A TIMBER chalet at an Ashburton hotel – used to care for a terminally ill son who has since died – has been refused retrospective planning permission.

The applicant, whose son died a year ago, wanted to retain the vacant building at the Lavender House Hotel so it could be offered to charity groups to ’give young adults and children who are terminally ill a place to stay on a shirt-term basis.’

Dartmoor planners, who considered the application on Friday, fully sympathised with the tragic background. But they had to consider the merits of the scheme purely on planning terms – and on these they could not give the go ahead.

An officer’s report said the two-bedroom construction, built in 2015 without the requisite permission, was allowed at the time so the family and their son could live there for the period of recovery from ’health issues.’ Sadly, the son died in June 2016.

The report said the design and materials of the chalet were in stark contrast to the rest of the hotel which comprised rendered painted masonry and slate roofs.

’The building does not appear to relate positively to the existing buildings and does not reference the local vernacular in terms of form, design detailing and finishes,’ the report suggested.

The officer argued that the chalet was not suitable in its location and any modifications  would not mitigate its impact.

Development and management committee member Diana Moyse said the personal background to the application was ’incredibly sad.’

She told the committee: ’It’s really moved me – but it is about the building and not the circumstances.’

Bill Hitchins said the national park authority had been ’fairly accommodating’ about the special issues involved.

Phil Sanders agreed Dartmoor had showed compassion in its dealings with the application, but regrettably the need for the chalet had passed.

Committee chairman James McInnes agreed that maintaining the out-of-keeping building was inappropriate.