'Overdeveloped and cramped': Plans to convert former Ludlow bar and restaurant into 11 apartments rejected
Shropshire Council has rejected plans to transform Ludlow’s former Chang Thai restaurant into 11 apartments, ruling the scheme would “overdevelop” the Grade II-listed town-centre site.
Plans to turn a former Ludlow pub and restaurant into an apartment block have been thrown out by Shropshire Council.
Until last summer, the Grade II-listed building on Market Street was home to the Chang Thai bar and restaurant.
The beloved venue closed in July last year after 20 years of providing Ludlow with food, art and entertainment.
Though he said he looked back fondly on "20 glorious years" serving residents and visitors, then owner Adam Tutt said he wasn't planning on renewing his lease having become "exhausted" by the years of "100 per cent commitment" required to run a hospitality business.
Plans to extend the property and convert it into 11 one- and two-bedroom apartments were submitted to Shropshire Council in May by developer Justine Cawley Property.
Documents stated that, during the work, several modern additions to the historic property would be removed - including vents, plumbing and plants, in order to return the facade to its original form.
The plans stated: "The proposal would deliver the opportunity to restore the listed building to its former status and through its conversion, ensure the long-term future of the asset.
"The mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments would make better use of a vacant building in a sustainable location, enlivening and strengthening the existing community and boosting local businesses."
But the plans were met with resistance from Ludlow Town Council, who argued the proposal was an "overdevelopment" of the site.
Now, Shropshire Council's planning department has agreed and thrown out the application.
Rejecting the plans, a spokesperson for the planning authority wrote: "The site is constricted by the existing building and surrounding built form, the proposed number of flats, scale and configuration within this space would create an overdeveloped and cramped feel to the site."
The full application and decision are available to view online on Shropshire Council's planning portal using reference number 25/01889/FUL.
