AN APPEAL has been lodged after civic chiefs rejected proposals to use the ground floor of a building as a flat.

New Forest District Council refused to support a proposal relating to a property at South Street, Pennington, saying the flat would provide occupants with an unsatisfactory living environment.

It cited "unacceptably poor levels of privacy" as well as a dark and unattractive outlook.

The council added: "The unsatisfactory living environment would be further compounded by the flat's small size, its lack of any outdoor amenity space and the relatively high levels of disturbance that would arise from the flat's immediate outlook."

The authority also criticised the property's poor design, saying it flew in the face of planning policies that sought to provide high quality accommodation.

Now a government-appointed planning inspector will decide if the council's decision should be quashed.