Salterforth holiday cottage plans thrown out (From Craven Herald)

Salterforth holiday cottage plans thrown out

10:00am Sunday 12th August 2012 in News

Plans to build a pair of holiday cottages at Salterforth have been thrown out on appeal.

Despite a 120-name petition in support of the cottages, planned for Bashfield Farm, Kelbrook Road, a government inspector agreed with Pendle Borough Council and concluded they would harm the character and appearance of the area.

Inspector Gary Deane said he had taken into account the farmer’s concerns that the farm might become unviable without income from the cottages.

But he said there was little evidence to support that.

“A petition containing over 120 signatories is testimony to the considerable public support for the proposal, but while I have given careful consideration to this support, it does not outweigh the harm I have identified,” he said.

The cottages would have been built on land within a field close to the existing farmhouse at Bashfield Farm.

Mr Deane said although effort had been taken to ensure the cottages would be modest in scale, traditional in appearance and sited close to sloping ground, the development would introduce “substantial bulk” into an area currently free of development.

He said the development would also be visible from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and Kelbrook Road.

“When viewed from the canal in particular, the appeal scheme would be a prominent and intrusive form of development in an area where this should generally be restricted,” he said.