A homeowner has split councillors over whether to accept revised plans for a garage conversion that was being used as a business.
Gordon Wake was forced to apply for retrospective planning permission for his garage conversion after it was discovered he was using it as a base for his Domiciliary care company.
Councillors raised concerns over the home being used as a headquarters for a company on what was described as a "quiet cul-de-sac" and were divided on whether to approve the retrospective application.
What were the plans for the garage conversion?
Mr Wake sought to convert an unused garage into a spare room in his house to be used as an office space.
Initially the plans were to be just for habitable purposes before the plans were altered due to COVID-19 struck and Mr Wake used it as a base for his company ‘Severn Sunrise Homecare Ltd’, a Domiciliary care company.
Mr Wake then sought retrospective planning permission to change the use of the white uPVC garage conversion to be used for an office on a temporary basis before then being used as a spare bedroom for himself as he claimed he was suffering mobility issues.
Why was planning permission needed?
Planning permission for garage conversions is not normally needed as long as the work is internal and it does not enlarge the property.
In certain cases, properties may have lost their permitted development rights for garage conversions if you reside in a new housing development or a conservation area, but none of these applied in this situation.
However, as there was a business being operated out of the garage that resulted in an increase in traffic and a disruption was deemed to have been caused to neighbours planning permission was required.
Council raise concerns over parking
Some councillors for Gloucester City Council criticised the application stating using the conversion for an office was inappropriate.
Councillor Andy Lewis highlighted the issues around parking at the property as the company had 27 employees who would take up parking spaces around the property. He added: “It is quite a busy office. It is a quiet cul-de-sac. It shouldn’t have a business there, end of story.”
Quedgeley Town Councillors also stated: "The application is for a conversion of the integral garage into habitable room, but it is clear a business is being operated from this dwelling. This in turn creates serious parking issues, which has blocked pavements and created access issues for pedestrians and neighbours.
"The conversion has not been constructed in accordance with the original planning permission and must be corrected. The application indicates, the room will be used in future as a living space due to a disability, if this is the case the improvements should have been made in line with the DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) regulations which is not evident in this application."
Letter from Mr Wake persuades councillors
Mr Wake responded to these concerns by councillors with a letter saying he had been running his company from the home for four years with no complaints from neighbours.
He explained the company offered "social, palliative and end of life care to the elderly in our immediate area".
He also explained the company has 21 workers, 20 of whom were remote workers and their daughter who works from the converted garage.
He added: "We allow our staff to visit our property, Monday – Friday: 0900 – 1700hrs and only by appointment due to Covid restrictions and to be considerate of our neighbours. The reason staff need to come to the property is for updating the training required to do their jobs and pick up PPE, again that they need to do their jobs, as required by Gloucester County Council and CQC.
"In the future it will become a bedroom, due to a near fatal accident I had some years ago, which resulted in the reconstruction of my legs - as I have gotten older my mobility has deteriorated to the point where at some time I will no longer be able to use stairs."
Councillors approved the application, six members to five.
