A COLWYN Bay homeowner was granted permission to demolish a dilapidated bungalow and build two new homes in its place, despite complaints from neighbours.
Mumtaz Saleem Ahmed Rana applied to Conwy Council’s planning department seeking permission to knock down her dilapidated bungalow on Pen y Bryn Road.
Mrs Rana sought permission to erect two detached dwellings in place of the bungalow, and planning officers advised members of the council’s planning committee to grant the application.
But neighbours living on the road objected to the plans, with several writing letters to the council to complain.
Mrs Rana said she was not a property developer and wanted to either build a new home for her daughter or raise funds to invest into her menswear business in Colwyn Bay.
Mrs Rana had lived at her home since 2004.
Speaking at the meeting at Bodlondeb, she said: “The bungalow has almost an acre of garden, but it is not usable due to the steep slope, and this is very difficult to maintain.
“I have been thinking about building a new family home whilst using some of the far side to provide an additional home.
“My daughter has recently got married, and I feel the land could be far better used to provide her with a home or release some capital to help develop my menswear business or provide a home for another family.
“In the 20 years that I have lived in Colwyn Bay, I know the town has great potential and there is a real need for good quality family homes.
“But there are few places to build in without either demolishing lovely old Victorian houses and replacing them with apartments or building on green fields.
“The benefits of using my land is that a new home can be positioned at the rear so it will not be visible from the road.
“Replacing the present dilapidated bungalow with a new home will improve Pen y Bryn Road, and recently the council has allowed high-quality new homes at number 60 and 45 Pen y Bryn Road.”
But several neighbours objected to the plans.
B. Hughes wrote to Conwy in objection, claiming that the garden boundary was unclear and arguing that the planning application shouldn’t be considered.
Mr and Mrs Hill also wrote to the council to dispute the garden boundary.
Ms Ronalda White also said: “Pen y Bryn Road is a narrow, unadopted road for which the residents, in this section of the road, pay for the upkeep.
Only a few years ago we each paid out quite a large sum to have it properly resurfaced, and any new builds only make more patches and repairs more likely.”
B. Owens said the new homes would result in a loss of privacy.
Beverly Barnes wrote: “It would be completely out of character to allow two properties to be built on the plot.”
But Mrs Rana said she was aware of the complaints and attempted to reassure her neighbours.
She said: “I’m fully aware that this application has generated a lot of opposition from some of my neighbours.
“I want to reassure all my neighbours that I have listened to their concerns.
“My architect has carefully designed the two houses so not to overlook my neighbours’ properties.
“I am saddened by the content of some of the neighbours’ letters that have been published online, which allege I have done illegal, unauthorised work to my property, and one even suggests that I had dumped contaminated soil in the front garden.”
She added she would put measures in place to minimise the disruption of her neighbours during construction and said there’d be no damage to their amenity.
Cllr Chris Cater said: “I’d like to support the officers’ recommendation that we approve this.
“We did a very informative site visit up there, and there is plenty of room behind the present bungalow, and I didn’t really have any concerns about the design of the two buildings.
“The slope will be difficult for the contractor, but that’s up to the contractors to be able to sort that out.”
Cllr Alan Hunter seconded the proposal.
“I couldn’t see any serious concerns, or any concerns actually,” he said.
