Granny annexe opposed by councillor over precedent risk

A COUPLE’S plans to build a granny annexe in their garden have been criticised by a former mayor of Henley.

Patrick and Susie Duguid, of Makins Road, have applied for planning permission for a prefabricated timber building with a kitchen/living area, bedroom and shower room.

But Councillor Ken Arlett said if the proposal was approved it could “open the floodgates” to similar applications.

The couple’s application to South Oxfordshire District Council, the planning authority, includes a statement from their consultants NAPC.

This says: “The proposed annexe will be for the applicant’s mother who, due to advancing age and poor health, requires the support and care of her family.

“The annexe will provide the balance of independence while still having the care of the family on hand.

“It is intended that the occupants will be regularly preparing and eating meals in the main dwelling, watching television/relaxing, socialising with the family and using existing housing facilities. There will be no separate address, post box, utility meters, services, parking, garden area or access.

“This proposal is for an ancillary granny annexe that will be located within an existing residential curtilage and will be heavily dependent on the host dwelling.

“The proposal does not represent a separate dwelling and could not operate as such given the undesirable site constraints and reliance on the host dwelling.”

Speaking at a meeting of Henley Town Council’s planning committee, Cllr Arlett said he had a “major issue” with the application as he feared the annexe would become a permanent structure and encourage other householders to copy the Duguids.

He said: “As far as I am aware, one of these applications has not come before us before. To suggest that this building is going to go in the back garden for someone’s mother, I totally understand that, but it’s a four-bedroom house. I would have thought they could find a bedroom in the house.”

Cllr Arlett said the council could stipulate that the building remained for a year or “until the poor soul passes on” but he feared it would stay there in perpetuity.

He added: “You are going to open the floodgates if you support this application. I’m definitely a non-supporter of this one.”

Mrs Duguid told the Henley Standard: “My mother is 96 next month and we come from a very long-lived family but I would say the annexe would not be permanent.

“We do have a four-bedroom house but she is registered blind and lived in a bungalow. She can’t do stairs at all and she is fiercely independent, which is why she can’t live with us.

“When we bought the house in October the house already had planning permission for a dual-storey extension at the side but we don’t want it because we don’t need the room.”

The committee voted by four votes to three to support the application. The district council is due to make a decision by May 3.