Homes plan for Walkford gardens on Avenue Road thrown out again

A SCHEME to demolish a Walkford house for three new homes which attracted a flood of objections has been thrown out by planners.

The application, the latest in a series of proposals for the site, was to demolish 22 Avenue Road and build one replacement plus two new bungalows also using gardens behind 18, 20 and 24 Avenue Road.

Objections were received from 50 local residents of Avenue, Chewton Farm and Seaview roads.

In addition BCP’s tree expert had opposed the scheme because of the threat to a Monterey pine next to the site that was the subject of a tree preservation order and “makes a positive contribution to the area's verdant character and sylvan cover within the local landscape.”

The planners were told it was a new application following a dismissed appeal. This application had changed the layout and reduced the number of proposed dwellings on the site by one.

The main gripe by planners was that the proposals would “result in an incongruous compact addition to this backland location, which would appear cramped within the rear gardens of 18-24 Avenue Road and out of keeping with the established more spacious character of development of Avenue Road”.

Highcliffe & Walkford Parish Council also objected on the basis of overdevelopment, removal of a green area, increasing density of housing and changes to the appearance of the area.