A cottage owner has had plans for two holiday chalets to be built on his land refused by the council.

Robert Garnett of Beacon Cottage, Commons Lane, Balderstone, wanted to build the chalets on land adjoining his cottage, seeing it as an opportunity to develop a holiday letting business to provide extra income, and to utilise a small area of land at his property.

The land is currently undeveloped, being coarse unseeded grassland, and an area to the east is informally surfaced with tarmac to form a hardstanding, with two buildings situated upon it.

A planning statement submitted with the application read: “The proposed development anticipates the erection of two “chalet type” detached holiday residences of single storey construction, with one living space/bedroom, a separate bathroom and an integral kitchen area.

“The chalets will be of timber construction with a corrugated metal sheet roof. The living space area will have bi-fold doors on the Southern aspect, opening onto a timber decking area with a hot tub for each chalet.

“The chalets will be accessed immediately from the metalled surface of Carr Lane and will have off road vehicle parking within the application site. Hedges will be planted along the sides of the properties to mitigate visual impact and to provide privacy for the occupants. Metal railings will separate the two properties and glass panelled railings to the Southern aspect will preserve the views of open countryside from the decking areas. The designated parking area at the site will allow for vehicle turning to avoid vehicles reversing onto Carr Lane.

“The market for holiday accommodation provision of the type proposed has significantly grown during recent years, as a consequence of the restrictions upon foreign travel, the desire for “staycation” type holidays, and the popularity of weekend or “mini breaks” in secluded areas of the countryside, where guests seek to holiday in quiet locations in accommodation sympathetic to its surroundings.

“The small scale of the proposals also accords with the constraints of affordability, where larger and more expensive holiday rental properties are rendered unavailable to couples and retirees due to cost. Small single bedroom units such as those proposed within the application are considered to be more accessible by such users and are more suited to weekend breaks and short stays, and the popularity of such facilities continues to rise.”

However, Ribble Valley Council refused the application despite six similar schemes existing nearby, including camping pods at Moorgate Farm in Dinckley and holiday lodges at Primrose Hill in Mellor.

A decision notice from the council read: “The location of the development remote from the nearest settlement and bus stops would result in two new build units in an unsustainable location reliant on private motor vehicles to access adequate services and facilities.

“The proposal would result in an intensification of the access onto Commons Lane which lacks adequate visibility and an intensification of the access track (Carr Lane) which lacks adequate width and passing places. As such neither the access nor access track are deemed safe and suitable for the proposed development to the detriment of highway safety.

“The proposed design and layout of the holiday units would result in incongruous form of development in this rural location due to their modern design and materials, linear layout and minimal landscaping to the detriment of visual amenity.”

The application was refused on March 29.