Conversion of Grade II listed house to 12 bedroom hotel accommodation with associated landscaping and conservation works, erection of 46 bedroom hotel block and pool building to form spa, conversion of Coach House to additional guest accommodation, the repair and reinstatement of walled garden with new orangery and ancillary buildings, and construction of 58 residential units as enabling development to facilitate the conservation works.

The Senior Planning Officer introduced the application which was an application for planning permission and listed building consent for the conversion of Grade II listed house to 12 bedroom hotel accommodation with associated landscaping and conservation works, erection of 46 bedroom hotel block and pool building to form spa, conversion of Coach House to additional guest accommodation, the repair and reinstatement of walled garden with new orangery and ancillary buildings, and construction of 58 residential units as enabling development to facilitate the conservation works and with reference to the drawings and photographs displayed, she drew Members’ attention to the to the location and layout

Tony McAteer (Planning Consultant) spoke in support of the proposal in accordance with Shropshire Council’s Scheme for Public Speaking at Planning Committees.

Members welcomed the preservation of a historic asset but felt that the additional footprint of the hotel and the supporting developments were inappropriate in the green belt.  They commented that they felt that there was a lot of information missing from the application

RESOLVED:

Planning Application 24/00025/FUL 

That planning permission be refused for the following reasons:  

 1.         The development represents inappropriate development in the Green Belt to which significant weight is attached to the harm by definition that this would cause. There would also be a harm to the openness of the Green Belt to which significant weight is also attached. Neach Hill House clearly needs urgent repair works and a beneficial use to secure its long-term future. However, the Statement of Significance, Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) and Financial Information submitted have not been based on an accurate structural survey of the current condition of the existing buildings and surviving fabric, as such it is not possible to accurately assess and determine the impact the proposals will have upon the significance of the listed buildings. Furthermore the evidence available raises concerns that the level of structural intervention required to facilitate the proposed new use of Neach Hill House and the amount of historic fabric remaining internally is likely to have reached a point where there is more new work than original, which would not represent the appropriate conservation of the listed building but essentially a facsimile reconstruction, particularly in relation to internal fabric, architectural and decorative features, walls, floors and roof structure. The HIA underestimates the impact of the proposed spa and hotel facilities and extensive development within the walled garden, which would harm the setting of the listed buildings (Neach Hill House, Coach House, Walled Garden) and character and legibility of the walled garden respectively and it fails to provide sufficient information, such as a comprehensive photomontage/visual impact assessment to evidence its conclusion in relation to setting impacts, such that the development would represent less than substantial harm. Overall, it is judged that the application has failed to demonstrate a robust case due to the lack of accurate up to date assessment of the listed building, its structural condition and significance, alongside appropriate market testing to define an optimum viable use for the site and that the public benefits outweigh the harm.  Consequently, the development conflicts with Shropshire Core Strategy policy CS6, CS17 and Shropshire Council Site Allocations and Management of Development (SAMDev) Plan MD2, MD7a, MD6 and MD13, the Councils SPD Type and Affordability of Housing, Part 13 and 16 of the National Planning Framework and Section 66 of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. 

 2.         The development would not, given the capacity constraints and existing conditions of the highway network, be accessible by a choice of travel modes and would lead to an increase in the use of private motor vehicles and is therefore not in a sustainable location.  It has also not been demonstrated that safe access for all users can be achieved, nor that the designs of the site accesses reflect national guidance for safety based on the anticipated use. Accordingly, it is considered that the proposals fail to comply with adopted Shropshire Core Strategy policies CS5, CS6, the National Planning Policy Framework and would not assist in meeting the environmental objectives of sustainability. 

 3.         The proposed commercial development has the potential to impact adversely on the residential amenity of the area with respect to noise and disturbance. Despite the assurances put forwards by the applicant the submitted scheme is insufficiently detailed at this stage to be able to make a thorough assessment of the impacts of the commercial development on the amenities of the occupiers of the nearby existing residential properties and to identify any appropriate mitigation measures, and the impact of such measures which may be required to make the development acceptable on the Heritage Assets. As such it is considered that insufficient detailed information has been submitted with this application to be able to conclude that the proposed development would not have an unacceptable impact on the existing residential amenity of the area, contrary to the requirements of adopted Shropshire Core Strategy policy CS6 and Shropshire Council Site Allocations and Management of Development (SAMDev) Plan MD2. 

Planning Application 24/00026/LBC 

That listed building consent be refused for the following reasons:   

1.          Section 66 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 requires that the Local Planning Authority pay special regard to the desirability of preserving a listed building or its setting. Neach Hill House clearly needs urgent repair works and a beneficial use to secure its long-term future. However, the Statement of Significance, Heritage Impact Assessment and Financial Information submitted have not been based on an accurate structural survey of the current condition of the existing buildings and surviving fabric, as such it is not possible to accurately assess and determine the impact the proposals will have upon the significance of the listed buildings. Furthermore the evidence available raises concerns that the level of structural intervention required to facilitate the proposed new use of Neach Hill House and the amount of historic fabric remaining internally is likely to have reached a point where there is more new work than original, which would not represent the appropriate conservation of the listed building but essentially a facsimile reconstruction, particularly in relation to internal fabric, architectural and decorative features, walls, floors and roof structure. Overall, it is judged that the requirement to robustly demonstrate the overwhelming public benefits that would outweigh the harm caused to heritage assets has not been met. The application has failed to demonstrate a robust case due to the lack of accurate up to date assessment of the listed building, its structural condition and significance, alongside appropriate market testing to define an optimum viable use for the site. Therefore, a full and robust case to justify harm to the setting of heritage assets.  As such the information submitted to support this application is insufficient to demonstrate that the benefits of the development would be sufficient to outweigh the harm to the significance of the heritage assets.  As such the scheme conflicts with Shropshire Core Strategy policy CS6, CS17 and Shropshire Council Site Allocations and Management of Development (SAMDev) Plan MD2, MD13, Part 16 of the National Planning Framework and Section 66 of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990