Newark and Sherwood district councillors delay decision on home that would be 13 times larger than average-sized house
Councillors have delayed a decision on plans for a home that would be around 13 times larger than an average-sized house.
Members of Newark and Sherwood District Council’s planning committee considered the application to demolish a house and replace it with a 13,000sq ft ‘stately home of the future’ in Epperstone.
The development at Hill House, Chapel Lane, would encroach on the greenbelt, but planning officers said the property’s unique and outstanding design could be considered as special circumstances.
The huge home would be created in linear blocks that cut into the landscape as it rises.
There would be an extensive replanting and landscaping scheme resulting in a biodiversity net gain double of what is required in policy.
Committee members were told that even if they were to approve the application, the final say would be with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities because of the scale of the build in the greenbelt.
Ward member Roger Jackson referred the application to committee over concerns from residents and an objection from Epperstone Parish Council.
“Although it’s a unique design, it’s a very, very large building and replacing Hill House, which is also a substantial building by over 500% in volume — I mean, it really is a very very big increase,” he said.
“It is totally out of keeping with the village of Epperstone, which is also a conservation village, and it’s also in the greenbelt which we know there are special circumstances.
“It will also have an adverse effect on surrounding properties. It has a footpath that runs down its boundary so it will be visible for people to look at.”
Mr Jackson said the site access off Chapel Lane was very narrow and would need to be addressed if the plans went ahead.
Planning officer Honor Whitfield said: “The conservation officer has concluded it would preserve the character and appearance of the conservation area.
“The design has also been endorsed by the Midlands Design Review Panel, an independent and impartial panel, and has the potential to raise the standard of design locally.”
Committee member Mathew Skinner said he didn’t like the proposal.
Rhona Holloway disagreed and added: “I actually really like it. It’s innovative but I think it would have been useful to have had a site visit as you’d better be able to determine the impact.
“I would be mindful to defer this so we could have site visit.”
Tom Smith compared the scale of the development to that of the IASTI aerospace college build in Newark.
He said: “Visually and architecturally, its design isn’t appropriate for the area. If it was smaller by a fair way I would perhaps think differently but, as it stands, we would basically be having an IASTI in Epperstone.”
Calls for a site visit were welcomed by Malcolm Brock.
“It’s enormous and in that sense I think it’s inappropriate,” he said. “If we could defer and have a site visit we’d be more informed in making a decision.”
Committee chairman Roger Blaney said the build had the potential to be a 21st Century stately home, while Yvonne Woodhead described it as a vision of the future that she didn’t want to vote down.
Members decided to defer the application until a site visit could be arranged to determine the size impact.
