Rose and Primrose cottages in Havelet. (0558626)

SOUNDTRACK owner Barry Dodd has failed in his appeal against an Environment Department decision to reject his application to convert two cottages into one.

He had made the application and subsequent appeal retrospectively so is now faced with the prospect of having to reverse the conversion.

Mr Dodd’s case was the first planning appeal heard by a tribunal under the new planning law.

He had claimed the two cottages on their own offered substandard living conditions, but the tribunal dismissed that as it threw out his appeal.

‘The overall finding of the tribunal is that, with the exception of the chronically small kitchen of Rose Cottage, the two dwellings could not be regarded as substandard,’ tribunal presiding member Stuart Fell said.

‘Given the stated objectives of the Rural Area Plan to protect the existing housing stock and to support proposals to upgrade substandard accommodation, the tribunal concludes there is a reasonable prospect for planning permission being granted for an enlarged kitchen at Rose Cottage, as this would fulfil those objectives.’

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