A plan for a new bungalow behind a convenience store and next to a car wash in Tilehurst has been refused.
The site at 22 Norcot Road is currently home to Todays Local Tilehurst Food and Wine store, which has a flat above it and three terraced maisonettes to the rear.
The homes are immediately next to the Time to Shine car wash and Vesuvio Pizzeria, and are separated from the neighbouring businesses by a wall and fencing.
A landowner had applied to build a new detached bungalow with two bedrooms near the existing terrace of three maisonettes attached to the convenience store.
However, Reading Borough Council planning officer Anthony Scholes recommended the project be refused, judging that the proposed bungalow would suffer from a lack of daylight access and amenity space.
The project was officially refused in February last year.
The applicant attempted to get this decision overturned by launching an appeal to the government’s planning inspectorate.
Appointed inspector U P Han acknowledged that the proposed bungalow would add to the housing supply and is an accessible location with good public transport links.
But ultimately, they ruled that the bungalow would be cramped and future occupants would suffer due to the existing wall and neighbouring buildings.
The inspector concluded: “The proposed development would unduly harm the character of the area, and not provide adequate living conditions for its future occupiers with regard to light, outlook and outdoor amenity space.”
The appeal was therefore dismissed in a decision made on Friday, January 17.
The refusal of the project was featured in a report to the council’s planning applications committee meeting on Wednesday, February 5.
It was also noted that the council’s planning team was able to win five appeals against decisions they had made to the government’s planning inspectorate.
Julie Williams, the council’s planning and building control manager said: “It’s a good run of success in our decision making.”
Councillor Jan Gavin (Labour, Caversham), the chairwoman of the committee, said: “Congratulations to planning officers involved in these applications because this is five out of five where the inspector has agreed with our planning officers who have made considered and policy-driven decisions.
“It should be a note of congratulations to our officers for carrying out their work so well.”
You can view the refused project by typing reference PL/23/1150 into the council’s planning portal.
The owners of the neighbouring Time to Shine car wash lost an appeal against planning enforcement action against the business in August last year.
