PLANNING chiefs at Warrington have approved a home extension with a balcony overlooking the rear garden despite objections from neighbours and the parish council.
Work had already started on the development in Clifton Avenue Culcheth before the borough council’s development committee reached its decision.
Culcheth abd Glazebury Parish Council and a number of neighbours had lodged objections on the grounds of loss of privacy caused by the balcony, work starting before planning consent had been given and the fact that other schemes in the area involving balconies had been refused.
The committee was told the site overlooked open Green Belt land on its western boundary. But the development would not increase the footprint of the building as the extension would be over existing ground-floor areas.
The balcony would provide views over adjoining gardens on both sides and would result in increased overlooking compared with the previous situation.
This would not be considered acceptable, but the provision of 1.8m obscure glazed panels would mitigate the impact on privacy to an acceptable degree. These panels would be a condition of approval.
In addition, the main views from the balcony would be over the applicant’s own garden and open countryside.
Overall it was not considered the development would have any unacceptable impact on residential amenity nor the outlook or privacy of neighbours.
