Pop boss fizzing with joy
Aug 5 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal
A WEALTHY drinks company boss has emerged victorious from a battle with neighbours to build a new house in the garden of his imposing Victorian property.
Tony Robson, owner and managing director of Waters and Robson – which bottles Abbey Well mineral water – has been locked in a year-long dispute with dozens of local residents over his development plan in Morpeth, Northumberland.
Earlier this year he was refused planning permission to build the four-bedroom house in a large plot adjoining his Dacre Croft home in exclusive King’s Avenue, after more than 40 neighbours and Morpeth Town Council objected.
They were furious that Mr Robson planned to route construction and residential traffic for the new dwelling along a narrow, cobbled lane to the rear of homes in Northbourne Avenue, which locals claim he has no legal right to use.
Now he has been granted approval for the development after a Government planning inspector ruled in his favour on appeal. Inspector Bern Hellier said the question of access to the new house had been settled by the council at the outline planning stage.
Mr Hellier added: “The appellant has made a statutory declaration that he has a right to use the lane.
“I acknowledge that this right is disputed by other residents, but this is a legal matter. The grant of planning permission would not alter these rights.”
He said the new house proposed by Mr Robson would not have a harmful impact on the living conditions of neighbours in terms of outlook or privacy.
Local residents are now awaiting the outcome of a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman about the borough council’s handling of the outline planning application.
They said Mr Robson had been unable to produce title deeds showing he had a right of access up the 100-year-old back lane, where parking and passing is already a major problem.
Yesterday retired lecturer Peter Dwyer, who chairs the Northbourne Residents’ Association, said: “We always thought he would eventually get planning permission, but it is a ludicrous situation because the danger still exists in using the back lane as access. This has been an oversight by the council, because it didn’t consider this issue properly at the outline planning stage. The question of access up the rear lane is still an ongoing debate.”
Abbey Well natural mineral water is drawn from a 117m-deep artesian well beneath the Northumberland countryside. Waters and Robson bottles the water at its Morpeth plant, which employs more than 90 people.
Mr Robson declined to comment yesterday.
