GETTING planning permission to build a garage in your front garden and then straight away applying to turn it into a holiday let is 'unacceptable', councillors have been told.
Falmouth Town Council's planning committee was told that the owner of the property in Grovehill Crescent, Falmouth, was granted permission to build a garage in the front garden of his home in August 2020.
But he has now applied to use the approved garage as additional living accommodation and holiday let including changes to the approved doors and windows.
Isabel Brumwell, charted town planner and planning agent for the applicant, told councillors that the application was for additional accommodation or holiday let to provide a sustainable income for the applicant and his family.
She said its size and the fact it would only accommodate two people meant negligible disturbance to neighbours and minor modifications to the original design with a new window, bi-fold doors in place of the garage door, the addition of new French door and a separate door and window.
She said it better suited the applicant's needs which have changed since permission was granted. As far as she was aware no construction had started yet, she said.
The councillors were read comments from the Neighbourhood Plan stakeholders committee by town clerk Mark Williams.
"To apply for permission to build a garage and then immediately apply to turn it into holiday accommodation is unacceptable," the committee said in its comments. "It creates a poor precedent and adds nothing to Falmouth's housing needs.
Neighbours are concerned about parking issues if the garage conversion into a holiday let goes ahead
They added: "Car parking on street where there is a bus lane and on road parking causes considerable problems reducing the space to a single carriageway."
Former planning committee chairman Cllr Alan Jewell recommended that the application should be refused: "I see it all the time," he said. "This is what happens. They apply for one thing and they haven't even built it, then they apply for another. It's just unbelievable. We've had it for years. We have got to be firm on this and refuse it."
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