An appeal has been launched after the director of a company was hit with an enforcement notice over a gazebo in the grounds of a South Lakeland manor house.
The structure, previously described by a planning officer as looking ‘far more like a Victorian bandstand’, was set up at Cark Manor in Grange-over-Sands without planning permission.
A retrospective application for the gazebo was voted down by South Lakeland District Council’s planning committee in March.
In the enforcement notice, a council spokesman said the ‘scale, massing and position of the gazebo’ created a ‘visually harsh and discordant feature’ that did not maintain or enhance the appearance of the Grade II-listed manor house.
The spokesman said the gazebo caused harm – ‘less than substantial’ – to the significance of a designated heritage asset.
“The gazebo does not reflect the prevailing local built-settlement character, and therefore causes harm to the character of the building and of the locality,” he said.
He said the use of the gazebo alongside the use of Cark Manor as a holiday let could result in disturbance to a next door residential area.
The enforcement notice was served to David Haythornthwaite, director of Cark Manor Ltd. Mr Haythornthwaite declined to comment.
The notice stated the gazebo needed to be removed.
It said that all building materials, all rubble and all materials arising from removal of the gazebo needed to be taken away.
It said: “This notice takes effect on May 18, 2022, unless an appeal is made against it beforehand.”
An appeal against the council’s enforcement action has been lodged and a decision is pending. It is understood the gazebo is still in place.
In March, South Lakeland District Council’s planning committee went against the case officer’s recommendation by rejecting a retrospective application for the building of the gazebo.
Rachel Leather, of PWA Planning, who was speaking at the committee meeting on behalf of Cark Manor Ltd, said: “The intention is that the structure will be utilised by guests staying at the manor.
“The structure is constructed from high-quality materials and is complementary to the aesthetics of the manor.”
