THE owners of a large Victorian house who sought permission to use it as a commercial venue have had their bid turned down by councillors.

The Hawthorns, on Keresforth Hall Road, Kingstone, was the subject of a change of use application submitted by Karen Neville who sought planning permission for the family home to be partly used for weddings, civil ceremonies, seasonal events and afternoon teas.

A total of 15 objections and one letter of support were received during the public consultation process, according to a report.

“The proposed business operations would have the potential to result in noise and disturbance and generate traffic,” it added. “However, this is a substantial property that is located in spacious grounds.

“In addition the management plan, which among other things sets out that the venue would not be open any later than 7pm in the evening and would be restricted to a maximum of 30 people, is such that it is considered that the effects of the business could be absorbed without giving rise to noise and disturbance levels that would be harmful to neighbouring residents.

“When considering the noise impacts of the proposal in the context of the events which take place in nearby Locke Park, it is determined that the size of events taking place at The Hawthorns would be far smaller and far less likely to generate a similar level of noise than those taking place in Locke Park.

“It is possible that some noise would be incurred from alcohol consumption on the premises but, due to the size of the events proposed, this is no more likely to occur than if a residential party or event was to take place.

“On balance therefore the recommendation is one of approval.”

However, a vote at Tuesday’s planning board meeting saw 19 councillors reject the scheme, with no-one voting in its favour due to concerns with parking, highways safety and the viability of having a business in a residential area.