26/01140/G24

By reason of its siting and appearance, including the introduction of additional, bulkier rooftop equipment at prominent roof level locations and its placement towards the extremities of the building, the proposed development would exacerbate the existing visual clutter and increase the prominence and perceived massing of telecommunications infrastructure. The cumulative impact of the equipment, when viewed from Brixton Road, Thornton Street and surrounding public vantage points, would appear incongruous and harmful to the host building and the wider 19th century townscape. Insufficient information, including the absence of comprehensive elevation drawings for the Brixton Road frontage, has been submitted to fully demonstrate the visual impact of the proposal or that it would preserve the character and appearance of the building and the setting of the Conservation Area. Furthermore, the proposal fails to adequately rationalise existing equipment or provide robust screening to mitigate visual harm. The development would therefore result in less than substantial harm to the significance of the Conservation Area, which is not outweighed by the limited public benefits of the proposal. The proposal fails to satisfy the requirements of Schedule 2, Part 16, Class A, Condition A.3(4) of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended). The prior approval of the Local Planning Authority as to the siting and appearance of the development is therefore refused.