Telford care home must remove buildings after losing planning appeal

The Priory Nursing and Residential Home built a retaining wall, car park and two buildings with raised decking areas as part of unauthorised work two years ago.

Home director Steven Singh applied for retrospective permission for 11 new tarmacked parking spaces, a retaining wall and 14 lamp posts, stating that the work at the one-acre site had already begun.

A design statement submitted by the applicant described the work as “urgent” to “enable the home to meet new government Covid-19 guidelines” and ensure resident, visitor and staff safety.

Telford & Wrekin Council planning officers refused the application in May 2021, stating that the work had a ‘harmful impact’ of the setting of the former stately home built in the 19th century – a registered building of Building of Local Interest.

The local authority added that the car parking area, retaining wall and the installation of three lampposts ‘derives visual clutter’ at the front of the historic building.

Next to the car park a mature Atlas Cedar tree which was the subject of a Tree Preservation Order was felled.

“The council has issued a Tree Replacement Notice in respect of the Atlas Cedar, and it is considered that the development will affect the future amenity value of the replacement tree including impeding its growth,” the council’s enforcement notice said.

The enforcement notice included two buildings with raised timber decking which the council said were ‘an inappropriate form of development which fail to respond positively to its context or enhance the quality of the local built environment’.

The council added that one of the buildings was close to the boundary wall at the front of the home and was considered a ‘incongruous feature within the street scene’.

The builds were constructed on the site where the council says two trees subject to a Tree Preservation Order were unlawfully felled.

It has been stated that the buildings will need to be removed to allow the re-planting of the two trees to take place.

The council gave the applicant three months to complete the work when the enforcement notice came into effect in May 2021.

An appeal has now been dismissed following a hearing and written representation.