A Ribble Valley councillor could have to knock down his own home – after planning chiefs on the same council recommended refusing him permission for the structure.
John Atherton is seeking retrospective planning permission to keep the Scandinavian-style detached timber-clad house – built on land without approval. But critics say it harms the character of a village neighbourhood and threatens traffic access and safety.
Coun Atherton, an Independent, has applied to Ribble Valley Council to keep the property and hard standing area on land at 4A Wiswell Lane in Whalley.
But planning officers are recommending councillors to refuse the application. They say it harms the area’s character, creates ‘discordant development’ and intensifies vehicle use of an unsafe access. The application will be considered by the borough’s planning committee this week.
4A Wiswell Lane, Whalley
(Image: Image in plans for Ribble Valley Council)
The Wiswell Lane site has two existing homes on the west, called 4 Wiswell Lane. Other neighbours’ gardens are on the north and west boundaries. Elsewhere on the south-east side, a new property is being built, called 4B Wiswell Lane. Overall, the access is serving five homes, according to planning reports. Other homes are numbers 6 and 8.
The timber-clad building was originally envisaged as being temporary to help meet Mr Atherton’s family needs, while an extension was built to the main property, according to a statement by planning agent Edward James, of PWA Planning in Preston. But later, Mr Atherton decided to use the timber structure as his own home with other family members in the main house.
Building work began in March 2020 and was completed by June that year. The site includes parking spaces for two cars and household waste is collected from the Wiswell Lane entrance, a shared access point. Separately, Mr Atherton sold some land on the south-east side, where a separate house is currently being built.
John Atherton of Ribble Valley Council
(Image: Ribble Valley Council)
In a report, Mr Atherton’s planning agent states: “It was the applicant’s understanding that the timber-clad building as now built was a temporary annex mobile home and therefore did not require planning permission. Nevertheless, since the building was complete, there were a number of neighbour complaints, and the applicant had ongoing discussions with the council’s enforcement officer regarding the building.
“A pre-application request was submitted to the council in late 2020, with the response received in January 2021. It was the council’s view that the building required consent. Following this, the applicant kept in correspondence with the council. It was constructively agreed a planning application should be submitted to regularise the development.”
In summary, the agent states: ” he development is considered to constitute sustainable development, with the retention of the existing dwelling allowing the applicant to live in close contact with family members. This dwelling is of a high-quality design which is sympathetic to the surrounding context and does not cause any detrimental impacts to neighbouring amenity. Furthermore, the proposal is acceptable from a highways and access standpoint.”
Drawings of the timber-clad building at 4A Wiswell Lane
(Image: Submitted with plans to Ribble Valley Council)
However, council planning officers are recommending refusal. They say the building fails to respond positively the inherent pattern of development or character of nearby dwellings. It creates significant, measurable adverse impacts upon the character and visual amenities of the area, they believe.
Also planning officers say the application has not ‘adequately demonstrated’ that the existing access and internal access track can accommodate further vehicle movements without impacting the safe operation of the highway.
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