RESIDENTS and councillors say they will keep fighting to stop the demolition of a family home after developers utilised government legislation to push plans through.
The demolition of the 1930s built house at 9 Ravine Road, Boscombe, has been granted under ‘permitted development’ – a government backed right for developers to begin a project without the need to apply for planning permission.
Once applicant Southbourne Homes Ltd demolish the property it wants to erect four new homes which still requires permission but must now be decided by BCP Council’s planning committee after being ‘red-carded’ by ward councillor Andy Jones.
A previous application to replace the house with two pairs of semi-detached homes was rejected by the committee in November last year for several reasons, including the fact it clashed with policies in the Boscombe and Pokesdown Neighbourhood Plan.
The only difference, according to council planners, between the current proposal and the refused one is the applicant now demonstrates a ‘fall-back’ position in the form of the recent permitted development approval.
This has drawn the ire of the nearly 200 objectors who feel the loss of the home would be unjust and the proposed homes would be a “gross overdevelopment”.
Ahead of the proposal being determined by the committee, Cllr Andy Jones told the Echo: “When the first application was refused we thought that it was a great achievement by local people.
“Now, as it stands, the developers have got permission to demolish the current site which is a frustration for local people. You’ve got a neighbourhood plan which is supposed to give people more say, but this permitted development supersedes it and weakens local planning policies.
“It’s totally unsuitable. Why have a neighbourhood plan if government just give developers carte blanche to do what they want anyway?
“We don’t understand what the government are playing at, they encourage local communities to adopt neighbourhood plans but by the same token bring in legislation which undermines it.
“Once you get rid of a 1930s built property you cant get it back, so you lose a piece of history.”
The proposal will be determined by the planning committee on Thursday, March 16.
Pure Town Planning, agent for Southbourne Homes, declined to comment.
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