PLANS to build 'uninspiring' terraced homes in Cheshire West have been refused by the council.

An application had been submitted to transform land to the rear of a number of properties in Delamere Street, Winsford, into three three-storey houses.

Each property would have featured three bedrooms, across the first and second floors, and a lounge and kitchen on the ground floor.

Eleven parking spaces were also proposed, with two allocated per property and the remaining five to be used by customers of a Delamere Street salon.

But the plans were refused on the grounds the development was poorly designed and would be 'detrimental to the character of the surrounding area'.   

In a report recommending refusal, a council officer said: "The proposal represents poor design and an undesirable form of backland development that would appear as an alien and incongruous feature which would not reflect the prevailing settlement pattern of properties fronting onto Delamere Street, to the detriment of the character of the surrounding area.

"Given the constrained nature of the site, the environs of the site would be dominated by hard surfacing used in connection with car parking which would result in the creation of a poor quality environment.

"The development would also fail to provide adequate private amenity space for future occupiers.

"The cumulative effect of the failure to have regard to the prevailing form of the existing built environment and the low quality of the immediate environs of the site is a development which is cramped and represents poor design.

"This is exasperated by the uninspiring appearance of the dwellings and the overall effect would be unattractive.

"The development would also have a significant overbearing visual impact on the degree to which the neighbouring occupier could enjoy the garden.

"As such the development would result in significant adverse impact on the health and quality of life of existing residents."

For more details on the application, search reference 21/04237/FUL on the council's online planning portal.