ALMOST identical plans to build six homes in a residential area that were previously refused by the borough council and a planning inspector have been re-submitted.

Quadron Investment Ltd has applied to the borough council to build six new homes on a piece of land previously used as a car park in Halliday Close, Cranbourne.

The company submitted plans in 2020 to build six homes on the same piece of land, which were refused by the council after more than 40 residents objected.

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Basingstoke Gazette:

Councillors rejected the plans because of the loss of amenities for existing residents, describing the proposals as cramped, incongruous, and out of keeping with the character of the area.

Quadron appealed the decision in April 2021, but this was refused by a planning inspector, who said the development would “result in materially harmful effect on the living conditions of neighbouring occupiers, in respect of privacy impacts”.

The inspector also refused an application for an award of costs made by Quadron.

Quadron has now resubmitted almost identical plans stating that the height, massing, form and layout of the proposals are “identical to the previous application”.

It said it has addressed privacy concerns raised by the planning inspector by reducing the number of windows and referring to rooms in the loft as 'studies' instead of 'bedrooms'. 

The application states: “In order to address privacy concerns, the number of windows to the front and rear upper floors have been reduced, with a total of 4no. windows at the rear first-floor level.

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“The accommodation within the loft has now been changed from bedrooms to small study rooms, whilst the front dormer windows have been removed and the rear rooflights positioned higher on the roof slope to prevent overlooking.”

The development would include two one-bedroom flats, two one-bedroom maisonettes, and two two-bedroom maisonettes along with associated private gardens, car parking, cycle parking, bin storage and landscaping improvements.

The area was previously used by residents as a car park. However, after residents objected to the plans, Quadron fenced it off to prevent them from using it. 

Residents previously objected to the proposals for a variety of reasons including that an increase in homes would exacerbate the current parking problems, with concerns also raised about emergency access.

Halliday Close is listed by the borough council as a location with ‘reported parking issues’ and is included in its ‘Parking in Residential Areas’ programme of parking improvement works, which identifies the worst 125 streets for parking in the borough.

However, the road is listed as having ‘no solution’ yet implemented.

The council said: “Although the council does not have a statutory responsibility to providing parking solutions in residential roads and is not the highway authority, the impact that parking problems can have on the local environment and resident’s quality of life is recognised.”

Residents have until February 6 to comment on the plans here.