave with ‘cottage’ house types.
2. No. 6 Chester Cottages would suffer disproportionate harm, the proposal being directly adjacent to its boundary and the 2 storey proposed extension being overbearing on the property, (and locality) its garden and first floor terrace at the significant South-West aspect.
3. Direct sunlight and ambient light to No. 6 Chester Cottages would be significantly affected, the position and proximity of the proposal causing serious harm in this respect.
4. Overlooking from the multiple fenestration on both walls of the 2 storey (first and second floors) proposal could cause serious loss of privacy and noise nuisance if windows were open. It is possible that one could pass items from the proposed extension windows to a person on the terrace of No. 6, the extension being that close.
5. The insistence of the applicant to retain the large roof terrace, so close to the existing residential units compounds the harms. Noise, nuisance, overlooking and loss of privacy can only be increased with a large open terrace, even if only accessible in office hours.
6. The same (points 1-5 above) can be claimed for other houses in Chester Cottages, in particular Nos. 4 and 5. and also to the rear of the houses 1, 2 and 3 Skinner Place. Although overlooking into habitable rooms would be at an acute angle, the overlooking of the gardens and terraces would be total. This would also apply to the front gardens/windows of Nos. 1 and 2 Chester Cottages.
7. Overlooking by way of the proposed extension windows or large terrace into the rear windows of the upper floors of 89-93 Bourne St. would also cause harm and loss of privacy, they being habitable rooms (bedrooms) almost exclusively.
8. Light pollution would be a significant impact for all the surrounding residents. Two walls of office fenestration, with lights often kept on at night would seriously impact the rights of the residents and negatively impact the locality.
9. Last summer the river Westbourne at this point flooded causing extensive damage to the area and the residential units mentioned above. It is of grave concern that any works at this location requiring significant foundations (presumably deep piles to overcome the ‘straddling’ of the TFL property on ground floor) and other structural works directly over the Westbourne river may impact the river, its enclosure or ‘pipe’ over Sloane Square Station.
10. No local amenity society or individual householder has been consulted by the applicant in pre planning stages which is disappointing. This lack of consideration for local and directly affected residents is noted.
For the reasons set out above, the Chelsea Society strongly urges the LPA to reject this ill-considered, inelegant and harmful proposal.
Jules Turner, The Chelsea Society (Planning Committee member, Royal Hospital Ward)
