Wellesbourne house will be demolished and replaced with building twice its size

A detached house in Wellesboune is to be knocked down and replaced with one more than twice its size.

Members of Stratford District Council’s planning committee voted unanimously to grant planning permission for the scheme at their meeting this week even though the parish council objected on the grounds that it would be an overdevelopment of the site.

The property replacing The Beeches, in Chapel Street, will be a self-build two-storey house incorporating a garage and pool.

Cllr Anne Prior, from Wellesbourne and Walton Parish Council, told the meeting: “It is going from 215 sq m to 478 sq m - that is the doubling of the size and the council considers that this is an overdevelopment of the site.

"It is in the conservation area and while it is secluded and a little down the access track, it will impact upon the character of the local area.”

She added that the area around Chapel Street was subject to flooding from the nearby River Dene and with more of the plot being used for the building there were concerns that this would increase the risk.

But planning officer Paul Thompson disagreed and his report to councillors outlined why the replacement home could actually improve the situation.

He said: “Rather than allowing ‘less water absorption from rainfall and [increasing] flood risk to existing buildings’, I consider that raising finished floor levels and implementing sustainable drainage systems, in particular, will decrease the risk of flooding both on and around the site.”

He added that while the new building would be more than double the size of the existing property, it would still cover less than a fifth of the site so would not, in his view, be an overdevelopment.

Members of the committee were told that there had been no objections from neighbours with three sending in letters of support.

Cllr Neil Edden (Lib Dem, Studley with Sambourne) said: “It’s on a very generous plot and it does seem that the proposal is well screened.

"I will propose that we go with the officer’s recommendation.”

Cllr Chris Mills added: “It does look and sound like a very nice house with all the green credentials with it.”