Plans for the building of a house at the end of a disused access track in Wells have been turned down by Mendip District Council.

A planning application for the building of a two-bedroom dwelling behind 72 Portway, Wells, had been submitted by Neil Harris.

The proposal was to build the home on a disused access track that runs from the end of Lethbridge Road behind numbers 64 to 72 Portway.

The track was originally used by the estate developers in the 1960s and 1970s, but it fell into disuse and was subsequently acquired by the applicant.

A car port currently serving 72 Portway was to be demolished to make way for the new house that would have been mainly built on the access track, but would also have taken up part of the garden of 72 Portway.

However, in refusing the application, the planning officer's report said: "The design of the proposal is considered to be inappropriate and the siting would have an overly dominating impact on the visual character of the area and street scene.

"The application site is considered to not be spacious enough to accommodate a dwelling.

"While the design has been developed to enable the dwelling to physically fit in the small space available, in order to do so it has resulted in a contrived siting and design with an unusual scale and massing. The resulted building would be an alien feature within the locality."

Planning applications in the Wells area that have been received by Mendip District Council this week include:

Change of use of garage to holiday let and demolition of secondary garage to facilitate parking, improvement of access at The Old Rectory, Riverside, Dinder, is wanted by Mr and Mrs Fuery.

Application for a non-material amendment to permission 2020/2065/HSE for the change of fenestration to the front elevation at The Little Manor, Nevilles Batch, Binegar, has been made by Mr and Mrs T Gregory.

Application for a non-material amendment to permission 2020/2002/HSE for the replacement of window in master bedroom with a glazed door, level patio area at 3 Horse And Jockey Cottages, Glastonbury Road, Upper Coxley, has been made by Mr and Mrs Graham Houghton.

Works to trees in a Conservation Area T1: yew - crown raise limbs to 2.5m to sound pruning points; T2: Robinia - reduce limbs, remove mistletoe present in canopy; T3: holly - crown raise limbs to 2.5m to sound pruning points; T4: yew - crown raise limbs to 2.5m to sound pruning points (all overhanging Market Street footpath and road) at 1 St Cuthbert Street, Wells, have been applied for by Mr Adrian Evans.

Planning applications in the Wells area that have been decided this week by Mendip District Council include:

Erection of a three-bedroom dwellinghouse, including repair and reinstatement of the garden wall at Stoberry House, Bristol Hill, Wells, by Mr and Mrs T Young has been refused.

Erection of a rural worker's dwelling and polytunnel at Myrtle Barn, Lower Godney, by Mr Yeandle has been withdrawn.

Erection of agricultural building at Higher Farm, Riverside, Dinder, by Mr Christopher Dunn has been approved.

Application for approval of details reserved by condition 3 (materials) on planning consent 2018/1672/FUL at Barrow Farm, Barrow Lane, North Wootton, by Mr Joshua White has been approved.

Siting of a shipping container to house a 60kW biomass boiler and associated equipment, and a galvanised steel wood pellet store located immediately adjacent to the container at The Fragrance House, Bath Road, Haydon, by Mr Neil Banwell has been approved.

Demolition of existing garage and erection of two-storey side extension at 6 Lewmond Avenue, Wells, by Mr and Mrs Beasley has been approved.