Plans for ‘overbearing’ home extension refused by Sunderland City Counci

A householder’s bid to extend a home has been blocked by council planners, over concerns neighbours could be impacted by “overshadowing”.

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has rejected an application for a property at Hargill Drive in the Washington area.

Plans submitted earlier this year aimed to demolish a single-storey garage attached to the house and to replace it with a two-storey side extension and single-storey front extension.

According to submitted floor plans, the extension included a larger garage and utility on the ground floor and a bedroom with an ensuite above.

After considering the planning application and assessing it against planning policies however, Sunderland City Council’s planning department refused it on May 10, 2024.

Council planners, in a decision report, said the proposal was acceptable in relation to visual amenity, “overlooking” and highway issues.

However, concerns were raised about the two-storey extension’s impact on the residential amenity of a neighbour in terms of “overshadowing”.

It was argued that the plans would “appear overbearing and increase overshadowing into [some of the neighbour’s] habitable rooms due to the dimensions proposed of the two-storey element”.

The council decision report added: “Overall, it is considered that the two-storey element of the proposal does not accord with section 4.20 of the development management SPD and Policy BH1 of the Core Strategy and Development Plan, and as a result creates an addition to the host dwelling which in this instance would appear overbearing and create overshadowing into the habitable room windows of neighbouring property.

“On this basis the proposal is considered unacceptable, as it would have a significant adverse impact on residential amenity”.

The official refusal reason published in the report added the two-storey extension would be “overbearing / over dominant” and would “increase overshadowing to [the neighbour’s] front habitable room windows”.

The applicant has the right to challenge the council’s refusal ruling by lodging an appeal with the Secretary of State.

More information on the application and council decision can be found via Sunderland City Council’s planning website.