Mr Adam Maxwell
Planning Officer
Peak National Park Authority
Aldern House
Baslow Road
Bakewell
Derbyshire
DE45 1AE

2 Chapel Street
Longnor
Staffordshire
SK17 0NU

Re: Application Number NP/SM/0113/0062
Your Ref: NN 1413
Date: Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Dear Mr Maxwell

Following receipt of you letter ‘Consultation on a planning application’ we would like to raise an objection to the planning being granted on the following grounds.

1. Planning history of the site The chapel was never designed to be a dwelling. Whilst we have not or ever did have, any object to the chapel becoming a dwelling, the reinstatement of the three windows in the north façade would significantly change how the windows would be used to view Chapel Street. 2. Overshadowing or an overbearing presence near a common boundary to the detriment of neighbours’ Reinstating the three windows in the north façade would most certainly produce a feeling of overbearing as people out looking the windows in the Chapel could look directly into our property. 3. Overlooking or loss of privacy
The newly reinstated windows would have direct line of site into both our bedroom, and more importantly our 9-year-old daughters bedroom, this is a significant loss of privacy and one that can neither be negated nor altered in any way.

The Heritage statement supplied to support the planning submission is incorrect as early as section 1.1. under this section the statement states
‘The height of these windows are at or above the ridge of the roofs of the cottages opposite, so will not cause any over-looking issues.
The facts of the matter is that the windows are not above the ridge line of the roofs and in either case there will be a direct line of site into the upper windows of our property as can be seen from the pictures below.

Same image taken from the churchyard close up
Same image taken from the churchyard close up
View from churchyard clearly showing that windows are not level with neighboring roofline
View from churchyard clearly showing that windows are not level with neighboring roofline

Earlier in section 1.1 of the heritage statement it is stated that

‘Reopening these windows is contextually appropriate externally and does not confuse internally as there is no longer a liturgical focal point as the building's use is not ecclesiastical. The new internal refurbishment respects and restores the most significant elements from both 1797 construction and 1853 insertions. The reopening of these windows would then complete the restoration of the original fabric whilst not undermining the significance of the 19th century reconfiguration’
Whilst we can agree that there is no longer any liturgical focus point to the building reopening the three windows is wholly inappropriate contextually as it significantly changes the relationship of the Chapel with its surrounding buildings. Further the use of the wording contextually appropriate is not very clear as is it subjective and is written from the perspective and judgment of the person soliciting questions and they may include or exclude information