TWO planning appeals for the controversial development of a property on Haslemere's Hill Road have been rejected by the Planning Inspectorate. Public feeling has been running high since plans to turn Glengariff into five plush apartments were announced last December by developer Premier Properties. After Waverley Borough Council initially threw out proposals to demolish the existing property, Premier Properties launched two appeals; one was lodged in July, after the application was rejected in June, and another for WBC's failure to respond within the prescribed period. However, the Planning Inspectorate dismissed both appeals, on grounds of visual impact and the effect on neighbouring properties. In a strongly worded report, inspector Sara Morgan described designs for the roof as "overly bulky", "awkward and incongruous". "All of these features would make the building stand out as an alien feature in the street scene," she said. Describing the surrounding area as attractive, she continued that the plans "would also detract from the street scene, harming the visual character and distinctiveness of the locality and making a negative contribution to the area. "The building's design and massing would not harmonise with its surroundings," she surmised. For James Rapp, a resident of Hill Road and one of 36 objectors to the scheme, the result was welcome news. "Locals are delighted that the inspector agreed with both us and Waverley that the plans were not in keeping with the area. "Like us, the inspector reckons that the building has got too much mass, and it looks inappropriate for the area, as the property is a corner plot. "In our opinion it has too much mass, particularly in the roof. It's bulky and stands out – current plans see the roof standing out a metre higher than our house and a metre and a half higher than the other neighbouring house. Of course, it's on a corner so it sticks out more." With planning permission initially granted for four flats, residents were dismayed when that became five. They are, however, remaining both realistic and pragmatic. "We started off not wanting it to change from a single house, but that's history now as planning approval was granted," explained Mr Rapp. "So, we are trying to make the best of what we have, and look forward to seeing the next set of plans that are more in keeping with the local area. "The developer has a challenge," he added. But with outline prices advertised in the Herald in June at £395,000 for a two bedroom flat, locals are also concerned that the number of flats within Haslemere could reach saturation point. And Mr Rapp described another sticking point for residents. "In all fairness, Premier Properties have never claimed that they are putting up keyworker or affordable housing, which is why so many locals are annoyed. This is a commercial development, clearly trying to maximise return for a plot on a corner. "But at the moment, we are so grateful to the Inspector that she agreed that the current design was inappropriate." Fiona Davidson, planning manager of Premier Properties spoke of the company's disappointment at the decision. "The site already has the benefit of outline planning consent, and we thought we were submitting an application in line with that planning consent. But the Inspector obviously thought otherwise. "We are at the moment, trying to come up with another scheme which will be submitted to the local authority, and we are also talking to local residents prior to submitting," she said.