A bid to transform a derelict former pub into luxury homes on the edge of Telford Town Park has been thrown out by borough council planning chiefs.
Developers Bentley Homes applied to turn the arson-hit White Hart into two homes with another 12 new houses built nearby.
But planning officers say the scheme would be an eyesore, turning a potentially attractive site into something looking like a suburban housing estate.
They have refused permission under delegated powers, labelling the design “poor quality” in their official notice of refusal.
They say: “The proposal is for a standard suburban housing solution, completely unsympathetic to the semi-rural character and appearance of the site and surrounding area.
“The scheme comprises a collection of poorly-enclosed dwellings grouped around a highway-dominated layout compounded by intrusive frontage parking.”
The officers said trees would also be lost and the safety of pedestrians threatened by the proposal.
They say the design of the proposed homes “pays no respect to the traditional architectural character and form of the White Hart or the nearest residential properties”.
The White Hart, situated in a shady and isolated spot near the park, has been boarded up since it closed last August and has become a target for vandals and arsonists.
It was owned by Admiral Taverns and run for the previous four years by Gary Hill, who built it up into a popular venue for the town’s gay community, running an annual gay pride day there.
Wolverhampton-based Bentley Homes said it wanted to come up with a sympathetic project for what would be a sought-after location at Hinkshay.
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