Decision Report 201502273

Summary

Mr C complained that the council unreasonably granted planning permission for a house in a small lane where access to the public road could not meet the visibility standards required. He also raised concerns about the impact of this development on parking in the area. Initially, the roads department had refused to support the application as it would have meant vehicles reversing onto the public road. Proposals for a turning area were then included in the plan. The roads department said that, even though the access was still substandard, as similar access arrangements existed elsewhere they would not object to consent being granted. They also noted that the development would only result in the loss of one parking space.

We considered Mr C's complaint and took independent advice from a planning adviser. We were satisfied that, although the access did not meet the usual standards, the council had fully considered the issue of safe access and parking. They had taken into account the steps taken by the applicant to improve access and they considered that, on balance, the proposal was acceptable. As the council were able to demonstrate that they arrived at their decision in a reasoned and justifiable way, we did not uphold the complaint.