Bungalow plan for Telford back garden allowed despite objections from neighbours

A Telford resident has been given permission to build a bungalow in his back garden despite objections.

Neighbours of Keiran Zaman in Hartshill, Oakengates, warned council planners that it would be ‘overdevelopment’ and the ‘building site’ would be too close to their homes.

One objector told Telford & Wrekin Council planners that they think it is “disgraceful’ that it would be “so close to our boundary and our neighbours.”

Another wrote: “I would not want a building site on my literal door step.

“The safety and comfort of my family is my main concern.”

A third objector added: “The privacy of my family with a property against the boundary of my garden is a concern.

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“Concerns around environmental risks with an active building site at the end of our garden.”

A fourth neighbour supported the proposal. But they called for a fence or other appropriate boundary to improve privacy and make sure that windows were placed to minimised loss of privacy.

Council planners wrote that they could only consider location, land use and amount of development under a procedure for deciding ‘in principle’ applications.

Technical details would need to be approved at a later date.

Applicant’s agent Cadsquare Midlands Limited, based in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, wrote that there have been previous examples of back land development being approved in the neighbourhood.

They said the proposal is “entirely in accordance with the national policies” and the Telford & Wrekin local plan. The agent quoted government policies to build more homes.

Council planners also noted objections from Oakengates Town Council around ‘overdevelopment.’

But they noted that as the rear garden of a residential property it appears “to be suitable for use as a dwelling.

“The land use of the surrounding area is residential in nature and therefore compatible in principle with the proposed dwelling.”

Planners noted that a separation distance of 13 metres from the neighbours’ homes is “sufficient” provided that the dwelling is a single storey bungalow.

“Other than single storey bungalow the proximity of the proposed dwelling is likely to have an overbearing presence to the adjacent dwellings to the north and result in significant shading to their south facing rear gardens.”