Protest at Shrewsbury home bid next to Darwin’s house
Tuesday 6th December 2011, 10:59AM GMT.
Plans for a housing development near the birthplace of Charles Darwin in Shrewsbury would have a ‘catastrophic’ impact on the historic property, which attracts tourists from all over the world, it was claimed today.
The controversial proposal for 9 Darwin Gardens would see a four bedroom two storey house built with a single garage, next door to Shrewsbury’s Mount House which Charles Darwin was born and grew up in.
The historically significant Mount House is currently under tenancy with the Valuation Office and has a regular stream of international visitors to the site. Plans are in place to eventually restore and reopen Darwin’s birthplace fully as a tourist attraction and education and conference centre.
A design and access statement says the scheme will preserve and enhance the existing conservation area.
But residents and officials from the Darwin Birthplace Society have objected strongly to the planned four bedroom house, claiming it will overshadow and spoil a key part of the town’s heritage, affecting future visitor numbers.
A letter of objection by Glen Lawes, of the Darwin Birthplace Society, said: “The application is for a large house to be built in the middle of the gardens of number 9, effectively blocking the view from the gardens of The Mount and seriously overshadowing the house and its remaining gardens. It is an inappropriate development on a sensitive site within a conservation area.”
Resident Robert Kinnersley said: “It would intrude catastrophically on a site of not just local, not just national but international significance.
He added: We find it hard to believe that anyone would submit a plan to construct a modern building so close to a beautiful, dignified, Grade II* listed site.”
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More blots on the landscape. These would probably be more substantial but Shrewsbury is being blighted with developments of mini mock Georgian anti-social disaster shelters. The most recent outbreaks are in Ditherington and opposite Shrewsbury Hospital. It’s no wonder so many of them are standing empty.
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the success of a project like this depends on the design of the modern building – the glass pyramid in the Napoleon courtyard of the Louvre in Paris is ultra-modern against the surrounding buildings, some of which date back to the 16th century but it looks superb……
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Don’t understand the fuss over Darwin, he left Shrewsbury at a young age and to the best of my knowledge never returned. I don’t think he gave a hoot about the town personally.
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…got a feeling in my water that the proposed building project is not submitted with historical, conservation and environmental esthetic in mind. but rather personal capital and financial gain. (in other words good old fashion greed).
but at what price and to whom? sad very sad!
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