Three houses plan thrown out
Cox Green: Worries include losing ‘wonderful green space’
A planning application to build three new homes on land in Ribstone Road has been refused.
The application looked to construct three properties with associated parking and amenity space on land opposite 35 Ribstone Road in Maidenhead.
During the consultation period, the application received a flurry of objections, including from Cox Green Parish Council, which cited reasons such as the ‘loss of part of the open setting of the street scene within the wider open-planned estate’, and the ‘bulk and mass’ of the proposal representing ‘an over-development of the site’.
Other objectors claimed the development would ‘totally alter the area to the detriment of local residents’ and would lead to the loss of a ‘wonderful green space’.
In its decision notice, the Royal Borough gave several reasons for refusing the plans.
One reason stated: “The proposal fails to have regard to the character of the wider locality, introducing a cramped form of over-development that is contrary to the prevailing pattern, design, density, form and
layout of development in the context of this late 20th century residential estate.
“The amenity land proposed to be built on is part of the original estate layout and was designed, with other regularly spaced parcels of open amenity land, to soften the appearance of the urban form of development; its loss would harm the open, spacious and leafy suburban character of the locality.”
Another reason added that the development would ‘result in an unacceptable and harmful overbearing impact’ on the neighbouring properties of number 12 and 14 Ribstone Road, and that the proposals would result in ‘an unacceptable degree of overlooking' of the adjacent property, number 16.
Other reasons included the proposals failing to ‘accord with the technical housing standards’, and a lack of supporting information failing to satisfy that the development ‘would not have an adverse impact on existing trees on the site’.
No information being submitted relating to the 'existing biodiversity value’ of the site and the ‘resultant development’s biodiversity value’, was cited as another reason, as well as the application failing to ‘demonstrate how the proposals would meet the requirements’ of the Royal Borough’s Interim Sustainability Position Statement, ‘in relation to adapting to and mitigating climate change’.
The final reason stated: “The proposals fail to include adequate off-road parking provision in accordance with the Council's Parking Strategy 2004.
“In addition, insufficient details have been provided for the proposed dropped kerbs and cycle storage.
“Consequently the proposals would lead to increased on-street parking to the detriment of the character and amenities of the locality and would not provide appropriate cycle parking to maximise access to a choice of more sustainable transport options.”
The application can be viewed by typing in the reference number 22/00333/FULL on the Royal Borough’s planning portal.