- Decision
- dismissed, 10 September 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: Les Greenwood
- Authority
- Wirral (North West)
- Appeal reference
- 6013310
- Application reference
- APPH/26/00185
- Procedure
- householder
- Development
- First-floor side extension (two-storey gable to boundary)
- Site context
- inside settlement
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- L2, P3, S4(1)
- Development plan policies
- Wirral Local Plan WD5, WD23, Householder Extensions SPD 2026
- Main issues
- living conditions - outlook
Summary
A first-floor side extension in Wirral was dismissed on loss of outlook to the neighbour behind. The appellant relied on L2 and S4. The inspector accepted that the L2 effective-use benefit weighed in favour, but held that L2 itself requires acceptable living standards for neighbours. Under S4 the outlook harm "would substantially outweigh the benefits".
Issues and findings
- Outlook: HARM. The 10 m separation was well short of the SPD's 14 m norm. The gable "would loom over and dominate close range views from the rear windows and garden of No 25" (DL ¶8).
- L2 cuts both ways. "The appellant aptly refers to policies L2 and S4 of the new Framework … the proposal would make efficient use of an existing site within a settlement to provide improved family accommodation. This weighs in favour" (DL ¶10). "Framework policy L2 also says that developments should maintain acceptable living standards for neighbours … In the terms of Framework policy S4, this harm would substantially outweigh the benefits" (DL ¶11).
Planning balance
S4(1): the L2 benefit was substantially outweighed by the neighbour outlook harm and the conflict with WD5/WD23.
What made the difference
The separation distance to the rear windows behind. The hipped-roof alternative might have helped, but it was not formally submitted.
Transferable points
- L2's support for extra floorspace is conditional on maintaining acceptable living standards for neighbours. Harm to outlook can substantially outweigh the L2 benefit under S4 (DL ¶10-11).
- Amendments offered informally at application stage are not considered at appeal (DL ¶5).
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| L2 | benefit | efficient use of an existing site within a settlement for improved family accommodation "weighs in favour" (DL 10) | |
| L2 | fail | L2 also requires acceptable living standards for neighbours; gable 10 m from rear windows of 25 Bettisfield Avenue against a 14 m SPD norm (DL 8, 11) | |
| S4(1) | fail | outlook harm "would substantially outweigh the benefits" (DL 11) |
Key facts
- Two-storey blank gable would sit about 10 m from neighbour's main rear windows (SPD norm 14 m)
- New SPD adopted after refusal; parties consulted on it and the Framework (DL 4)
- Offer of hipped roof not formally submitted, so not considered (DL 5)
Related decisions
Sources
This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.