Appeal over demolition plans for home off New Road in Blackfield thrown out by inspector

An appeal against the refusal to demolish a three-bedroom chalet in Blackfield has been thrown out.

Kammack Development had claimed the decision by New Forest District Council not to allow the development at New Road – replacing it with a two-bedroom bungalow – was wrong.

The company wanted to build the new home on what was described by the planning inspector as a “long, narrow plot” which fronts New Road.

Planning permission already exists for a dwelling to be built in the front garden but the company wanted to replace a chalet with the bungalow allowing for a driveway to the side which would give access to another built in the rear garden.

NFDC had ruled that the new home would not be in keeping with the character of the area but the inspector did not uphold this.

However, they did find that increased traffic to the site and recreational use of it could have “significant effects” on habitat sites for ground-nesting birds and feeding grounds for wildfowl and waders in the area.

They also said the “additional discharge of wastewater from the proposed dwelling could, cumulatively, add to this impact”.

The inspector said the applicant had also not provided information on how it intended to mitigate these.

Referring to planning policies on habitats, they said that if the benefits of the development outweighed the effects it would have on the environment, they can be set aside.

But the inspector said “in view of the limited scale of the proposal, the economic benefits would be small, so carry little weight in my decision”.

They added that if “significant harm to biodiversity resulting from a development cannot be avoided, then planning permission should be refused”.

The inspector concluded: “Overall, therefore, the benefits associated with the proposal do not outweigh the conflict that I have found with development plan policies that seek to avoid harm to protected wildlife sites.”