West Berkshire Council refuse planning application in Eling, Hermitage

West Berkshire Council refused an application for a Lawful Development Certificate on Friday.

Heather Boyle applied for an LDC in December to determine whether her annex at Eling Hill Cottage, Eling, Hermitage – which she confirmed has been rented out by a private tenant since October – is lawful for planning purposes.

Mrs Boyle purchased the property in 2002, when a separate annex was already in situ. She claimed the previous owner shared that the accommodation had been used since 1996.

But the local planning authority says the evidence submitted by the applicant is inprecise and fails to demonstrate that the upper level of the barn has been used continuously for a period of at least four years as an individual dwellinghouse or annex.

It has therefore decided not to issue a certificate.