'Too intensive' - Plan to turn Doncaster home into five flats is thrown out by councillors

Hugo Beardsall applied to turn 43 Auckland Road in Wheatley into four one bedroom flats and one two bedroom flat with six car parking spaces.

Residents lodged objections to the development and raised issues around

Planning officers received 21 formal letters of objection which included concerns around reduced living standards, lack of parking, litter, anti-social behaviour and litter concerns.But DMBC planning officer Andrea Suddes said the application ‘would not cause undue harm to neighbouring properties, heritage assets, the highway network or the wider character of the area’.

But councillors went against officer recommendations and knocked back the plan and raised concerns over the number of parking spaces, bin storage and impact on the Thorne Road conservation area and the 'intensive nature' of the development.

Mr Beardsall, who lives in the area, attempted to address resident's concerns and said the flats would be of a 'high quality' and were not homes of multiple occupancy as mentioned by objectors.

He also said tenants would be responsible for paying their own bills which is different to HMOs where rent and utilities are included.

The developer added £150,000 was set to spent renovating the derelict property and two flats would be sold and three would be rented out.

The application heard from Town ward Coun Dave Shaw who objected to the application and raised issues around car parking on the back of the property which is accessed through an alley lock gate.

South Yorkshire Police also commented on the application.

Eamonn Larkin, crime reduction officer at SYP, said: "Vehicle parking to the rear of the premises should be avoided at all costs.

"Parking areas not under surveillance from the owners or passers-by are at risk of attack."

Coun Jonathan Wood said: "If we were faced with a development which was three flats instead of five then this could be viewed in a different light.

"But we can only consider what we have in front of us and looking at this, this scheme is too intensive."

All councillors voted against the application.