Good news.
The appeal against the refusal of planning consent to build a block of five flats on the site of West House Lodge (the private house surrounded by Pinner Memorial Park) has been dismissed by the Planning Inspector.
The Planning Inspector in his report gave his reasons for dismissing the appeal, which include:
The proposal would not respond to local character, and moreover, because of its prominent location and design characteristics, the appeal proposal would be intrusive and detract from the qualities of the area.
The site forms part of the Open Space designation of the Memorial Park as a whole but given the presence of the existing dwelling located within the specific appeal site, the site can also be designated as garden land – therefore the policies and guidance in the Local Plan to restrict development on Open Space and garden land apply to this site.
The trees in the immediate locality have some amenity value that contributes to the character and appearance of the park. No tree survey has been provided to demonstrate that trees would not be affected by the development and as a result, I find I am not convinced that significant harm would not be caused.
The application and this subsequent appeal have been the subject of considerable representation from local residents and organisations. I have taken these into consideration, and dealt with the appeal on its own merits.