A HOMEOWNER who extended her garden and only learned she needed planning permission after putting the property on the market has gained the required approval.
It has been intended to use the shrub land next to the house for an extension but those plans were turned down in 2022.
Homeowner Katie Wiltshire however then decided to use the land beside her two-bedroom home at Snowdon Court in Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran, which she’d purchased from the Bron Afon housing association, as an extension to her garden.
She’s also put up a 1.8 metre high wooden fence on the land but only discovered when she tried to sell the house planning permission was required.
Torfaen Borough Council has now approved a retrospective application from Ms Wiltshire for the change of use of the land and to keep the fence after the surprise discovery it lacked planning permission prompted her to contact the council.
She said in her application to the planning department: “I have moved to a bigger house and am in the process of selling this house but it has come to light that the use isn’t stated as garden, so is now holding up the sale. The land purchased was shrubbery and not open access. We removed the shrubbery and fenced it off.”
Planning officer Tom Braithwaite said the previous application was only rejected as the extension was considered “visually unacceptable” but there was no visual harm, or conflict with any planning policy, in extending the garden.
His report approved the application, which hadn’t received any objections, and said there would be no “adverse impact” on neighbours.
Ms Wiltshire will be required to provide details of biodiversity enhancements, which could be a bird box or a similar object, within three months of the permission and install them within three months of the details being approved.
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