Blackburn man's driveway plan refused over neighbour parking

Shaban Mazhar wanted to knock down the front garden wall of his home in Preston New Road, Wensley Fold, and lay a tarmac parking space,

But Blackburn with Darwen Council has refused planning permission for the change on highway safety grounds and because of the loss of on-street parking bays for neighbours it would cause.

It also pointed out there is vehicular access and off-street parking space already available to the rear of the property accessed from Irene Place.

Planners also raised concerns about safety with vehicles exiting and entering the road, stating cars reversing off or into Preston New Road would have a "severe and unacceptable detrimental impact on highway safety".

A report by planning officer Tom Wiggans highlights a similar application from the next-door property in 2001 was rejected and the decision was upheld on appeal.

The property's existing vehicle access from Irene Place (Image: Google) The report says: "The application property is a semi-detached property in a line of similar residential properties, fronting a busy classified road (A677 Preston New Road), with vehicular and pedestrian access presently available from Irene Place to the rear.

"There are formally marked and very well-used parking bays to the front of all the properties on this section of Preston New Road, which are used on a first-come first-served basis.

"This application seeks to create a new vehicular access onto Preston New Road at the front of the property.

"One objection was received saying this planning for vehicular access would make it even more difficult for residents to park at the front of their properties.

"The majority of properties on this length of Preston New Road have no front garden parking, and therefore there is an extensive parking bay marked in front of all the properties to provide on-street parking.

"The proposal fails to demonstrate vehicles could exit and enter the highway in a forward gear.

Vehicles parked in the on-street bays of Preston New Road - plus one parked illegally on double yellow lines (Image: Google)

"Vehicles reversing in or out of this property on such a busy road would have a severe and unacceptable detrimental impact on highway safety.

"There is an on-street parking bay directly in front of the proposed new access point.

"The Highways Authority would not support the loss of this section of parking bay, or allow the installation of a dropped kerb for the proposed new access point.

"In objecting to this proposal, the council’s highways consultee stated a new access here would not only result in the loss of one/two parking spaces directly in front of the property, but to achieve clear sightlines, the existing parking bays 43 metres to either side of the new access would also need to be displaced to achieve adequate visibility splays.

"This would result in the loss of approximately 17 existing on-street parking spaces, which are very well used by local residents.

"The proposal is therefore wholly unacceptable on highways grounds."