A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build three houses in a back garden was described as a “Trojan horse development” before being blocked by Bournemouth council.

Green Bee Homes Ltd received 105 objections to its proposal, which had been recommended for approval by council officers, to erect the detached properties at a site on Petersfield Road.

This level of opposition resulted in it going before the borough’s March planning board meeting, at which resident John Twitchen said: “If you allow boring, bland back garden boxes to be built across the borough you will be blighting Bournemouth.”

Mr Twitchen said the houses' elevated position would overlook neighbouring properties, and that a new access point onto the narrow road would be hazardous.

“This is a Trojan horse development that is focused not on building just three houses – but on opening up a new road and exploiting up to 11 other back garden plots,” he said, before claiming Green Bee had “cynically” removed trees in the garden in preparation for the building work.

“The developers cleared the site of all the mature trees and vegetation – it is now fully exposed. What they build here and any other plots they get their hands on is what will characterise the area.”

But planning consultant Ken Parke, representing Green Bee, said: “There was no tree protection order on the site, and where there is no order a person is completely within his rights to do the gardening or whatever he wishes to.

“What we have here is a sustainable development, a good quality development on good sized plots – family housing that this borough desperately needs.”

Mr Parke added that the proposal had “none of the symptoms of a harmful development”, and was similar to other chalet bungalow style properties nearby.

Ward councillor Lawrence Williams, however, said it was "misleading" to use the word bungalow to describe the two-storey buildings.

Claiming the borough would be "in danger of setting a very nasty precedent" by allowing the plan, Cllr Williams said: "It is not something the area needs, it is not something the area wants."

And Cllr Lynda Price said Green Bee had “decimated the trees” in the garden and “didn’t consider the character of the area".

Planning board chairman Cllr David Kelsey said: “Obviously we want more housing – none of us here are denying that and none of us here are ever going to argue against that – but we do have to make sure it is the right design."

The board voted unanimously to reject the plans.