The prospective owner of a former holiday cottage in the Ribble Valley is seeking to have development rights reinstated for the building.

Gypsy Cottage, near Longridge, was granted a change of use from a holiday let to a permanent residence in 2011.

At the time, condition 2 of the approval removed permitted development rights for the house.

Now, the potential new owner of the building, Mr R Patel, is seeking to have these rights reinstated to continue the development of the house.

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A supporting statement submitted to the council’s planning board said: “The property is currently in the process of being sold and the prospective new owner is seeking to have these rights reinstated to allow for the extension of the property as well as the construction of a new structure within the domestic curtilage.

“The blanket removal of permitted development rights in this instance seems unreasonable, particularly with regard to the fact that the quoted policies in condition 2 of the approval do not refer to the removal of these rights.”

The building was built in the late 1990s as a stable block with loft storage above. In 2003, permission was granted to convert the stables into a holiday letting.

The statement went on to say at no point were development rights used to justify the creation of the dwelling and “removal of all such rights on granting permission for a permanent residence seems unreasonable.”

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The statement also said no justification was provided for the removal of the development rights and their reinstatement “should be allowed.”

It added: “The property in question, whilst clearly being a rural building, is of modern construction and is not part of any historic property or settlement.”

Anyone wishing to comment on the planning application can do so via the council’s website.