In response to the Crosspool community’s concerns regarding the costly modifications to a property on Manchester Road, the Crosspool Forum contacted local Councillor Ruth Milsom. The aim was to seek clarity from the Planning Officer overseeing the retrospective application.
The Planning Officer has provided this update on the situation, detailing the current status of the application and the next steps in the process.
“SCC’s position remains that anything less than the reinstatement of the original bay windows at no. 496 will be unacceptable. We appreciate the critical contribution that bay windows make to the uniform character of that stretch of Manchester Road, and therefore the significant visual harm that has resulted from the non-approved works at no. 496.
“The applicant has been made aware that the current situation is not acceptable, and we are in contact to work out how the situation might progress. The applicant has taken the Extension of Time to allow additional time for them to assess what path they should take. If they do choose to stick with a scheme that does not meet our requirements, it is likely that permission will be refused with enforcement action to follow. They could then appeal this refusal, though, which would further delay reaching a satisfactory conclusion. Nonetheless, it should be within our powers to hold them to what they said they would do originally in 23/00299/FUL, and restore the appearance of the area.”
About the most recent matter of the contractor continuing with exterior rendering work even while there is an outstanding retrospective planning application, the officer’s comment was that Planning Enforcement has discretion over what to take issue with and when. They can issue a ‘Stop’ notice if ongoing work is causing ‘egregious harm’ to the amenity of the area, but it is unlikely that such a response would be proportionate to the rendering work. If planning permission is refused as we expect, it is just more finished work for the developer to undo.
This proactive approach by the Crosspool Forum exemplifies the importance of community engagement in local planning matters.
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