West Berkshire Council planners refuse East Garston home workshop bid

PLANS to create a garage, workshop and home office at a village property have been rejected.

The application was for permission to demolish an existing, detached garage to make way for a combined garage workshop with a home office above at The Sheiling in School Lane, East Garston.

East Garston Parish Council offered no formal objection but did recommend that, if approved, "a condition should be added that this not be converted to a residential property in the future".

A planning officer's report stated: "The scale of the garage/workshop/office is such that it is considered to dominate the low set bungalow with an overall height only 0.02m lower than the chimney of the host dwelling.

"It is considered it will have an adverse impact on the setting of the bungalow which will harm the character of the host dwelling."

It added: "The size and bulk of the proposed building is such that it will dominate the existing dwelling and will have an unacceptable detrimental impact on the setting of the site and is situated within and will somewhat detract from the setting of the adjacent conservation area.

"The size of the proposed garage would create a bulky and conspicuous addition to the boundary facing the local highway from which there are several public viewpoints."