Grade II Listed hall near Bridgnorth to become flats
A Grade II Listed hall near Bridgnorth will be turned into eight apartments after planning permission was granted.
Shropshire Council has granted permission for Gatacre Hall, in Claverley, to be converted into apartments.
Planning permission had already been granted for five apartments, but this has been increased by the developers, Venture Construction and Development Ltd.
The planning application said: “The site is a Grade II Listed building which has the benefit of planning permission to convert into five apartments of which work is underway.
“The hall is believed to stand on the site of a residence present by the 15th century.
“The hall sits within grounds containing former gardens and parklands, visible on the historic mapping and aerial photography.
“The site was the seat of the Gatacre family from the 13th century, and the remains of a medieval chapel.
Derelict for decades
“The present building is the largely gutted shell of a building with 17th century origins, rebuilt in the 18th century and then extensively re-modelled and re-cased in the mid 19th century.
“Little early fabric is believed to survive. The building has been derelict for several decades and has been subject to previous repairs and building works including major renewal of the roofs. Internally very few features have survived.”
The increased plans have been approved but some concerns were raised about traffic accessing the site.
Resident Richard Moore objected saying: “More traffic on the roads because of eight extra dwellings means more problems for horse owners riding out and dog walkers too.
“There will also be more heavy plant machinery on the roads involved in the construction project.
“We moved here 22 years ago because it was a quiet area to live with hardly any traffic and in which to exercise our horses.
“If this project gets approval, the council should definitely put up more warning signs that horses are out and about on these quiet country lanes.
“There are very few bridleways in Claverley and horse riders have to use the lanes to get out.
“The nature and complexion of living here has changed enormously over 22 years because of the extra traffic arising from more building projects in the area.”
