Overview
- Monmouthshire County Council approved the certificate on December 22, concluding the Llanvihangel Crucorney annex has functioned as a separate home since December 2019.
- Planning officer Kate Bingham cited a statutory declaration, separate water and electricity connections, a fence and parking added in 2020, council tax records, and 2021 aerial imagery.
- The decision applies the planning standard of proof on the balance of probabilities and recognizes that the four-year enforcement period has elapsed.
- Gareth Rees, the applicant’s son, objected, claiming his mother lived elsewhere and that her longest continuous stay at the annex was eight months between December 2021 and September 2022.
- The council noted Mr Rees declined to submit an affidavit and said a neighbour’s contrary comment lacked an address, making those challenges difficult to corroborate.