Agenda and minutes

The agenda and reports associated with this meeting can be viewed here.

With reference to its meeting of 27 February 2019, the Local Review Body (LRB) of Aberdeen City Council reconvened at the Town House following a site visit to review the decision taken by an appointed officer under the Council’s Scheme of Delegation to refuse the request for the erection of a single storey extension and garage to the side and rear of 1 Argyll Crescent Aberdeen, 181557/DPP.

Councillor Boulton, as Chairperson, advised that the procedures previously outlined by the Clerk at the meeting of 27 February 2019 would apply and indicated that the LRB would be addressed by Mr Gavin Evans, who acted as Planning Adviser to the LRB in the case under consideration.  The Chairperson reiterated that although the Planning Adviser was employed by the planning authority, he had not been involved in any way with the consideration or determination of the application under review and was present to provide factual information and guidance to the LRB only.  She emphasised that the officer would not be asked to express any view on the proposed application.

Mr Evans then described the site advising that the application site is an end-terrace property of a traditional style, offering accommodation across two storeys. The property is category B listed and sits at the western end of a curving crescent that addresses the junction of Westburn Road and Westburn Drive.  A single vehicular access and shared driveway serves all properties in the crescent. Each property has its own rear garden (narrowing to the far end), and there is also a shared green beyond. The property’s roof is asymmetrically pitched, so it presents to the front as a single storey with dormer windows, but the rear elevation shows a full two masonry storeys, with a higher wall head and shallower pitch to the rear roofslope. To the west of number 1 is a private lane which runs to the north, serving garages to the rear of properties on Westburn Drive. An access has been formed in the western boundary wall, which allows car parking within the rear garden.  The site is located in the Rosemount and Westburn Conservation Area.

In terms of the appointed officer’s reasons for refusal, Mr Evans made reference to the following factors in the decision notice:-

•      not designed with due consideration for context – refers to volume, detail, excessive scale and projection;

•      negative impact on the appearance of the building;

•      detracts from character and integrity of the listed building and setting of the terrace;

•      disrupts the rhythm and pattern of the development to the rear of the terrace;

•      there is an adverse impact on character of wider Conservation Area; and

•      conflicts with H1 (residential areas) and D1 (Quality Placemaking by Design).

In relation to the appellant’s case, Mr Evans highlighted the following from the Review statement:-

·         goes through email exchanges with officers since initial pre-application discussions.;

·         draw attention to the planning authority’s characterisation of the rear wing as an ‘extension’, and highlight plans of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.