A Marlow couple have been refused planning permission for a new swimming pool room at their mansion.

Mr and Mrs Chris Doherty wanted to build a ‘small pool house’ next to their existing swimming pool at the Old Vicarage, Church Road, Little Marlow, a Grade II listed building.

But Buckinghamshire Council rejected the plans, saying that the ‘size and volume’ of the proposed outbuilding would ‘significantly exceed’ the maximum allowed within the Green Belt and therefore deemed it ‘inappropriate development’.

Planning officers wrote: “No very special circumstances are apparent to outweigh the identified harm.

“As such, the proposal is detrimental to the openness of the wider Green Belt area and contrary to policies.”

In their application, the Dohertys claimed that the size, design and location of the proposed pool house would not have ‘prejudiced’ the openness of the Green Belt.

The couple said the modestly sized and ‘lightweight’ pool house would have been located at the eastern end of the pool terrace.

If approved, the new structure would have been used to store pool equipment and pool terrace furniture.

Plans described it as a ‘traditionally designed glazed summer house style building’ finished in timber with a clay tile roof to complement the architecture, detailing and materials of the main house.

Planning permission for the pool itself was granted in 2022 and included the associated pump house with an air source heat pump.

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