Back Garden Prices set to Rocket?

Another development in the rear of a dwelling has just been built. This is another instance of what Chair of Planning Cllr Owen Philp has previously called ‘backland development’. A pair of houses has recently been erected in the rear of a row of cottages adjacent to the Youth club at High Lanes.

Controversial development plans have also recently been passed to allow significant development at the rear of 17 Penpol Terrace, despite lack of parking, conservation area status, its proximity to a commercial enterprise, a vehicle repair business, and in spite of there being less than satisfactory access in case of emergency such as fire. Letters of objection and a petition of objection by many residents were apparently not enough to prevent the application being granted.  (See‘Planning Logic, Hayle Style’ )

Surely this opens the door to anyone with a large enough back garden and a degree of access to apply for similar planning consent. However, the Penwith Council planning department representative said allowing this does not necessarily set a precedent. Surely as Penwith District Council have given previous consent for the rear at High Lanes they have set their own precedent.

How many of your elected or co-opted representatives objected to this latest plan? One local Town Councillor was heard to say ‘It (the plan) looks better than what is there now.’ Such rigour and due diligence! Certainly anything than what is there now could be preferable as the current owner has allowed the building to deteriorate dramatically over the years and many people have expressed concern that an 'eyesore' has been allowed to develop in such a prominent location. This ‘blot on the landscape’ which is in a conservation area is shameful indeed but this cannot be an excuse o replace it with something that has the potential to be even worse.

Could these strange decisions on the part of the planning department have something to do with the fact that both these sites belong to District councillors?   Surely not.

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