Blaenau Gwent councillors advised to grant permission for outbuilding conversion
Blaenau Gwent councillors have been advised to grant planning permission to turn an outbuilding into a garage and formalise a car parking area.
The proposal by Ian Morris for 1 Cross Book, Trefil, near Tredegar, also includes keeping a new house as built, and will be considered by Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Planning Committee at a meeting on Thursday, June 15.
The need for the planning application is a hangover from a previous proposal in 2015.
At the time, councillors voted in favour of plans to demolish an existing semi-detached cottage and associated out buildings and allow a new detached two-storey house to be built there.
By voting in favour of the proposal they went against the advice of planning officers.
They had recommended refusing the application as it is outside the settlement boundary of the village.
Without any agricultural, forestry or rural enterprise justification, the development was considered contrary to policy by planning officers.
Once planning permission was granted a condition was attached requiring a parking area to be provided before anyone started living in the house.
Planning officer Jane Engel said: “The house has been constructed and occupied.
“However, following an enquiry from the owner in relation to making alterations to the outbuilding, it was noted that the parking area had not been provided as indicated on the approved plans.”
Ms Engel said that Mr Morris had been advised that he could either implement the already approved permission, which she said would “remove the breach of planning”, or submit a new application to keep the development as it is – with alternative parking provision and alterations to the outbuilding.
Ms Engel said: “The plans submitted detail the provision of three parking spaces to the rear of the dwelling.
“Following consultation, the council’s highway manager has confirmed that the replacement parking area is acceptable and has raised no objections to the proposal.
“Given the original application has positively established the principle of residential development -and that permission has been implemented and the applicant’s fall-back (position), it is in this instance, considered unreasonable to recommend refusal of the principle to retain the dwelling.
“Therefore, having regard to all relevant matters I consider the current application acceptable and recommend approval of the application.”
By BBC LDRS
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