Planning permission refusal

[Robbie7380]

I have just come across this wonderful website and hope someone can help. I have just had planning permission refused on building a 70m2 bungalow at the bottom of my garden, which is a third of an acre. This was to house my elderly mother . We had kept the plans within the permitted development size i.e under 4m high and not within 2m of the boundary so they couldn't object to the size of it. They did object to that and that it could be sold off as a separate development, which it can't as it is landlocked as the original house that remains is at the point of a triangular plot so there is no access from the front and there are houses and gardens on all other boundaries. We have no intention at any stage to separate the house from the bungalow. The council ( sevenoks, Kent) just don't seem to be listening. Am I in a good position to appeal. Any advice would be really helpful as I can see the costs escalating before I even start.

 

[^woody^]

Did you call it a bungalow in the application, our did you call it something like a "granny flat ancillary to the main house"?

 

[Nige F]

Garden Grabbing is an issue in Kent - Same as Dale Farm in Essex - and Brighton Football Stadium in Sussex ( Lewes Council ) It`s all documented - it`s all politics and the little local gods in the Town Halls You`re just in the wrong county, I`m afraid Good Luck with it anyway.

 

[Robbie7380]

We called it a granny annex ancillary to main building. Also I am led to believe that you can effectively lock the new build to the main house so they can't be split up and sold. Is this correct?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

You can't even get permission for cooking facilities within in a granny annex in a converted adjoined garage down this neck of the woods so not surprising you got refused for effectively a separate dwelling in your back garden, it must have access albeit via the main dwelling garden. No doubt (as daft as it may seem) it would theoretically be possible to provide a right of way access route from the road to this building to enable its use as a separate dwelling. Councils are (understandably) quite cynical about such developments. Did you do this application yourself or have an agent, why were you or the agent not in contact with the planning officer throughout the application period? What does it say if anything about granny flats in your Local Plan?

 

[Robbie7380]

Unfortunately the planning officer was very unhelpful and just told me to submit my plans and see what happens. Yes there is walking access via the main house but no place for a vehicle unless in front or behind the vehicle for the main house as it is a very narrow drive, then the main house and then the rear garden opens right out.