Middletons must pay to have annexe approved

West Berkshire Council approved the application by the parents of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Michael and Carole Middleton, on Friday, and requested mitigation payments of £1,000 to its highways department, £249 to open space, £133 to libraries, £438 to adult social care, and £90 to health to offset the impact of the single storey extension, detached building and annexe.
The council dismissed objections by Bucklebury Parish Council that the potential build was over-development and could be used as a separate building, but did state that as the annexe was capable of being lived in a request for cash would be made.
The report read: “The annexe is very small compared to other annexes which have been refused permission and is attached to the double garage for the house. No other properties are affected by the proposal and it is well screened from the highway.
“The property is accessed from a track which is shared with other properties. However, this is existing and the proposal will not impact on the access to the property. The nearest property is over 70 metres away and there are no properties which are likely to be adversely affected by the proposal.”
According to correspondence, the council’s libraries department questioned the need to request money but was informed that any annexe separate from the main dwelling required mitigating.
In February 2011 West Berkshire Council’s head of planning, Gary Lugg, approved the conversion of garage to a granny annexe with link block at a detached property in Chieveley High Street.
No mitigation payments from the applicant were sought despite a note that, unusually, the build did seem to be constructed for independent use.
In 2008 the council approved a similar annexe on a property in nearby Mortimer Common, Woodlands.
Council spokesman Keith Ulyatt denied that the Middleton family was being singled out.
“Yes, there are specific rules on how S106 payments are calculated and they are all spelt out on our website. You will see that the calculation of payments for this application is no different from any other,” he said.
“Any annexe potentially allows for extra people to live there. They will be users of many public services. They may well be car owners and will therefore be a burden to the highways infrastructure and therefore it is deemed appropriate that there should be a contribution here, and indeed for any such public services.”
Mr Ulyatt said the council had a scale showing a contribution to highways for a one-bedroom unit of £1,000 and for libraries of £133 which is exactly the S106 money sought for this application for these services.
Of the two examples above, Mr Ulyatt said both were different in that there would be no additional occupants of the property.
The Middleton family was unavailable for comment, however the agent for the application, Duncan Mathewson, said all clients were briefed with respect to the council requiring contributions even for annexes, and that all reluctantly accept.
The application has been the subject of some controversy since it was submitted to the council in March.
Unlike others, including two submitted by other Bucklebury residents in the same month, its details could only be viewed following a request and the acceptance of ID, and would not be published on the council’s website.