AN APPLICATION to rebuild a Penarth house which partly collapsed has been refused.

Part of the property at 14 Clinton Road crumbled earlier this year due to renovation work in the basement, with fire crews and police were called to make the building safe.

Sniffer dogs were sent in to check nobody was inside and safety chiefs made sure the gas and electricity supplies were shut down, back in June.

But a application to rebuild the house has now been refused.

It was proposed to demolish the existing house and replace it with a new building but the decision to reject it was taken under delegated authority by the council’s planning department, meaning it did not go before the planning committee.

The reason given for the rejection was that the proposed replacement represented a "poorly designed, incongruous and cramped form of development that fails to respect the existing character and appearance of the immediate surrounding area, and would have a significant adverse impact on the character of the street scene".

"The proposed replacement dwelling would represent an unreasonably overshadowing and overbearing form of development that would unacceptably impact upon the amenities of neighbours,"added an official report from the planning department.

Penarth Town Council's planning committee also recommended that the application be refused, saying it was 'unsuitable and constituted overdevelopment'.

Local ward councillor Clive Williams said health and safety experts had deemed the rest of the building safe, but the owner had pulled it down regardless.

"I have spoken to residents who are amazed at what has happened there," added cllr Williams.

"The design was totally out of keeping with the area."