House plan for derelict Belthorn countryside site refused

The plans would have seen a new self-build property replace a dilapidated concrete structure at the bend in Tower View, Belthorn, overlooking moorland and Tinker’s Brook.

However, Hyndburn Council has blocked the plans, stating replacing the eyesore site with a modern home was 'inappropriate' and 'harmed the area's appearance'.

An officer’s report said: “Development within rural areas should be limited to that supporting farm diversification and promoting leisure and recreational facilities.

The site is littered with concrete and rubbish (Image: Hyndburn Council) “In the area of Belthorn new development is limited to that required to meet specific local needs that satisfy the requirements of rural policies.

“No information regarding specific local needs for new residential development has been submitted with the application. As such, it is considered that new residential development in this isolated location would not be suitable.

“The proposals would not meet any of the exceptions, being a dwelling of a modern design that would not significantly enhance the immediate area.

“The design of the proposed dwelling is of a modern aesthetic which would not appear in keeping with the character of the countryside area, thus generating harm to the countryside.”

Planners also said the garden was too big.

This eyesore mess is preferred to a modern home, Hyndburn Council's planning team decided (Image: Hyndburn Council) The existing eyesore site contains 400 square metres of concrete paving and a building covering 70 sqm, which has fallen into disrepair and is littered with wood, building materials and other rubbish.

The plans, submitted by Chapeltown's Stephen Charnock, stated: “The site is a previously developed site, that has through the years become a derelict site.

“It can only benefit from being re-used to improve the look and status of the site in a way that will be feasible to the applicant and preferable to the overall view of the Belthorn village.”

It also said the plans met the requirements of countryside development by not increasing the number of structures on the site.

How the home could have looked (Image: Hyndburn Council) The plans added: “The site is a suitable brownfield site with an opportunity to develop a derelict site.

“It will also promote the development that will help meet the identified need for detached houses in the borough.”

The house would have been two storeys, with three bedrooms, a pool in the basement, off-street parking and a garden, with concrete on the site removed, and the design in-keeping with the area, and a focus on energy and water efficiency.

The plans were refused for “not being of traditional aesthetic which would not enhance the appearance of the area”,  and for being “inappropriate” in the countryside with “no evidence of needs in Belthorn which would outweigh the harm”.