Flats, houses and bungalows plan for site of Telford listed building

Portico House, on Vineyard Road, Wellington, is currently vacant, and has a 1960s-built extension, Donnington House, at its rear.

SRD Property Developments Ltd has applied to convert Portico House into five apartments and Donnington House into four two-storey houses, and build three bungalows on attached land to the north.

Wellington Town Council will be consulted about the change, and Telford & Wrekin Council will make its decision at a later date.

A design statement, prepared by Shrewsbury-based planning agent David Humphreys on behalf of SRD Property Developments, says: “Portico House is an 18th-century grade II listed three-storey building located outside the Wellington conservation area.”

He adds that proposed changes to the exterior are “negligible”.

Attached

Mr Humphreys adds: “Donnington House is a two-storey office building built in the 1960s. It is attached to the rear of Portico House and, as such, is also listed.

“The site has a large car parking area to the rear with access off Crescent Road.

“Three detached three-bed dormer bungalows are proposed to the rear of the car park.”

A heritage statement, prepared by historic building consultant Richard Morriss, says: “Portico House is one of a handful of slightly higher status dwellings built from the 18th century onwards on the northern edge of the historic core of the town.”

Mr Morriss says “little is known” of the building’s earliest history, but by the late 20th century it had been converted into a clinic and served as a drug rehabilitation centre until recently.

“The conversion from residential to clinical led to major internal changes to the older part of the property and the construction of a large extension to the rear, latterly called Donnington House.”