‘Six months to sort it out’: Inspector backs Telford & Wrekin Council after developer demolished historic RAF buildings
A government inspector has sided with council planners after a developer demolished two historic former RAF sick quarters in rural Shropshire instead of converting them.
Richard Bruckshaw of Cotwall Property had appealed to the Planning Inspectorate after Telford & Wrekin Council slapped an enforcement notice on the site at Cotwall Road, Shirlowe, near High Ercall.
Inspector Felicity Thompson, who visited the site on August 27, told both sides that given the extent of demolition and rebuilding, it could not be said to represent the optimal use of the heritage asset.
This supported the council’s case and the enforcement notice has been upheld. The inspector said it would be “inappropriate” to allow that.
But the inspector disagreed with the council, which wanted the demolition of a new property.
Its “demolition would impact adversely on the significance of the settings of those surviving structures and the overall group value".
The inspector said the matters should properly be considered as part of any future proposal for the site.
The two sides had expressed a wish to reach a solution, the inspector noted.
“I note the appellant’s wish to continue engaging with the council to reach a solution,” the inspector wrote, "and the comment in the council’s submission that officers would raise no objection to the conversion of the one remaining building.”
The inspector added that: “The six-month compliance period should be used to explore whether an alternative scheme for the site, which may give scope for the retention of some or all of building A, could be granted planning permission.
“I emphasise that I make no comment about the acceptability of such a proposal.”
Telford & Wrekin Council planners had told the inspector that it would set a “dangerous precedent” if Cotwall Property was granted permission for “unauthorised” work carried out at the site.
Planners had told the inspector: “The appellant’s primary position is that the site being developed is re-using a heritage asset, preserving the site layout and redeveloping previously developed land.
“The council considers that this particular form of development, if allowed, sets a dangerous precedent where historic buildings are not preserved by being converted and instead are demolished and rebuilt.”
The buildings were neither statutorily nor locally listed but were considered considered to be of “local historical value, and deemed to be a non-designated heritage assets".
Original planning permission in the rural area was granted as conversion would have preserved the heritage of the site.
Council planners added: “Reconstruction of the demolished buildings would not have the same historical value as those lost.”
Permission had been granted for the conversion of the existing buildings into four residential units.
The council’s statement of case to the inspector said that the “owner/appellant” had stated that the “works were the same as a conversion as measurements had been taken prior to demolition".
Cotwall Property Limited had appealed saying that any planning permission should be granted for the work carried out.
Planning agents Halls Holdings of Shrewsbury told the inspector that the historic pattern and position of each building forming the development is retained.
An independent historic appraisal concluded that “in their judgement sufficient architectural features of historic interest and significance remain and absolutely worthy of retention".
The agents wrote that the proposals "would result in the optimal use of a heritage asset in complete compliance with the intent and objective of policy".
