Controversial granny flat approved

A move to convert an old gym at a former mansion into a ‘granny flat’ has been allowed to go ahead at the fifth time of asking.

Malvern Hills District Council has turned down a plan to convert a former gym at Aymestrey Court off Bromyard Road in Crown East near Worcester into an ‘annexe’ on three occasions in the last three years.

The controversial plan has been scrutinised by government planning inspectors twice and despite the watchdog backing the council two years ago, it has now said the work can go ahead.

Following talks, a decision to scrap the kitchen in the ‘annexe’ was pivotal in government inspectors deciding the building would not be used as a new home.

Planning inspector Lewis Condé said that if any changes were made to the ‘annexe’ and it is was not built as described, a new application would have to be made and the council would be allowed to step in.

The proposal was met with opposition from other residents in Aymestrey Court when it was put forward in 2020.

Residents said there was no need to convert the building into a new home with space available in the main building and they could not understand why it was called an annexe when it was 70 metres away.

The proposal was rejected by council planning officers who said the size and location of the building meant it would be a new home rather than the ‘annexe’ as described.

The council first refused a plan to convert the gym into a ‘residential dwelling’ in 2020.

The plan was then put back on the table again a year later only for the council to turn it down for a second time.

The decision was referred to the government’s planning inspector, which has the power to overrule the council, but the appeal was thrown out.

The move to build a ‘granny flat’ was put forward again last year only for the council to reject it again.

The third rejection by the council was again referred to the government’s planning inspector who this time backed the application and overruled the council in allowing the work to be carried out.