AN appeal against enforcement action being taken by Blaenau Gwent for an unauthorised vehicle access at a house in Tredegar, has been thrown out by Welsh Government planning inspectors.

Pensioners Keith and Jennifer Bandy had appealed against the enforcement notice which was served upon them by Blaenau Gwent planners back in January.

It followed an investigation by county borough planning enforcement officers.

The couple had removed a front boundary wall at Brynawel, 71 Park Hill in Tredegar so that they could park off the road there.

This follows a complaint that was made to the council back in August 2020.

Planning agent James Murray said in the appeal statement on behalf of Mr and Mrs Bandy that the access had been built so that they can load and unload their car without having to park on the other side of the road.

Mr Murray said: “Both appellants are elderly being in their late 70s and early 80s respectively with deteriorating mobility.

“The area was never envisaged to be used as a means of permanent of even occasional off street parking as the car is housed in the garage at the rear of the property.

“This distance from the garage to carry heavy bags is well in excess of the distance to the front of the house.”

Neighbour Karen Williams had written to PEDW (Planning and Environment Decisions Wales) supporting the Bandy’s appeal.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic which saw planning enforcement officer re-directed to other work and the original investigating officer leaving the authority, the case had been forgotten for a time.

Blaenau Gwent planners looked again at the case in April last year and following a routine monitoring site visit saw that a vehicle was park on the land and that the off-road parking space was still in use.

Planners said that the couple had been advised to either stop using the access and parking their car at the front of the property or submit a retrospective planning application to legitimise the change.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic which saw planning enforcement officer re-directed to other work and the original case officer leaving the authority, the case was forgotten for a time.

They looked again at the case in April last year and following a routine monitoring site visit saw that the off-road parking space was still in use.

Planning and Environment Decision Wales (PEDW) planning inspector H Davies said that the couple had not explained in their appeal how the enforcement notice had gone further than what is needed to “remedy” any breach of planning control.

Planning inspector Davies said: “Under the grounds of appeal, the appellant has not specifically suggested any lesser steps which might be taken.

“There is no means under appeal to grant planning permission for the access, or to limit use of the access.

“Consequently, even occasional use of the access and parking area would fail to remedy the breach.”

Due to this the appeal failed and this means that an amended enforcement notice can come back into force.