A BUNGALOW that council planning officers had insisted could only be used as a holiday let can remain in use as a permanent home. 

The decision means stonemason Liam Kirwan is no longer at risk of being made homeless, as it was feared when council officials said the two bedroom property couldn’t be designated as a residential dwelling. 

Monmouthshire County Council planners said as the property, in Llantilio School Road in Llantilio Pertholey, was outside the Abergavenny development boundary, it was in the open countryside, close to the 13th century medieval Church of St Teilo. 

It had been built in 2013 as an annex to what was the main property, Glebe Cottage, and a 2017 decision allowed it to be occupied as an annex but also used as holiday let.  

However personal circumstances saw Mr Kirwan sell the main house in 2020, meaning his bungalow could no longer be an annex to it and as a result the planning department said it only had permission as a holiday let, which would force Mr Kirwan to move out of his home. 

However councillors on the planning committee refused to accept the recommendation that Mr Kirwan’s change of use application be refused when they were asked to consider it in January. 

As a result officers had to bring back a report with planning conditions linked to allowing the change of use. 

Planning officer Phil Thomas told the March planning committee: “The conditions are to secure biodiversity benefits and remove some permitted development rights as it’s a sensitive location just south of the listed church.” 

Labour councillor for  Croesonen, Su McConnel, who had argued against the refusal in January, said: “I would just like to propose that we accept this, approve this.” 

She had said at the January meeting: “It’s stretching the open countryside a bit as it’s right next door to a housing development. It’s not set in the middle of the open countryside.”

Conditions include the installation of two bird boxes and the removal of the right to make alterations to the house or add a fence or wall without seeking planning permission.