Plea to back Great Barr Hall restoration as designs released

Residents are pleading with planners to back a major project by the BCG Lakes Limited consortium to save Great Barr Hall and put an end to antisocial behaviour in the area.

Plans have been lodged to carry out a restoration and alterations of the Grade II Listed building and park to create a hotel/wedding conference centre, restaurant, two gatehouse lodges and 57 homes.

But the scheme has attracted objections due to concerns around the ability to restore the crumbling mansion, increased traffic, threat to wildlife and impact on local services.

Walsall Civic Society said the hall is in such poor condition, it is not possible to repair it.

Members of Walsall Council’s planning committee are being recommended to refuse the application, with officers citing a number of reasons, including poor design, failure to protect or preserve the historic interest of the buildings and inappropriate green belt development.

However, 385 have residents signed a petition in support of the proposal, while a further 95 signatures were on a petition set up by people on the Nether Hall Estate calling for the hall to be saved.

Several letters of support have also been submitted, including one which says: “The proposal represents a final chance to preserve and improve the area and reduce antisocial behaviour.”

In the application, agents Lapworth Architects said problems on the land have resulted in security guards with dogs now patrolling the site 24 hours a day.

Issues include arson attacks on the hall itself, fires started in woodland areas, motorbikes, quads and four by fours accessing the land and assaults.

They said the development along with security measures would be a long-term solution to these problems.

“The application design has been carefully prepared after looking carefully at the site and the options available to achieve a sustainable long-term solution to save Great Barr Hall and the best sections of the adjoining park," they said,

“The design has been developed with extensive consultation with the council and English Heritage and many others including public consultation and in the main the application design has received support.

“We would ask the council to now grant consent as soon as possible.”

The 18th century Great Barr Hall sits within the grounds of the former St Margaret’s Hospital, part of which is being redeveloped with a 450-property housing scheme.

A number of proposals have been put forward to restore Great Barr Hall and Park over the years but none has come to fruition. The building is currently fenced off and supported by scaffolding.

Despite its current state, Historic England and the council’s conservation officer have voiced their opposition to the proposal.

Walsall Civic Society also said: “The hall is now in such a poor state of repair that it presently has little or no historic value.

“The Civic Society advice is that the remains of the hall could be left as a ruin or relic within the park land.

“The existing hall is not capable of repair but would need to be largely rebuilt and this would result in de-listing the structure.”

The proposal will be discussed at Walsall Council planning committee on Thursday, February 10.