Homeowner on Burley Road, Bransgore, must demolish ‘dominant’ outbuilding after Planning Inspectorate appeal thrown out

A Bransgore homeowner will have to demolish an outbuilding after an appeal was thrown out.

The resident of 77 Burley Road wanted retrospective approval for the structure on greenbelt land, but New Forest District Council planners rejected this.

An appeal was made to the Planning Inspectorate over the decision, but this has now been rejected as it “has an unacceptable and harmful effect on the character and appearance of the area”.

The inspector said the outbuilding had a “large footprint” of approximately 59 square metres of floorspace and three separate rooms.

He said as a result “it appears more akin to a small house than an outbuilding”, adding it appeared overly dominant within the site and was “an intrusive and dominating building”.

He said it also had an “unacceptable and harmful effect on the living conditions of the occupiers of No.79.”

The inspector also dismissed an application for costs saying “parties in planning appeals normally meet their own expenses”.

Costs can be awarded if a council is seen to have acted in a way that has wasted the applicant’s time and money but the inspector said that was not the case here.