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 Planning: letters of representation

January 2009 

23 January 2009

Head of Development Control
for the attention of Karen Tipper
Horsham District Council
Park House, North Street
Horsham RH12 1RL

Dear Ms Tipper

DC/08/2510 33 SPENCERS ROAD, HORSHAM

I write on behalf of the Horsham Society to object to this proposal.

The Society notes that the ground floor contains a takeaway, a flat and the lower storey of a second flat while the smaller first floor contains its upper storey and a third flat.

The Society also notes that the proposal is to change the use of the takeaway to residential and convert it, together with the remainder of the ground floor, to form 1 x 2BR and 2 x 1BR flats and to extend the first floor to form, together with the existing part, 2 x 2BR and 1 x 1BR flats, a total of six flats. The provision of on-site parking would be increased from four to nine spaces.

The Society is indebted to Sylvia Standing for the information that the property was built as a Working Mens’ Club probably in 1880 with an extensive cellar containing baths and other facilities for the members’ use with, by the 1920s, a ground floor corner shop and one or more flats over. The Society therefore considers that some conservation is called for to include converting the whole of the ground floor to residential use as proposed, removing the external wall cladding up to first floor level and reinstating the windows with a suitable door but leaving the first floor to remain for residential use.

The Society considers that extending the first floor would amount to over-development and it is opposed to parking on site on the scale proposed. Instead the gardens fronting both street elevations should be reinstated. The Horsham Design Statement soon to be published opposes the use of front gardens for off-street parking.

Yours sincerely

Oliver Palmer
Vice-President, The Horsham Society
Chairman, Planning Sub-Committee