Rural cottage can be replaced with seven-bedroom house

A plan to replace a cottage in the Herefordshire countryside with a much larger house of seven bedrooms has been approved.

Ross Markham applied for planning permission in March to demolish Springfield, in Upper Lyde north of Hereford, and to put up a “low-carbon self-build” house in its place.

Permission was given in November last year for a proposal to add “large” extensions and alterations of the existing 1950s bungalow, including creating an upper floor and enlarging the garden –now a fallback option if the latest bid were to be refused.

Finished in stone, timber and white render, the new house was to be lower than the fallback option, though there would still be five bedrooms on the upper floor.

“Whilst the [new] dwelling occupies a larger footprint than the fallback, the varied depth and roof profile means the visual mass and associated impact is comparable,” the application said.

It was also intended to “achieve a carbon neutral design and construction that minimises future energy demands”, with solar panels, energy storage, a ground source heat pump and dedicated plant room.

New tree, shrub and hedgerow planting, a traditional orchard, wildflower meadow and drainage pond were also proposed, while an on-site package treatment plant would deal with sewage.

The proposal appeared to divide neighbours, with Maxine Matthews saying it would “affect our privacy and quality of life” and was “not in-keeping with the local aesthetic”.

But Nigel Matthews of the same address said the new design “looks more balanced and in keeping with the environment than the previous scheme”.
Lyde Parish Council also felt the proposal was “an improvement”.

Planning officer Jack Dyer concluded that the new house would be “of scale on the limit of acceptable for the siting and area”, but would “sufficiently isolated” to not impose upon neighbours.

Full planning permission was granted, with conditions covering drainage, tree planting and external lighting.