Festing Road House Extension Scheme Turned Down by Planners

Development would be 'incongruous and over-dominant'

A visualisation from the architect of the rejected proposal from the north east on Festing Road

April 2, 2024

Plans to demolish most of an end terrace house in Putney's Festing Road to replace it with a new home, including a side extension, have been turned down by Wandsworth planners.

Two residents applied to the council to demolish the existing "host building", while retaining the front and side facades of the family home. Existing rear and outrigger extensions would also be demolished at the property, which sits on the border of the Putney Embankment Conservation Area.

The new building would feature an additional side extension, and the house would gain an extra two bedrooms while losing one car parking space.

A report submitted to planners in support of the application details how the new side extension would close "the currently vacant gap between the end of the building and the site’s boundary line to Leader's Garden. It enhances the streetscape of Festing Road and the public footpath of Festive Walk".

The report, by Neil Dusheiko Architects, also details how the existing extensions feature "poor quality and low performing building fabric". It concludes that "the proposal would preserve and enhance the special character of the area".

Festing Road mainly consists of two and three-storey Victorian terraced homes. The path alongside the property leads towards Leader's Garden, which the council describes as an "important public park".

A report by council case officer Samuel Bradley, which said there was one objection to the scheme, has concluded that the application should be refused.

He pointed out that it was council policy to retain existing buildings where it is a viable option, to help the council achieve its aims to become a zero-carbon borough by 2050.

But in his report he said there were "concerns" around the extent to which the original house, which was built in the 1890s, would be retained.

He added: "The scale and massing of the proposed three-storey back addition would be inappropriate in the context of its setting. The eaves height of the proposed development would exceed the eaves height of the original dwellinghouse significantly and would thus appear incongruous and over-dominant when viewed in the context of the terrace.

"Additionally, due to its height and width, the proposed development would fail to appear at all subservient to the host dwelling and, as such, would be considered an overwhelming and visually intrusive feature in relation to the subject property."

He also said the proposed two-storey side extension would relate poorly to the wider terrace and the finishing materials would undermine the objective of retaining the front facade.

He concluded: "By reason of its scale, massing, materials and proximity to the adjacent heritage asset, it is possible that, due to the contrast in visual appearance from existing to the proposed and the degree of prominence, that harm could be substantiated to the setting of the Putney Embankment Conservation Area."