A couple who hoped to build a snooker room with shower facilities in the grounds of their Aintree home have had their plans dashed on appeal.
The planning inspectorate said it was unlikely that snooker would “generate the need to shower” as the plans were refused.
Sefton Council had previously knocked back the proposal for a single story detached building in the garden of the home in Sandhurst Drive, Aintree in June last year.
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The applicants had claimed permitted development rights for the building, which means planning permission would not be required, on the grounds that it was not designed for living purposes but instead as a games building.
A previous application at the same address for a two bedroom detached house in the grounds of the property had also been refused on the grounds of overlooking neighbouring properties and inappropriate window design in 2020.
When officers looked at the new plans, which included a snooker room, in June last year, they were refused on the grounds that officers were not convinced the development would be “incidental to enjoyment” and not for living purposes.
The couple had argued that there was a previous right applied to the house dating back to 1984 for a games room and that the building, which would have an entrance facing on to a nearby street, would full under those permitted development rights.
Two people had objected and a 25 signature petition had also been submitted with objections including: “Why would a garden house have a toilet, shower and bifold glass doors?”
After officers refused the request, the plans were taken to appeal with the planning inspectorate.
A decision was published last month and presented at a meeting of Sefton Council’s planning committee this week.
In the report, planning inspector Savage questioned the inclusion of a shower room next to the snooker area, saying that permitted development rights “would not cover normal uses, such as a bathroom.”
Refusing the appeal, the inspector added: “Although there may be instances where a shower is reasonably required as part of an incidental use, snooker, in my view, is unlikely to generate the need to shower.”
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