Unauthorised garden can stay

A HOUSEHOLDER who bought a piece of spare land adjoining his home and converted it to a garden without seeking planning consent has been told he can keep it.
Members of Warrington’s development management committee decided the new garden on land at the side of a house in Whitefield Rad, Stockton Heath improved the appearance of the area.
They approved a retrospective planning application – despite objections from a neighbour and Stockton Heath Parish Council.
They committee was told the proposal involved a triangular piece of land between two houses in Whitefield Road and Walton Road and had a frontage onto Walton Road.
The applicant had owned the land since September last year and had laid a driveway of grey paving flags, with a post and chain barrier at its entrance to Whitefield Road. A tree on the site had been retained and remained an attractive feature and a hedge had been planted, but did not impact on the  character of the area.  It would be an attractive feature when it became mature.
Stockton Heath Parish Council opposed the scheme on the grounds it would restrict access to neighbouring properties and the chained gateway would impact on the street scene. There was also concern that the hedge would present a hazard to traffic if allowed to grow too high.
But the committee was told the applicant had undertaken not to allow the hedge to grow too high and access to other properties would not be impeded.