Holiday cottage to tear down 'eyesore' structure that breaches privacy
Fury at 10ft high garden decking that overlooks grave of Britain’s first fossil hunter Mary Anning: Owner of holiday cottage will have to tear down ‘eyesore’ structure that neighbours say breaches privacy after it was built without permission
- The viewing platform has been blasted as an ‘inappropriate eyesore’
The owner of a holiday cottage faces having to tear down their garden decking that looms 10ft into the air after it was built without planning permission to the fury of neighbours, town planners and conservationists.
Locals say the ‘eyesore’ structure, which overlooks the grave of famous fossil hunter Mary Anning in Lyme Regis, Dorset, breaches their privacy.
The council has refused the decking retrospective planning permission, branding it ‘overbearing’ and unacceptable, meaning the homeowner will have to remove it or face further action.
Residents have claimed that the decking – which looms almost ten feet into the air – was made to attract holidaymakers to a cottage which backs onto St Michael the Archangel in picturesque Lyme Regis, Dorset.
Images show it on a holiday cottage website, with views from the platform towards the nearby coast clearly visible in promotional pictures.
But the council that covers the town has now refused permission for the structure, branding it ‘overbearing’ and ‘unacceptable’ and saying it causes potential harm to the area while furious neighbours have said it invades their privacy.
An ‘eyesore’ of a raised viewing platform has been criticised by Lyme Regis locals
The platform can be seen from a historic graveyard which locals argue is an affront to decency
It was erected meters from the grave of famous local fossil hunter Mary Anning
The palaeontologist is one of Lyme Regis’ most important past residents (Depicted here digging for fossils)
The platform was built last September and the owners applied for retrospective planning permission in November.
They are believed to let the property out to holidaymakers.
All decking over 30cm high needs planning consent – but this example stands almost ten feet tall, with those living nearby saying it means any visitors can see into their windows.
Several neighbours have complained about the structure that appeared close to their back gardens.
One said: ‘We wish to oppose the planning application for the recently built structure on the grounds of privacy.
‘The tower-like structure of huge proportions dominates the skyline, even more so when people are on it.
‘It is clearly visible to us, and we are three houses away.
‘Presumably it was built to provide views along the coast but because of its height it also provides views down into the windows and back gardens of the adjacent houses including ours.
‘We consider this an invasion of our privacy.’
Another neighbour added: ‘Put up without prior planning permission and with no consideration for those who see it on a daily basis, we consider it an eyesore in what is considered to be a conservation area.
‘If this structure is allowed to remain in its present form it sets a precedent for others to follow.’
One added: ‘An unsightly timber decking tower has been put up….to give a view over Church Cliff and more immediately the church yard, towards Portland but it also gives users a view into local gardens and into bedroom windows.
‘We understand that people making use of the raised decking are quite likely to be holidaying guests with no vested interest in showing consideration to local residential families or respect for the garden of rest overlooked, where the memories of recently deceased Church Street residents are commemorated.
‘The seating on the viewing platform seems to indicate that it is likely to be used by guests for eating and drinking and there is every likelihood that voices from that height will also prove intrusive.
‘It also seems inappropriate that people walking through the church yard should be confronted by the sight of a raised platform with a party of people carousing on it.’
There are fears the platform will shatter the peace of the nearby cemetery
Locals have described the platform as ‘tower like’ and begged for it to be dismantled
The viewing platform is so large it can be glimpsed from the graveyard
The platform was built at the end of a garden which backs onto the local church.
The property in question is Grade II listed, was built in the 1700s and is in a Conservation Area as well as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The decking is made of timber, lies 13 metres from the house and is separated from the house by a hedge.
Mike Garrity, head of planning at Dorset Council, said the deck was ‘not in harmony with the historical setting’ as well as being ‘overly large.’
He added: ‘It is considered to cause less than substantial harm without public benefit to outweigh the harm to the Church of St Michael and its associated churchyard, walls and railings, the grave of Mary Anning and to Lyme Regis Conservation Area.
‘Having regard to the location and elevation of the platform…and the extent of views provided by the platform into properties to the north and south, the retention of the raised decking and platform would enable an unacceptable degree of noise, activity and overlooking and be overbearing to properties neighbouring it.’
David Mitchell, of HB Architectural Design, said in a heritage statement to the council that the decking would ‘provide an attractive relaxation area and added amenity for the occupiers of the property.’
‘There are similar raised seating areas at three or more other properties to north east of the property also located behind the churchyard wall,’ he added.
‘The proposal has no impact on current access provision to the property or intensity of use of the residence.
‘Our client notified her neighbours…prior to construction of the raised platform and neither raised any objections to the proposal.
‘We feel this proposal will have no significant impact on the street scene or the listed building.
‘There is already a precedent set for raised platforms to the rear of similar properties in the area and we hope the planning authority will support the application.’
The viewing platform is hidden in the back of an unassuming holiday home in the area
The view of the church from the top of the viewing platform
Neighbour Cllr Belinda Bawden told planners: ‘I’m afraid I do have concerns about this one.
‘The height of the decking is higher than the neighbouring one to the right (looking from behind the houses from the cemetery); higher than the current height of the wall; and has a clear impact on the neighbouring two gardens and houses to the left (from the cemetery).
‘I know we have no mechanism to try to mitigate holiday letting impacts but personally I feel the two neighbouring properties which I understand are lived in permanently and potentially the peace of the cemetery and local footpath will be adversely affected if the tall deck/balcony is widely used by groups of holiday makers.’
Dorset Council refused permission.
It is understood action may also be taken over another viewing platform close by.
WHO WAS MARY ANNING?
Mary Anning (pictured) was a famed 18th-century palaeontologist
Mary Anning was a famed 18th-century palaeontologist.
She came from a very poor family of religious dissenters and never married or had children.
She was one of a believed ten children and was only one of two to survive to adulthood.
Her father, a cabinet maker called Richard, introduced her to fossil hunting.
She’s the inspiration behind the nursery rhyme ‘she sells sea shells by the sea shore’, inspired the young schoolgirl.
She was born in Lyme Regis, Dover in 1799 and died aged 47 from breast cancer.
As a woman in science at this time it was even more difficult to establish a credible reputation in any scientific field.
The science world in the 19th century was, remarkably, even more male-orientated than the testosterone-fuelled scientific world of today.
She searched the Blue Lias cliffs in or shortly after adverse weather as the landslides exposed new fossils.
In one such event, her dog, Tray, was killed and she herself nearly perished.
She famously discovered the first ichthyosaur skeleton which was correctly identified when she was 12 yeas old.
The immaculately preserved find was more than 17feet (5.2metres) long.
Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution would not be published for another half a century and people debated what this monster was.
It was eventually called ichthyosaur, meaning fish lizard.
It is in fact neither fish nor lizard, but a marine reptile that lived around 201-194 million years ago.
She also found the first complete skeleton of a Plesiosaurus and the first Pterodactyl – then called a Dimorphodon – outside of Germany .
All her marquee finds are now in the Natural History Museum.
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