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St Helens Neighbour Hits Back Over Back Garden Lockdown Nail Salon

A nail studio in a St Helens back garden, built over lockdown to ensure Covid security, is applying for retrospective planning permission – but a neighbour is not happy.

Applying to use the outbuilding as a nail studio in her back garden on St Michael’s Road, Emma Groves is trying to keep her business going after all the challenges thrown at it over the course of the Covid pandemic.

In planning documents submitted to the Isle of Wight Council, Mrs Groves said her husband built the small building in their garden in June last year as she is no longer able to carry out treatments in her home, which she has been doing for the past four years, under Covid regulations.

The outbuilding was originally thought to be covered by permitted development rights, which allows homeowners to do certain work without needing to apply for planning permission, but Mrs Groves said she has since learnt that is incorrect, which has lead to the retrospective application.

With up to 15 clients per week, being served no later than 8pm, Mrs Groves said if planning permission is not granted then she may not be able to run her business any more and will have to find a different job which may be difficult as it needs to be flexible.

One neighbour has already submitted an objection to the nail studio, saying Covid should not be used as an excuse for the future and they feel a commercial business should not be allowed in a residential garden.

They said on dark nights the lights from the studio illuminate their back bedroom and they are worried the outbuilding may devalue their property, with potential buyers ‘being put off’ by the fact there is a nail studio next door.

They argue the garden is not big enough for the building and it is in the wrong position, not in keeping with the rows of summer houses and sheds already along the street.

To view the application, 21/00657/FUL, you can view the council’s planning register.

Comments will be accepted until May 17.

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