PLANS for four new houses on land that stands behind a village pub have been refused by St Helens Council.

A planning application to build semi-detached homes to the rear of the Red Cat pub, in Crank was submitted to St Helens Council.

The proposals sparked numerous objection letters from residents.

Concerns included worries over the impact it would have on neighbours' views and traffic hazards due to the proximity to the car park.

One said: "The purposed houses are not in keeping with existing homes in our village".

The applicant Punch Partnership said it aimed to develop on "under-utilised" car parking land. The plans would have seen the layout of the pub's car park changed and decreased in size.

The applicant's aim was to create two pairs of three bedroom semi-detached houses, with car parking and landscaping. Access to the houses would be from the existing access point to the pub, off Red Cat Lane.

Plans stated that the rural pub's building would not be affected, although the layout of the outdoor seating area would change.

The car park currently has 56 spaces and this would have been reduced to 29 if the plans had been given the green light.

Planning officers refused the application, stating in the decision notice that the proposed development would have "a detrimental impact on the amenity of surrounding occupants due to an unacceptable loss of privacy".

They also said the "relationship of the dwellings to the car park and the public house would cause general noise and disturbance which would mean that the occupants of the new development would not enjoy an acceptable level of amenity".

It added the design "would not be sympathetic to local character" and the encroachment into the green belt is "unacceptable".

They also said the applicant has not demonstrated that the development would not result in "overflow on-street parking".