NEIGHBOURS living in “damp and uninhabitable” conditions have finally been told they can knock down their derelict homes and replace them with new ones.

The semi-detached cottages at one and two Moor Lane in Tockington will now be demolished and replaced with two detached houses.

The plans, which would see the footprint of the buildings on the site increase by 42 per cent, had already been turned down earlier this year by South Gloucestershire Council because of strict policy relating to development on greenbelt land.

This decision was later upheld on appeal but the neighbours re-submitted a slightly altered application in March which was finally approved last week.

Members of the council’s development control committee went against the officer recommendation and granted permission for the two families to build new homes for themselves.

A condition report on the properties produced by property surveyor, DesignForLiving Architects Limited, described them as being in a poor condition.

It added: “Both properties are suffering from damp problems, with 1 Moor Lane being particularly affected to a level that we would consider unhealthy and uninhabitable.”

However policy relating to building on greenbelt land stated that replacing older buildings was allowed but that they could not be materially larger than the ones they are replacing.

And officers said building two detached dwellings of greater width, height and depth than the original building would be an infringement on that policy.

Councillors who had visited the properties during a site visit earlier this year agreed that the homes would become “uninhabitable very soon”.

Cllr Keith Burchell said he personally did not think the proposed new homes were materially larger, and Cllr Brian Hopkinson added: “If the houses are sub-standard then I don’t really see what the problem is.”

But Cllr Pat Hockey argued for refusal stating that it was not a case of “condemning people to live in substandard accommodation but about whether the replacement dwellings will have an adverse impact on the greenbelt”.

“I think we are in danger that people will buy a little house in the greenbelt and then try and turn it into a mansion.”

The new homes will have the same number of bedrooms but the overall footprint of the two new detached houses will be larger.

The proposals also include the demolition of the barn on the site which will be replaced with a garage.