551B Oxford Road, Reading, RG30 1HA

described as ‘The existing outbuilding at the rear of the address has been used as a separate dwelling house for more than 6 years (circa 20 years)

Authority: Reading Borough Council
Appeal type: ldc · Lawful Development Certificate
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Householder developments
Inspector: Hawkins S

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

Whether the Council's refusal to grant a certificate of lawful use or development was well-founded, turning on whether the appellant has shown on the balance of probability that the use of the building as a self-contained dwelling was lawful at the date of the application

What decided it

The appellant's evidence, particularly the financial records showing continuous rental income from 14 September 2011 to 26 April 2017, demonstrated that the building had been in use as a self-contained dwelling for more than four years before the application date, placing the use beyond the reach of enforcement action.

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