Permission has been refused by Dorset Council for the redevelopment of the site of Larksmead House in Salisbury Road with nine homes in place of the property, built over a hundred years ago at the turn of the last century, which would have been demolished.

The application by Lawsh One Ltd of Wimborne was opposed by Blandford Town Council and a number of local residents.

Case officer Ian Cousins in his report said that regardless of the principle of development within the town being accepted, it was considered that the proposal was not, due to overdevelopment, excessive hard landscaping, impact on protected trees, and lack of biodiversity information.

He said the site formed part of a street scene of mainly well- established, low-density residential development interspersed with a mix of mature vegetation. More recent development to the south and east is built-out at a higher density than the dwellings on Salisbury Road, but were still considered to respect the prevailing character of the area.

“The proposal to erect nine dwellings following the demolition of the existing house represents an overdevelopment of the site that does not respect the prevailing pattern, and the amount of hard landscaping proposed is considered to erode the verdant appearance of the site to the detriment of the character of the area.”

He said the removal of some of the protected trees, which were of high amenity value, to facilitate the development, along with the potential pressure from future occupants to fell trees on the grounds of amenity, further undermined the verdant character of the area.
He also highlighted the lack of biodiversity information relating to the site, which lies within Band A of the Bryanston greater horseshoe bat Site of Special Scientific Interest.

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