A PLANNED ‘minor’ amendment to a development of six new homes in Skipton has been turned down by Craven District Council.

Builders, Firth Developments, wanted to change one of two planned three bedroom dormer bungalows on the site of the former Rockwood House in Park Wood Close to a two storey, four bedroom house.

But, most of Craven District Council’s planning committee including its chairman rejected the advice of its planning manager to approve the application and instead refused to give it the go ahead because of its impact on neighbours.

Members heard objections from Skipton Town Council and residents of Park Wood Close. There were also 21 letters of objection with complaints ranging from it not being a minor change, loss of privacy, and it being a ‘circumvention of the planning system’.

Since 2018, there have been four applications for houses on the site, three have been refused by the council and one approved. There have also been two appeals, one of which, for four houses and two dormer bungalows, was allowed in April last year.

Skipton town councillor Tony Barrett, chairman of the town council’s planning Committee speaking at the online meeting claimed that the amendment was an attempt by the developer to return to an original, refused scheme.

“Surely, it cannot be argued that the inversion to the original is merely a minor amendment,” he said.

In a statement, Firth Developments said the proposed four bedroom house had been deemed acceptable by the planning inspector and that it was the same as had been included in the 2018 plan.

Firth went on to point out that persisting to object to a scheme that an inspector had deemed acceptable could result in a ‘substantive award’ against the authority.

Cllr Andy Brown said the fact that the town council and 21 people had objected to the amendment did not suggest it was only ‘minor’ and moved refusal, against officer recommendation. Six voted to refuse the application, and three against.