Garage flats refused for Banks Road in Sandbanks

The extensive plans for ‘The Garage’ at the junction of Panorama Road and Banks Road in Sandbanks, were rejected by BCP Council planners.

It would have seen a 1950s domestic garage ‘retained’ and converted into two ‘duplex’ flats of three storeys.

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A design and access statement submitted as part of the planning application said: “Almost every property on the west side of Banks Road, from Panorama Road to the chain ferry, is flats.

Plans for the garage at Sandbanks (Image: design then build ltd.)

“This illustrates the character of the areas ownership pattern regardless of the visual appearance of single plot houses.”

Sandbanks Neighbourhood Forum commented on the application saying although the accommodation was more ‘balanced’ from a previous application, they still had a concern.

“As such, our principal objection is that the elevation onto Banks Road is still implying that these are two very narrow houses. This, within the streetscene, gives the impression of two micro-houses – our preference would be for there to be one entry door and a communal hallway.”

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And Reverend Andrew O'Brien, writing on behalf of the vicar and churchwardens of the church of the Transfiguration and the Chapel of St Nicolas Sandbanks, which is next to the site said: “The proposal appears to have total disregard to the existing single storey chapel and the two bungalows.

What the building could have looked like (Image: design then build ltd.)

“The resultant bulk and massing on the site, with the proposal constructed less than 600mm from the church building will be overbearing and out of character for this area.

“The street scape will show an over dominant building crammed into a narrow site. Looking at the layout of the houses, each 'house for either a windsurfer or kite surfer' is only about 2.5 metres wide, there are windows proposed looking onto the church site with views over the rear gardens and windows of the bungalows from both first and second floor level.

“Privacy will be lost and the overbearing height of the proposed building will overshadow and dwarf the existing bungalows.

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“On a separate issue, the proximity of the walls to the rear church boundary will make it impossible to construct the proposed properties without access onto the church land and there is barely room behind the church for future maintenance.”

The current garage sits on a narrow plot of land, but BCP planners felt that as this was evident on other sites, this was not a concern.

Nine letters of representation were received from residents raising objections over issues including loss of light and overlooking.

A report from BCP Council planning officers said the site falls within the future flood zone and therefore a ‘sequential test’ had to be applied to the decision.

This test is to steer new developments to areas with the lowest risk of flooding.

And as there were alternative available sites, this application failed the test, despite information from the applicant, who stated otherwise.