A SUMMER house which has been compared to a “Roman Villa” has been given the seal of approval by Warrington planning chiefs.
It upset neighbours in a leafy Victorian Conservation Area at Grappenhall when it was built in advance of planning consent.
But the borough council’s development management committee has granted permission to an amended version of the brick-built structure in the garden of a large, three-storey house in Chester Road.
As built, it has two chimneys visible from adjoining houses but the applicant has agreed to reduce the height of the chimneys and roof.
Grappenhall and Thelwall Parish Council, borough councillor Ryan Bate and four neighbours lodged objections on the grounds of loss of privacy, the potential for smoke and fumes, over-development of the site and being out of character with the Conservation Area.
One objector claimed the building is more in the style of a Roman Villa than Victorian.
The amended, retrospective application reduces the height of the roof by 675mm and the chimneys by 1155mm. This means the chimneys will still be seen from neighbouring properties but will be less visible.
Officers recommended the scheme be approved as they considered the principle of the development was acceptable and the revised building would be unlikely to be visible from Chester Road.
Overall theey considered the development would not detract from the Conservation Area nor have unacceptable impacts on visual or residential amenity.
