INVERCLYDE councillors have backed a decision by planners to refuse permission for a new house in the grounds of a Greenock West End property.
The home was proposed for the garden at 58 Esplanade, beside North Street and Eldon Street.
Planning officials rejected the proposal for several reasons. They said it would not contribute to the amenity, character and appearance of the neighbourhood or reflect the urban form or character of the area.
They also stated: “The subdivision of one of the large plots which characterise the north-west area of the Greenock West End Conservation Area would introduce an additional built form to the rear of the property which would fail to preserve or enhance the conservation area.
“The proposed development does not meet the guidance of the Greenock West End Conservation Area Appraisal which has a presumption against development within the original plots.”
The applicant appealed over the refusal but councillors on Inverclyde’s local review body upheld the original decision. They felt that the conservation area guidance should be respected and that giving permission would set a precedent for more houses to be built in the large West End gardens.
Above, the site at the moment, and below, how it could look if permission is given
The application sought permission for the principle of a house on the land; if granted, detailed plans would still have had to be submitted for approval, although indicative designs were included.
A statement provided to the planning department by architects Nicolson McShane had explained: “In support of this application, we have prepared a notional proposal for information purposes to demonstrate how a dwelling might be accommodated on the site and the extremely limited impact that this will have in the public realm.
“Our proposal seeks to reconcile the high demand for easily accessible, high quality ‘downsize friendly’ housing in this sought-after location with the sensitivity and historical importance of the West End.”
The architects said the house could be single-storey to sit behind the existing garden walls and reduce its visibility from North Street and Eldon Street.
From Eldon Street only the traditionally proportioned roof would have been visible maintaining the pattern of the streetscape where roofs are visible from the street over stone garden walling.
A substantial area of garden would have been kept for 58 Esplanade and the new dwelling would have had its own garden and off-street car parking space.
The statement concluded: “Inverclyde has long sought to promote the suitability of the area for high-quality housing in an effort to attract people to the area and stem population decline. This is a modest opportunity to provide a high quality, small dwelling in a highly sought after location at a minimal cost to the physical environment.”
