®Planning appeal decision
20 Ernle Road, LONDON, SW20 0HH
- Authority
- London Borough of Merton
- Appeal type
- householder · Householder (HAS)
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- utilities-energy · Householder developments
- Inspector
- Fitzsimon D
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the host dwelling and the street scene and Conservation Area within which it sits
What decided it
The adverse visual impact on the character and appearance of the Conservation Area, combined with the absence of compelling technical evidence that front-facing solar panels were the only viable option, outweighed the environmental benefits of renewable energy generation.
The environmental benefits of renewable energy production were weighed against the less than substantial harm to the Conservation Area, with the balance tipping against the development because good design is a key aspect of sustainable development and the installation did not constitute good design in this context.
Plan policies cited: London Plan Policy HC1, London Plan Policy SI1, London Plan Policy SI2, London Plan Policy SI3, Merton Core Planning Strategy Strategic Objective Policy 1, Merton Core Planning Strategy Policy CS14, Merton Core Planning Strategy Policy CS15, Merton Sites and Policies Plan 2014 Policy DM2, Merton Sites and Policies Plan 2014 Policy DM3, Merton Sites and Policies Plan 2014 Policy DM4
The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.