Policy information sourced from the Epsom & Ewell Development Management Policies Document
DM 16 Backland Development
There will be a presumption against the loss of rear domestic gardens due to the need to maintain local character, amenity space, green infrastructure and biodiversity.
In exceptional cases, modest redevelopment on backland sites may be considered acceptable, subject to proposals demonstrating that there will be no significant adverse impact upon the following:
- Garden land – Rear garden land which contributes either individually or as part of a larger swathe of green infrastructure to the amenity of residents or provides wildlife habitats must be retained;
- Impact on neighbours – The privacy of existing homes and gardens must be maintained and unacceptable light spillage avoided;
- Vehicular access or car parking – These must not have an adverse impact on neighbours in terms of visual impact, noise or light. Access roads between dwellings and unnecessarily long access roads will not normally be acceptable;
- Mass and scale of development – Development on backland sites must be more intimate in scale and lower than frontage properties to avoid any overbearing impact on existing dwellings and associated gardens;
- Trees, shrubs and wildlife habitats – features important to character, appearance or wildlife must be retained or re-provided.
For more information please see the Epsom & Ewell Management Policies Document