THE latest plans in a long-running battle to keep a Colden Common outbuilding for use as an office and games rooms have been refused.

It follows a string of refusals and appeals for proposals at Brown Eaves, 170 Main Road.

The latest planning application sought ‘Lawful Development Certificate’ for the outbuilding to be “used as [a] office, tv room, games room, home gym, etc”.

The plans, lodged by occupant June Ratcliffe, stated: “The outbuilding complies with the GPDO (General Permitted Development Order)... Its use is ancillary to the main dwelling and does not include bathing or cooking facilities and therefore cannot be used for accommodation.

“Therefore, a Lawful Development Certificate should be issued to prevent future enforcement action regarding this building.”

As previously reported, an appeal had been launched last year to keep the outbuilding as accommodation while works were carried out.

That followed a planning inspector overturning a decision by Winchester city councillors to reject a redevelopment at the property.

However, on this occasion a planning inspector threw out the appeal, saying it was “tantamount to a new dwelling”.

The saga started with planning applications to redevelop the property and retain the building for temporary accommodation both being rejected by a planning committee in 2017, following a number of objections.

Councillors had feared that, following a number of planning applications in recent years, the house would continue to grow in size.

Councillors also raised concerns that the ancillary building in the property’s back garden would become permanent accommodation due to its design.

City council interim head of legal services Lisa Hall wrote in the latest refusal: “The outbuilding has been deemed by the local planning authority to require planning consent and as a result cannot benefit from permitted development rights.”

She also cited some of the reasons previously raised in refusing plans for the property.