COUNCILLORS have defied anti 'garden-grabbing’ planning policy from government.
Just weeks after the government issued its planning guidelines to stop developers’ garden grabbing, the Isle of Wight Council’s planning committee approved two plans — to build on gardens.
The planning committee defied officers, who recommended refusal of both applications, one in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the other outside the development envelope.
Both had been submitted before the government’s planning policy took effect in June but were still subject to it, planning officers told the meeting.
Councillors approved a house in the garden of a demolished bungalow at 18 Steephill Court Road, Ventnor, in an AONB. The committee had previously approved another house on the site.
And they gave the green light to a detached chalet bungalow in the garden of 27 Pondwell Close, Ryde, outside Ryde and Seaview’s development envelopes.
A previously refused plan for four houses there is currently subject to an appeal.
The Ryde plan was approved on the casting vote of planning committee chairman, Cllr Ivan Bulwer, who said he would vote against officer recommendation because it was a better plan than the Ventnor application.
Despite his abstention, the committee approved the Steephill Court Road plan.
Cllr Bulwer told the committee: "At some stage officers expect a challenge to this government policy but whether this is the one you will decide."
But he told head of planning, Bill Murphy, who had put forward further reasons for refusal after councillors spoke in favour: "I feel you are putting unnecessary pressure on us to follow a certain course."
Councillors backed officers, who recommended refusal for an application to knock down 20 Beachfield Road, Bembridge, and build two houses on the site.
They decided the development would be over-cramped, would have an adverse impact on a protected tree and a balcony would cause overlooking problems for neighbours.
Reporter: richardw@iwcpmail.co.uk