A GOVERNMENT inspector has dismissed a pair of appeals for up to two new luxury homes in the garden of Grade II listed Heron Court in The Bourne.

Searchfield Homes was recently granted planning permission by Waverley Borough Council to build a solitary four-bedroom house to the rear of the 17th century former hop store, sharing Heron Court’s existing access in Ford Lane.

However, the developer lodged appeals against Waverley’s refusal of two earlier schemes for one and two new homes, positioned on the same land but utilising a new access in Aveley Lane.

These have both been dismissed by an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State, who ruled the new homes would result in a “crowded and cramped feel” to the setting of Heron Court and echoed councillors’ criticism of the new access as having “a detrimental effect on the semi-rural character of the lane”.

It leaves Searchfield Homes with just one extant planning permission, for a solitary four-bedroom house accessed from Ford Lane as well as a rear extension and internal alterations to Heron Court itself.

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Construction of the new house will be restricted to between 8am and 6pm Monday to Fridays and between 8am and 1pm on Saturdays. No works shall take place on Sundays or bank holidays.