‘Green roof’ on Maidenhead bungalow does not justify loss of green space, inspector says

Plans to build a bungalow in Cox Green have been thrown out at appeal, with a planning inspector warning it would cause 'great harm' to green space.

A triangle of grassland at the corner of a residential estate in Ribstone Road, featuring several prominent trees, was the subject of a bid for housing lodged earlier this year.

Two bedrooms of the proposed four-bed bungalow would be located in an underground basement, while the other two would be built into the loft space.

A 'green roof' - an area of planting placed on top of a building - would also cover part of this space, according to the applicant's plans.

Royal Borough council planning officers refused the application in April over concerns about protected trees, the character of the area, and the impact on highway safety.

'The proposed development, by reason of its siting and overall design, would be out of keeping with the existing pattern of development within the streetscene,' officers said.

'And, together with the loss of trees on the site, which contribute to the character of the area, would harm the overall visual character of the area.'

The developer then launched an appeal against the council's refusal to the Government Planning Inspectorate in a bid to overturn the decision.

The appeal argued that 'the development would comfortably harmonise with the surrounding site and its context', and that any building work would 'appropriately protect existing trees'.

A statement of case added: "The building would be of a scale and bulk that would relate appropriately with its surrounding townscape, roofscape and streetscape.

"The design, form and siting would respect the character and appearance of the site, and it would be appropriate to this locality."

However, the local authority doubled down on its concerns and urged the inspector to refuse the plans.

Five of the seven trees on the appeal site - several of which are protected through Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) - would be lost through the plans, planning officers said.

They added that approval 'would go against the grain of development within the vicinity and would forcibly introduce a development that would not be appropriate within this setting'.

Planning Inspector V Simpson ruled in favour of the council's refusal in a decision notice issued on October 14.

'I find that the adverse impacts of granting permission for the development would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits,' the inspector said.

The inspector considered that while the bungalow 'would not cause harm to highway safety', the damage it would cause to green space was reason enough for refusal.

'Despite the proposal to form a "green" roof on part of the dwelling, and to establish sizeable areas of lawn and other planting, the site would have a less verdant and leafy appearance,' the inspector said.

'This would be especially so when viewed from neighbouring properties and from publicly accessible locations on nearby roads and pavements.'

The inspector added: 'For these reasons, the development would cause great harm to the character and appearance of the area.'