Proposals to set up a hair salon in the garage of a Chesterfield home have been dealt a blow.

The borough council has turned down a bid for change of use of a dwelling at 6 Little Brind Road, Upper Newbold to mixed use dwelling/commercial. The application was submitted to the authority by an agent acting for Amanda Seldon.

An officer’s recommendation that the application be refused was supported by the planning committee which ruled: “The proposed business use of the integral garage at the application site is considered to result in an over intensive and harmful use of the site. The increased comings and goings to the property which would arise as a result of the proposal would adversely affect the living conditions of occupiers of neighbouring properties, through increased noise and disturbance and a loss of privacy.”

Cllr Judy Staton was among those who submitted letters of objection. She wrote: “This is a quiet residential area and the proposed change of use would have a detrimental effect on the amenity of the area. The proposed extended hours of opening mean that there would be increased traffic to the area until 8pm on several days and also on a Saturday. The impact would be particularly negative for the neighbour at number 8: clients of the business will be walking past and able to look into a bedroom window belonging to this residence, which is very close to the proposed entrance to the salon.”

An officer's report to the borough council's planning committee included this photograph and stated: "The application site shown on the left with no. 8 Little Brind Road located on the right. This property is most directly impacted by the proposal as result of the proximity and context."

placeholder image — An officer's report to the borough council's planning committee included this photograph and stated: "The application site shown on the left with no. 8 Little Brind Road located on the right. This property is most directly impacted by the proposal as result of the proximity and context."

The applicant wrote: “The proposed salon is a very small, home-based business, operated by one person only, with appointments typically for one client at a time, but occasionally two clients if required. Additional traffic, parking demand, noise and activity will be minimal and comparable to normal residential visitors. The property will retain its primary use as a dwelling, with no harmful change to the residential character of Little Brind Road. Privacy and safety for neighbours will not be materially compromised, and existing residential infrastructure is adequate for the limited scale of the use. I am willing to accept robust conditions to ensure that the use remains tightly controlled and low-impact.”

One resident wrote that the salon would be a valuable service for the area, as people could walk to the business from the Holme Park Avenue estate, Newbold and Loundsley Green. Their letter read: “As a busy working family, we would welcome being able to visit a salon in the early evening after returning from work, or during the weekend. Local independent businesses should be supported by Chesterfield Borough Council. Many local businesses have closed down due to financial pressures, especially rising rent and mortgage costs.”

Another supporter of the proposal commented: “I would personally benefit greatly from this business. I suffer from anxiety, and travelling further afield to busy town centres or large salons is very difficult and often overwhelming for me. Having a small, local, one-to-one salon within walking distance would make accessing essential hair care much more manageable and less stressful.”