AN appeal against refusal of a housing development in the grounds of a Grade Two listed building in Boston has been dismissed by a planning inspector.

Boston Borough Council’s planning committee last year turned down an application for a scheme that would have seen a small group of houses constructed at West Skirbeck House in London Road.

Applicant Helen Proctor lodged an appeal against the decision but this has now been thrown out by Government appointed planning inspector Julia Gregory following a hearing.

Borough council head of planning and strategy Steve Lumb told the Target the application was originally refused in line with the council’s Local Plan.

He said: “The site is part of a wider protected landscape and these areas are ones which have been carefully assessed as contributing significantly to the character of the area and where new development should, put quite simply, not normally happen.

“The inspector’s decision, dismissing the appeal on all counts, has validated all the points and arguments made in the officers’ reports and presentations and which the planning committee ultimately went with.

“The inspector is clear that the development as proposed would ‘materially harm the setting of West Skirbeck House’ and would ‘not avoid detrimental fragmentation of management of a heritage asset.’

“It shows the continued robustness of the council’s planning application decision-making processes and that the Local Plan and our planning policies is still very relevant and valid.”

The inspector also rejected a claim for the borough council to pay Ms Proctor’s costs.