The appeal site included an existing dwelling, an already constructed detached granny annexe and a relatively large garden.

The subject annexe is set back from the highway behind the rear building line of the dwelling. The building consists of materials that soften its impact on the surrounding countryside. Furthermore, the building is read in context with the existing group of buildings and therefore we considered it to have only a limited impact on wider views. As such, our view was always that it has a limited visual impact on the area. Accordingly, the building makes a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the surrounding countryside.

GraceMachin were able to argue that although having a comparatively large footprint, the annexe building would have a functional dependency on the main dwelling and should therefore be deemed ancillary.

The ground floor of the detached annexe includes a fitted kitchen to the rear, a bathroom adjacent to the stairwell and a bedroom and ensuite to the front. The first-floor space is a home office. The layout provides the majority of facilities required for an independent dwelling.

The dwelling on the appeal site is within a small group of dwellings to the south of the village of Hawksworth in Rushcliffe Borough. The site provides distant views of the open countryside to the front and rear. The site consequently makes a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the area.

The Inspector concluded that the detached annexe building was subservient in scale to the host dwelling and its impact on the surrounding area is therefore limited.

Helpfully, the Inspector stated that even if the subject accommodation provided facilities for independent day-to-day living it would not necessarily become a separate planning unit from the main dwelling; it would be a matter of fact and degree.