Artist fights to save garden cabin after planning permission refused
A dream escape on the Isle of Wight has turned into a nightmare
A campaign to save a garden cabin on the Isle of Wight has gathered more than 300 supporters after it was refused planning permission.
What artist Jillian Lee hoped would be a dream escape at her Spring Hill home in Ventnor has since turned into a nightmare.
She may be forced to take down the cabin that took over two years to build.
A retrospective planning application was submitted to the Isle of Wight Council last year to keep the cabin after it was mistakenly thought the work could be done under permitted development rights.
However, due to a condition set by the council when the former Lynfi Hotel was split into two homes, permitted rights were revoked — a fact Jillian says she was not made aware of.
Documents with the retrospective application said Jillian had gone to considerable lengths to ensure the building integrated into its surroundings, using local tradespeople, and, where she could, vintage, reclaimed material from the area.
Jillian researched the site and found the hotel had an outbuilding as late as 2008 and she built the cabin on its footprint.
The point of the cabin, Jillian said, was to create an art studio in a peaceful environment as an escape, not for use as a B and B.
The planning documents argue there was a trend of residents building outbuildings on the hillside of Ventnor, with several in the Spring Hill area.
Officers acknowledged the ‘significant efforts’ made to mitigate the cabin’s impact, through painting the structure to blend in, the installation of a green living roof and the planting scheme.
However, they concluded it was still a noticeable structure in an elevated position that appears ‘incongruous, imposing and harmful’ within the wider Spring Hill street scene and refused the retention of the cabin on the basis it failed to preserve or enhance the character, context and appearance of the conservation area.
Officers were, however, satisfied it would not result in unacceptable levels of harm to neighbouring properties.
Jillian has said she will be appealing the council’s decision to the Planning Inspectorate and is gathering local support to help her case, but the ordeal has made her ill and she has ‘genuinely thought about moving’.