Loft extension refusal upheld: The High Court has upheld an appeal decision relating to a loft extension in North London. An inspector had held that the proposal, for which retrospective permission was requested, was unsympathetic to the character of a Victorian terrace house and street scene. It was felt to be a crude box-like addition which subsumed much of an attractive front gable.

The inspector had also reasoned that there was no evidence that the need for extra accommodation could not be addressed by suitable extensions to the basement or ground floor, and that the personal circumstances of the family did not outweigh the harm identified. It had been argued in particular that the inspector did not have the benefit of a report relating to planning for the special needs of the Jewish community, especially in respect of accommodation for larger families.

However, the judge came to the “firm conclusion” that the challenge should fail Schlesinger v SOS 23/4/2009