PLANS to build a three-bedroom home in the garden of another property in Cwmbran have been refused by Torfaen County Borough Council.

Harm to the “living conditions” of the existing home and a negative impact on the character of the area have been cited as the reasons why plans for a new house in the garden of a home on Sycamore Court, Henllys have been rejected.

The homes on Sycamore Court are predominantly large detached houses with “mock Tudor design and off-street parking”.

The land on which the proposed new home would be built was previously public open space but permission was granted in 1992 for it to be used as a residential garden for the house on the site – number 10 Sycamore Court.

Under the plans, the new house would be set back from the front of the site by more than 10 metres. It would have been a two-storey detached home with three bedrooms and a side extension. 

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The community council objected to the plans because of the impact on the properties in the surrounding area. 

There were also concerns raised over the parking and traffic situation, if the development was to go ahead, given Sycamore Court is a cul-de-sac.

However the planning officer’s report says the increase in vehicle movements resulting from a new property in the area would “not be considered unacceptable”. 

The report says: “The council’s highway officer has not raised an objection to the access or the impact on access to neighbouring site.”

The county council also received objections from seven neighbouring properties.

There were concerns among the neighbours that a new house would result in “overdevelopment of the site and the estate” and it would impact the street scene. 

There were also privacy concerns, with the new property overlooking into others.

When deciding to refuse the application, the planning officer said in the report the location of the proposed home in relation to the boundaries and neighbouring property is “considered to have an unacceptable impact upon the outlook” and “to have an overbearing impact from the first and ground floor within their property and within their private amenity space”.

The report says: “The proposed development is considered to result in harm to the character of the area and would result in harm to the living conditions of the occupiers of no. 10, specifically the adverse impact on their outlook and availability of daylight.”