Family criticise 'blown out of proportion' planning process

A family has been granted approval to build a controversial extension on their home, saying objections were ‘blown out of proportion’.
Creswick Lane, GrenosideCreswick Lane, Grenoside
Creswick Lane, Grenoside

Paul Hargreaves, a primary school teacher, and his wife Marianna, a manager at the NHS, have two young children and moved into their house on Creswick Lane, Grenoside, in September last year.

They applied to Sheffield Council to put up an extension but were met with several objections, including three from local councillors.

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Mr Hargreaves said: “We just wanted some more space to spend time as a family.

“We looked at the street scene and saw that many houses had a combination of what we proposed to do so we didn’t think it would be a problem.”

Concerns raised in 14 letters of opposition were mostly related to the risk of blocking neighbouring properties’ light and matching the appearance of the rest of the street.

But after some investigation, planning officers deemed the size of the extension ‘suitable’.

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Approval was granted at a planning and highways meeting where Mr Hargreaves criticised the council for a ‘disappointing’ process. 

“Myself and Marianna have been quite disappointed with the whole planning process. It’s about five months passed when a decision should have been made. It’s resulted in a lot of stress and anxiety.

“I think a lot of it has been blown out of proportion and created a lot of misunderstanding.”

To read the application in full, go to http://democracy.sheffield.gov.uk/documents/s35104/18-04123-FUL%2020%20Creswick%20Lane.pdf

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