Forum topic: Planning Inspectorate to hear Turret Court appeal on Tuesday
Planning Inspectorate to hear Turret Court appeal on Tuesday
PGC Webmaster
19 Aug 2014 02:20 #384
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The long-running saga of the "Turret Court" building in Aldermans Hill will reach another milestone on Tuesday 19th August, when the Planning Inspectorate will be hearing an appeal from the developers, Ballater Investments, against an order issued by Enfield Council requiring them to make a number of changes to the building which, in the view of the Council, had been in breach of planning permission.
110-112 Aldermans Hill before demolitionTurret Court (110-112 Aldermans Hill) is on the site of two very large semi-detached houses which were demolished in 2010 to make way for a planned block of flats. The demolition took place under 2007 permission which was still vaild, but after the declaration of the conservation area. The Planning Committee agreed to give retrospective Conservation Area Consent for demolition - though this is still a controversial issue - subject to approval of a redesigned building in keeping with the conservation area and not in the style agreed in 2007.
Unfortunately, the appearance of the rebuilt building, christened "Turret Court", differs significantly in some respects from that of the original houses and of several other similar very large neighbouring houses. As a consequence, there has been an ongoing dispute between the developers and two local residents groups - the Lakes Estate Conservation Area Study Group and the Fox Lane and District Residents' Association - which have been urging the Council to order Ballater Investments to make changes. Earlier this year the Council did just that.
The argument is, after various later applications, whether the property as built meets all those applications and whether it does preserve or enhance the conservation area. The two may not of course be the same thing, and it remains to be seen how the Inspector rules.
The case will be heard at the Civil Centre in Baker Street, Enfield Town, at 10am on 19th August.
The photographs below show some of the disputed points.
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Planning Inspectorate to hear Turret Court appeal on Tuesday
Colin Younger
20 Aug 2014 21:59 #385
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The Inspector found it as difficult as we have to follow the tangled web of applications and approvals which have given us the building we have today. On a number of occasions he found it necessary to declare time out to allow the owner's agent and Enfield officers to attempt to agree the facts.
It will take some time for the Inspector to produce his report. The probability is, sadly, that the dormers and window frames will remain as they are. However the porch supports and brackets will probably be satisfactorily rebuilt, and the metal railings will be removed and the wall and piers reduced in height, though our favoured blue/black coping stones will not be used unless the owner has a change of heart.
There are hard lessons to be learned from this saga from the conservation point of view, and the impact of the appearance of Turret Court on the conservation area review currently underway remains to be seen.
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