A GOVERNMENT planning inspector has refused two planning appeals seeking to turn one of Swanage's Victorian villas into flats and develop a block of eight flats in its garden.

The inspector's decision, following a public inquiry, dismissed the appeals on the grounds of overlooking.

Local residents feared the proposed block of flats with balconies, at Sea Court in Taunton Road, would look like Crystal Palace staring down at them.

Bett Paxton-Brunning of Sea Court Action Group said: "Sea Court Action Group is celebrating. It is absolutely fantastic and we are all completely relieved but at the same time we know it's not the end of it."

The campaigners will continue with their bid to extend the Swanage Conservation area to include Sea Court, which was designed in 1884 by Charles T Miles.

But Purbeck District Council faces a four-figure legal bill from the planning applicant after the inspector decided the council's objection on the grounds of highways dangers was "unreasonable".

The district council had gone against the advice of highways authority Dorset County Council in objecting to the development on the grounds of highways safety.

Sea Court has been the subject of five planning applications so far and campaigners' efforts to save the villa have won the backing of the Victoria Society and Swanage Buildings Preservation Group.

Though not a listed building, it was designed by the same architect who designed Westbourne Library and several other listed buildings in Bournemouth.

Sea Court was the home of artist George William Joy when he painted his famous work Christ and the Little Child, using local people as his models.

First published: August 9, 2005