Planners at Dudley Council have firmly rejected a proposal from a Halesowen care home to expand into a neighbouring property's garden, branding the scheme an unjustified form of 'garden grabbing'.
Why the extension plan was refused
The application from Two Gates House Care Home on Two Gates Lane sought to reallocate a portion of a residential garden to build an extension containing seven new bedrooms. Council officers, in a report dated for consideration, concluded the development would harm the area's character and impose too heavily on neighbours.
The report stated that while the council acknowledges the need for sustainable development, the plan "fails to respect the established character and settlement pattern of the area." A primary concern was the drastic reduction it would cause to the existing garden, shrinking it from 35 metres in length to just 8.8 metres.
Impact on neighbours and amenity space
Officers highlighted several specific issues with the proposed design. The new building would have side-facing windows looking directly towards neighbouring houses, creating a potential overlooking issue.
Planners also determined the scale of the extension would have a significant overbearing impact on adjacent properties. Furthermore, the reduction of private garden space for the house next door was deemed unacceptable.
The development would leave the dwelling with only 57.9 square metres of garden, falling short of the council's own guidance which sets a minimum of 65 square metres for new homes. The report noted that even though the proposal wasn't for a new dwelling, it would result in a "poor level of private amenity space" for the existing home.
Separate day room extension also affected
The same application included a separate, smaller extension within the care home's existing boundary to enlarge a day room. Planners found this element to be acceptable on its own merits, as it would be in keeping with existing structures and not visible from the road or neighbouring gardens.
However, because it was submitted as part of the same application as the contentious garden development, it was not granted permission either. The entire application was dismissed by the council on 18 January 2026.
