HAMMERED!
Homes Under the Hammer star abandons dream home plan after neighbours’ revolt
HOMES Under the Hammer presenter Martin Roberts has been forced to withdraw plans for his own house – following a backlash from neighbours.
He had planned to build a modern and ‘innovative’ house which overlooked the Dartmouth Estuary in south Devon.
But the application was withdrawn when residents and councillors complained that the house did not fit in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Roberts’ application was subject to 12 objections and he pulled the plan before it could be ruled on by South Hams District Council. The presenter, 56, had intended to move from near Bath, Somerset, to Dartmouth with his wife Kirsty and two children, Megan and Scott.
He had been inspired to live there having bought a holiday home in the area 20 years prior.
The plot, on Waterpool Road, had remnants of a stone barn and the application sought to build a three- bedroom house with a study, open-plan kitchen and levelled garden on the site.
One resident, David Heron, said: ‘Waterpool Road is an AONB. It has not suffered development for over 100 years, any now would spoil its special character. Furthermore, any development would increase the amount of traffic and, since the road is very narrow and has no footpath, additional dangers would be posed for the pedestrians and especially the schoolchildren who use it regularly.’
Neighbour Richard Bonstow wrote a letter of objection, which was published among planning documents online.
He wrote: ‘The plans submitted indicate the overall footprint of a very large structure being created totally out of balance with the surrounding area viewed from the other side of the valley which I have always understood to be classified as greenfield and not for development.’
Another local, Alan Stockbridge, added: ‘The site is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and as such the natural environment and landscape legally enjoys the highest protection.’
Philip Charlesworth, on behalf of the Dartmouth and Kingswear Society, commented: ‘There can be no good arguments for allowing development. The topography of the site is such that major excavations would be needed to enable the construction of a house, with a big impact on the appearance of the surrounding area.
‘Furthermore, it is in the Special Area of Conservation for the greater horseshoe bat, an extremely endangered species.’
Roberts tried to win support from town councillors on Dartmouth Town Council at a planning meeting in September and even took in a model of his design, although his plans were refused.
The application was then due to go before the local planning authority, South Hams District Council, but Roberts withdrew it earlier this week.
The star has co-hosted popular daytime auction show Homes Under the Hammer since 2003.
It follows home-seekers as they transform derelict properties at auction into refurbished houses.
‘Totally out of balance with area’