'Crazy' policy hurts small home owners (From Gazette Series)

'Crazy' policy hurts small home owners

THE OWNER of a property at the centre of a controversial planning decision has this week described the refusal to allow him to extend his home as "crazy".

Steve Ellis, of Beyon Close, applied to Stroud District Council for permission to extend his two-bedroom property with another bedroom.

As reported last week, the application was refused on the grounds it was contrary to council planning policy, which seeks to retain affordable housing.

But Mr Ellis said he believes the policy is unfair.

"I see this as discrimination," said Mr Ellis. "The policy prevents the expansion of houses that are smaller than 250 cubic metres.

"I can understand that the policy is designed to stop developers buying a small house, extending it and selling it on. But it needs to distinguish between a developer an ordinary home-owner who just needs more space."

Mr Ellis, who is appealing against the decision, said he cannot afford to buy a three-bedroom property of the same standard as his current home.

"I do not have £25-30,000 to spend on a larger house but do need the space," he said.

Mr Ellis also claims 'affordable' is impossible to define.

"It is crazy that a size limit is used to define affordable," he said. "There are four-bedroom properties in Dursley for sale at £90,000. To me this figure is affordable yet because of the size of the property it would be allowed to be extended.

"But a smaller property, worth £130,000, would not be as it is deemed affordable because it measures less than 250 cubic metres."

"Something needs to be done so that ordinary people are not penalised by a blanket policy."

District council planning strategy manager Pete Gilbert said the council realised the policy, which was introduced in the draft local plan, would be controversial.

He added that affordability is calculated on the basis of the prices of houses in an area and the average wage, as well as the size of property.

"The policy does have exception clauses relating to affordability issues and we do recognise that some smaller properties in larger grounds would already be worth a lot of money. If someone is living in a small house with a small garden they are likely to fall into the affordability bracket."