A man’s bid to convert a large detached garage on his property into another home has been refused by council planning chiefs.

Mr P Bradley, of Brookes House, Whalley, submitted plans to Ribble Valley Borough Council to turn the garage on the left side of his driveway into a three-bedroom dwelling designed with assisted living in mind.

The converted building would have been positioned on a more forward building line that the existing one due to the tapering nature of the site, but this is partly why the council has refused the plans.

A decision notice from the council said: “The proposed dwelling, by virtue of its intrusion onto the established building line, is likely to appear prominent, incongruous, and conspicuous, and have a harmful impact upon the character and appearance of the streetscene and Whalley Conservation Area.”

The council went onto say the development would be inappropriate due to being in an area at risk of flooding, and there was inadequate evidence to show there are no reasonably available sites appropriate for the proposed development in areas with lower probability of flooding.

It also said the proposal would likely result in significant impacts to the visual, botanical, and historical value of the adjacent overhanging trees, covered under the Tree Preservation Order.

A design, access and heritage statement submitted to the council said: “The scheme provides a suitable dwelling with three bedrooms, associated living spaces, and private amenities. To suit the applicant’s requirements, the scheme is designed with assisted living in mind, with wider doors and the necessary facilities on the one level, should it be required.

“The proposal has been designed to ensure there is no negative impact on the surrounding residential area through considered and quality design.

“The scheme has been designed to sensitively reflect and adhere to the site allocation as well as the surrounding context within the village setting.”

Mr Bradley has six months to appeal the council’s decision if he wishes to do so.