A newly constructed home on Amyand Park Road, Twickenham, has had its revised planning application rejected due to concerns over privacy and living standards.

The applicant, London Roc, sought to make changes to a previously approved development, including modifying the internal layout, removing solar panels from the design, and altering window placements.

The Richmond Planning Committee was advised to refuse the application on the basis that the changes could negatively impact privacy and quality of living conditions for both neighbours and future occupants.

The revised front elevations of the site (credit: Planning application).

Planning Officer Sarah Griffee stated in her report: "The interior layout changes result in habitable rooms having restricted outlook given the necessity for windows to be obscure glazed and non-opening to 1.7m above floor level.

"The acceptability of this arrangement has already been considered at appeal, with the Inspector concluding that it would be harmful to the living conditions of future occupiers."

Griffee also highlighted potential overlooking concerns, with new windows and rooflights on the second and third floors affecting the privacy of neighbouring properties.

The applicant proposed obscure glazing and restricted openings to address these concerns. However, the committee found that this solution also compromised the outlook and living conditions of future residents, leading to the refusal.

The revised rear elevations of the site (credit: Planning application).

The site was previously occupied by a single dwelling, which was replaced with two semi-detached homes.

A 2020 planning application for a similar design was initially refused but later upheld on appeal, with the Inspector agreeing that the overall design and scale were acceptable.

However, concerns about overlooking and privacy were upheld.

In 2022, a second application was also refused on the grounds of overlooking, and this decision was again supported on appeal.

The Inspectorate ruled that first and second-floor front windows would cause a loss of privacy.

In response to these concerns, a third application was approved with a revised internal layout that placed bathrooms at the front of the homes.

This allowed all upper-floor front-facing windows to be obscure glazed and non-opening, therefore safeguarding privacy.

A view of the rear from the property recently (credit: Planning application).

During the planning committee meeting on Wednesday, 12 March several local residents voiced objections to the latest application.

Mark Raphael, a neighbour, stated: "The developer has put in a side window that was not in the approved plans, overlooking my garden and my neighbours' gardens.

"We expected the committee to enforce the original plans that did not allow for such intrusion. We feel the developers are prioritising profit over our privacy."

Another resident, Simon Lehr, expressed concern about the third-storey gable windows, which he described as "overbearing."

He noted that his family felt uncomfortable using their garden due to the extent of the overlooking, comparing the windows to "watchtowers."

A third neighbour, Mr Redshaw, echoed similar concerns, adding that the rear-facing windows, which lack frosted glazing, significantly impacted privacy.

Residents are concerned with the 'overbearing' size of the home (credit: Planning application).

One of the project owners, Gersh Dhillon, defended the changes, stating: "Sam and I are not large-scale developers; we are individuals trying to deliver a high-quality scheme.

"The changes were made to improve living standards or for necessary structural reasons. We have worked openly with the council throughout the process."

He also highlighted that both homes had been reserved by families within a week of being listed, arguing that this demonstrated its suitability for family life.

Councillors debated the balance between neighbour privacy and the practicality of minor alterations to the approved plans.

Cllr Penelope Frost questioned why the developers did not follow the originally approved design to avoid these issues.

Cllr Stephen O'Shea argued that the potential harms outweighed the benefits of the application, while Cllr Michael Butlin expressed doubt that the changes caused significant harm.

Ultimately, the committee voted 4-3 in favour of refusing the revised plans.

Despite the developers' arguments that the changes were minor and improved living conditions, the committee upheld concerns regarding privacy and quality of life for both neighbours and future occupants.

To watch the full planning committee meeting from 12 March click here.

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