EXMOOR planners will take a second look on Tuesday (July 2) at controversial proposals to rebuild a derelict wooden bungalow on the South West Coastal Path near Porlock.
Architect Ivo Carew wants to knock down Hurlstone Bungalow, Bossington, and replace it with a larger, eco-bungalow.
National park authority members had already voted once to approve the scheme in March, going against the recommendation of planning officer Joe White.
But the decision was later quashed by the High Court when the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) brought a Judicial Review, arguing it was unlawful because the authority had not fully taken into account its own planning policies.
Now, the authority’s planning committee will reconsider Mr Carew’s application on Tuesday afternoon, with Mr White continuing to recommend refusal.
Mr White said the bungalow dated to the 1920s and was in a relatively poor state of repair and appeared to have last been occupied in 2016.
The proposed replacement would have a larger footprint and be built with timber clad walls and reclaimed clay roof tiles with integrated solar panels.
Mr White said opposition to the plans had been expressed by the South West Coast Path Association, which was dedicated to ensuring the path benefited from the best possible environment ‘as befits a route of national importance’.
The National Trust expressed ‘significant concern’ over the scale and design of the new building and its wider landscape and visual impact.
The CPRE said it was ‘over-scaled’ and would change the tranquil and undeveloped character and appearance of the location.
A spokesperson said: “In our view, the best solution would be repair and renovation, given that it appears now to be accepted the site was not abandoned.”
Selworthy and Minehead Without parish councillors were unable to reach a consensus on their views about the application and passed it back to the park authority to consider.
Parish clerk Jackie Fry said: “This planning application is, as you will appreciate, complex and highly contentious within our community.”
The Exmoor Society said it would negatively impact on the landscape, particularly in daylight when viewed from Bossington Beach and public footpaths around Bossington Hill, and there would be extra light pollution in a remote part of the Exmoor Dark Skies Reserve.
The society said mitigating visibility by increasing frontal hedge height and thickness should be a requirement.
Exmoor Natural History Society objected because of damage and disturbance to wildlife and habitats in a ‘special tranquil area’.
Natural England, however, raised no objection and felt the development would not have significant adverse impacts on statutorily protected nature conservation sites.
Mr White said 29 letters of objection and one signed by 58 households in the Selworthy and Minehead Without and Porlock parishes were received initially, and later a letter from 62 households.
There were six supportive letters, including from Exmoor Young Voices.
Mr White said a re-consultation resulted in 43 letters of objection and one signed by 93 houses, and another letter signed by 100 households.