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Search the Public Notice PortalA developer has won an appeal to demolish an old Vicarage house and build five new ones following their rejection by the council.
The plan was submitted to demolish the Daisy Hill Vicarage on Turner Street in Westhoughton.
Bolton Council had originally refused the plan but the developer appealed their decision to The Planning Inspectorate.
More than 20 letters of objection had been submitted by local residents against the plan to build five new houses on the land.
Speaking against the plan at the council’s Planning Committee in February, Cllr David Wilkinson, of Westhoughton South, raised concerns that the houses were “too big”.
He said: “If you’re in the bungalows in Rectory Gardens you’re going to be overlooked or looking out at a whopping great wall.”
Following a site visit on August 5, Inspector C Mayes decided to overturn the council’s decision and grant the appeal.
They said the area had an “eclectic character” from the variety “in design, scale and siting of houses” as well as “the various materials used”.
Despite concerns about the size of the homes, which include a second floor in the roof space, the inspector said “the overall appearance of the proposed dwellings would remain two-storey”.
Inspector Mayes said: “Occupants of neighbouring properties have expressed concerns over the loss of privacy resulting from the proposed development.
“However, I have not been provided with specific instances of where this would occur.
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“As such, I have no substantive evidence before me that indicates that the scheme would result in undue overlooking of existing dwellings and subsequent loss of privacy of occupants.
“With regards to private amenity space, a degree of mutual overlooking is to be expected in suburban areas such as this.”
They said that there was “adequate separation” between the windows of the existing and proposed houses and the houses “would be adequately separated” to prevent the “development being overbearing or oppressive”.
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Inspector Mayes said they were also satisfied that the proposal “would not harmfully reduce the levels of daylight or sunlight into the rear garden areas”.
They concluded that the plan “would not harm the character and appearance of the surrounding area” and that it “would not detract from the living conditions of occupants of neighbouring properties”.
The inspector said that proposal “accords with the development plan, when read as a whole” and overturned the council’s decision.
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