Yahoo News Planning application for riverside Ryton holiday let rejected over highway safety
A split decision at Gateshead Council has refused permission for a new riverside holiday let in Ryton.
Councillors by a majority of 12 votes, with four in favour and one abstention, refused permission for Ryton’s Ferry House to be split, creating a holiday home. Council officers recommended the application be refused on highway safety grounds.
A decision on the proposals had been delayed until today to allow councillors to make a site visit.
A report compiled by council officers on the application stated: “Existing parking in this location is ad-hoc with no designated bays and there is no formal turning facility at the end of River Lane, however, the area proposed as parking currently acts as an informal turning area.
“Furthermore, River Lane is an adopted highway and forms part of a definitive public right of way. Therefore, officers consider that introducing additional vehicular movements and parking in the area shown on the proposed plans would be unacceptable for highway safety reasons.”
This comes despite documents from the applicant stating that parking provision is available elsewhere nearby, including the local golf club. In addition, the plans received support from Coun Chris Buckley who maintained a suitable parking plan could have been implemented.
Coun Lynne Caffrey, who abstained, said: “There are always cars parked up and down here but it's within half a mile of Ryton village, there are other pedestrian access points onto the Willows within probably 50m of this lane, there are the underpasses that go under the railway line, and there are two or three of them.
“We are always told on this committee that we can’t turn an application down with regards to parking, We've been told that time after time when we have queried issues around other developments, there is case law and appeals to support that.
“But we are turning this one down really on the grounds of parking, which I cannot get my head around. This is a public parking area that anyone can park in, there is parking in the village and public transport.
“It's a holiday let, and there are a lot of holiday lets where you haven't got dedicated parking outside or within the premises.”
