Hotel development for derelict listed building refused

Shropshire Council’s Southern Planning Committee unanimously voted against the scheme submitted by Nazmo Limited at Neach Hill in Neachley, near Shifnal.

It involved converting a Grade II listed house into a 12-bedroom hotel, building a 46-bedroom hotel block and pool building to form a spa, the conversion of a Coach House to provide additional guest accommodation, repairing and reinstating a wall garden with new orangery and ancillary buildings, and erecting 58 houses to faciltate the construction work.

The villa was built in the 19th Century but fell into disrepair in the early 2000s. It soon became a notorious venue for illegal raves, resulting in what the owners described as “extensive” damage to the building.

A planning consultant speaking on behalf of the applicant said considerable pre-application consultations took place with the council, including visits to the site, which were positive. However, the planning officer’s recommendation was to refuse the proposal.

Reasons given were that it would be an inappropriate development in the green belt, would lead to an increase in vehicles, and has the potential to impact adversely on the residential amenity of the area in respect to noise and disturbance.

“I’m quite up for it to be a hotel, but 58 houses is too much, and the footprint for the hotel is far big and it will disrupt the look of what is a graded building,” said Councillor Nigel Lumby.

“It detracts from the house, so for that reason and the fact it is in greenbelt, I cannot support this.”

Councillor Andy Boddington added: “This is far from a perfect application, there’s lots of information missing. This should have been an outline planning application and not a full one. This development is too much for the location and too much for the surrounding roads.”