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Search the Public Notice PortalA 'granny annexe' in a West Pennine moorland village can continue to be used as a holiday cottage/Airbnb despite neighbour concerns over traffic and highway safety.
Kerry Wray has been granted backdated planning permission to change the use of the single-storey building at Wood Head House in Belthorn.
Originally approved in 2020, it was intended to provide accommodation for her mother but due to delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the construction was not completed in time for feasible independent living.
It has since been used as a holiday let without planning permission.
Now Blackburn with Darwen Council has approved the new use despite neighbour objections over increased traffic and "excessive speed and anti-social driving by guests".
Access to the property is by an unfenced single-track road with no passing places, and a nearby farmer told the authority that guests are forcing residents off the road onto the field to pass, causing damage which is exacerbated in spring/summer months when cattle and young are in the field as they have open access to the road.
A planning officer's report recommending approval with three conditions, including that the building cannot become a permanent residence, said: "The application relates to an existing building sited in the curtilage of Wood Head House, Belthorn.
"The proposal building was approved as a granny annexe for the purpose of providing living space for a family member.
"Planning permission is sought for a change of use of the granny annexe to holiday accommodation.
"The use of the building as a ‘holiday let’ has already commenced, and therefore the application is retrospective.
"The size of the holiday accommodation would preclude large groups of people staying, and thus a limited number of cars would be at the property at any one time.
"The proposed conversion will not harm the openness of the Green Belt.
"A supporting statement accompanies the application which sets out amongst other purposes the building has been retrospectively used as a holiday let for individuals/couples on walking holiday and visitors staying for leisure reasons.
"The site location is within ‘The West Pennine Moors’ where tourism policy highlights ‘uses associated with the recreational use of the Moors’.
"The public objections relate, in part, to traffic impacts.
"The anticipated traffic associated with a single holiday let comprising of two bedrooms is not considered to be that dissimilar than that caused by use of the building as a granny annexe."
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