Shropshire author Mary Webb's home saved from bulldozers

Proposals to knock down the home and redevelop the land and gardens have fallen at the final planning hurdle.

But they may end up being redrawn and submitted again in the future.

Businessman Joe Kwaterski bought Spring Cottage, at Lyth Hill, near Bayston Hill, and wanted to demolish it and build a six-bedroom house, complete with pool, gym, studio and orangery.

Villagers were outraged at the proposal, claiming the home, where Webb had lived while writing her hit book Precious Bane in the early 1920s, and the surrounding gardens were part of the local literary heritage of Shropshire.

Shropshire Council's development manager Ian Kilby has now refused to grant the scheme planning approval using delegated powers.

In his report he said: "The local planning authority accepts that the existing rural dwelling is not small or low cost, having recently been marketed with a guide price of £500,000, nor is it a heritage asset considered worthy of retention.

"However the bulk, scale, and height of the resultant dwelling are not considered to respect the local character of the area and are not sympathetic to the size and mass of the original dwelling.

"The scale and height of the proposal is not considered to protect the residential amenities of neighbouring properties."

Mr Kwaterski said today he was disappointed with the decision but said he would continue with the plans to replace the building.

He said: "We see this decision as a deferment . There might be scope for an appeal or for amendments."

Members of Longden Parish Council also failed to back the application in November. They voted unanimously to oppose the plans.

Parish council chairman Roger Evans said: "I welcome the decision of the planning officer.

"Residents did not totally reject the possibility that the house may be replaced by another building but what was proposed was totally out of proportion with the site.

"The history of the site is something we need to preserve. The house may have been modified but the views and gardens were very similar to what Mary Webb sat in and where she drew her inspiration. "

Mr Kwaterski can now appeal the decision. He may also amend the plans and resubmit them.

Spring Cottage was built by Mary Webb and her husband Henry in 1926.

Mr Kwaterski claims the house, which he bought for more than £500,000, bears little resemblance to the home when it was built for the author, who wrote Precious Bane and Gone to Earth while living at the property. Mrs Webb lived at the house until her death in 1927 at the age of 46.

Gladys Mary Coles, Mary Webb's official biographer and president of the Mary Webb Society, spoke last year when the plans were first unveiled.

He said: "I am utterly appalled at the plans. The new owner has inherited a piece of Shropshire history that draws people to Lyth Hill.

"I am shocked at the news. To flatten the cottage and destroy the grounds, which Mary Webb herself created and which inspired her to write her many books and poems, would destroy the ambiance of the place."