WARRINGTON Borough Council has refused another planning application due to the impact on the Green Belt.

A resident applied for council permission in November to construct an outbuilding associated with their home, off Winwick Lane in Croft.

The council decided yesterday, Wednesday, that the application was inappropriate, and has therefore thrown out the plans.

According to the officer's decision notice: "The proposal represents the construction of a new building within the Green Belt which does not meet any of the exceptions allowed under paragraph 149 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021).

"The proposal is therefore deemed to constitute inappropriate development which, by definition, is harmful to the openness of the Green Belt."

As per the council's planning portal, revised plans for the outbuilding were sent to the council in December 2022, though these were not acceptable to town hall planners.

The documents submitted to the council highlight that the proposed outbuilding would have included a double garage, workshop, garden room and storage on the ground floor along with gym and office space on the first floor.

It was stated in the planning documents that there was previously a building on the land in question - this building was demolished, and the proposed outbuilding would have taken its place.

Warrington Guardian: A disused building stood on the land in question, though it has since been demolished, leaving the space vacantA disused building stood on the land in question, though it has since been demolished, leaving the space vacant (Image: Warrington Borough Council)

This means that the plan would not take up more Green Belt land than had been taken up in the past by the previous disused building.

The documents also state that the applicant is the sole landowner of this property.

A further explanation was provided in the council's decision notice, which reads: "The proposal would not improve the economic, social and environmental conditions of the area nor does it comply with the development plan and therefore does not comprise sustainable development.

"No amendments to the scheme were proposed and there are no conditions which could reasonably have been imposed which could have made the development acceptable, and it was therefore not possible to approve the application."