Flats plan for 17th Century Bridgnorth home criticised as ‘damaging’
Campaigners have claimed plans to turn a 17th Century house into flats will compromise its beauty, and that more appropriate options should be considered instead.
Bridgnorth Civic Society has criticised plans made by Charles Fox-Davies to change the three-storey town house in High Street into seven flats.
The society has raised concerns that the original features including panelled doors, a half-panelled staircase and fireplaces with delft tiles could be damaged in renovations to the property.
The society said: “This 17th Century town house is unique, being the only three-storey property left on the High Street in original condition.
"Despite not having been occupied for many years, it is remarkably well preserved and unassuming.
They went on to say: “By a conversion of this nature, all features that make it Grade II-listed will be very much compromised by being obscured or altered to such a degree they are no longer cohesive as a whole building.
“A property with special character as this deserves to be treated carefully,” Bridgnorth Civic Society added.
“We would strongly like to see this property brought back into use in a more appropriate way, where it could be appreciated as the ‘town house’ as described in the application heritage statement, rather than seven flats.”
The design and access statement states: “There is a strong demand in Bridgnorth for single-person letting rooms with en-suite shower rooms and cooking facilities.”
It added that substantial rebuilding is not envisaged and features will be retained and, in some cases, repaired in a way which will not damage the historic structure during the renovation.
Bridgnorth Town Council considered the application at its planning meeting last week and said about it: “It is recommended that this application be considered by the Southern Planning Committee to address the concerns raised and that a site visit would be justified.”
