Planning chiefs in Gosport have said an outbuilding replacing a “hideous” summerhouse in a back garden which was built without permission can stay.

Liam Eastman’s replacement summerhouse at 61 St Thomas’s Road, Gosport was approved by the borough council’s regulatory board committee on Wednesday, September 4.

The application form said: “I have replaced the existing summerhouse at the bottom of the garden with a new one as the old one was falling down. The new building has slightly different dimensions.”

The new building is 2.6m high, 7m wide and with a depth of 5.5m. There is a fibreglass roof with a grey topcoat finish. The walls have feathered edge wooden cladding with a UPVc French double-glazed door that opens onto the garden.

Councillor Kirsten Bradley (Lib Dem, Lee East) said she found the old building “hideous” and said: ”When I saw pictures of the new one – what a pleasant change”. 

Councillor Richard Earle (Lib Dem, Elson) agreed that he preferred what was there now despite it being a little bit bigger than it should. The structure should be 2.5m high, not 2.6m, said the council officer.

Cllr Earle said: “It looks a bit new but the wood cladding will calm down and not be such an eyesore.” 

There was one objection to the retrospective planning application from neighbours Mr and Mrs P Fennelow at 6 Blenheim Gardens.

They said they were concerned about the summer house being too high and large, larger than the previous structure, their home losing natural light, the possible change of use in the future, and the potential for extra noise which they said could have a detrimental effect to the future sale of their home.

The officer’s report said while there may be a slight loss of light to the neighbours it was not significant to cause refusal, and the issue of light and the design impact on the area were found to be acceptable.