Plan for flats at 17th century Shropshire manor house Meeson Hall

But now Meeson Hall – which also gets a mention in Pevsner's The Buildings of England – could become home to six apartments in its grounds if plans are given the go-ahead.

The apartments would be built in farm outbuildings about 40 metres away from the main Grade II-listed hall, which is today used as a hotel. Parking spaces would also be created.

Developers had previously been granted permission for the same work, but they did not begin in time. They have made minor revisions to the original plans so that the barns can be used as houses rather than holiday homes, and have resubmitted.

Work will be done to try and help finance the preservation of the buildings.

Meeson Hall was built in 1640 by the Tayleur family and is set in eight acres of tranquil landscaped gardens and paddocks.

In plans submitted to Telford & Wrekin Council, the developers say: "The group of buildings is curtilage listed and for that reason there is an obligation of maintenance and repair involved with their retention.

"It is for this reason that a more sustainable use is proposed in this application, in order to sponsor their long-term preservation. With no land to support any agricultural use, obviously the range of buildings is redundant.

"Commercial uses have been explored, but the proximity of Telford with its estates of industrial units and office suites would prevent this site being a commercial viability. As a consequence, conversion to domestic use was considered appropriate as the buildings are too extensive to be purely ancillary, and a scheme for the application constitutes exactly the same scheme as that previously approved in 2010 but now intended for freehold residential rather than holiday and short-term let.

"The appearance of the building is to be retained as closely as possible to the existing with low-key alterations to the inner courtyard elevations in order to make the scheme workable."