Heritage officer objects to parking plan for property in Paradise, Coalbrookdale
A council’s built heritage officer has objected to a homeowner creating a parking space outside their property, despite permission for similar works being granted.
Plans were submitted for the creation of a parking space as part of home improvements to a property on Paradise in Coalbrookdale, in the Ironbridge Gorge.
The two-storey brick terraced home was believed to have been built in the 1930s and sits within the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site (WHS) and the Severn Gorge Conservation Area.
“The application will add sympathetically designed changes to the existing terraced house and provide a much needed parking space for the property,” said the applicant in their planning and design statement.
“The property has limited architectural merit compared to the historic properties along the River Severn. The new owner wishes to make some limited changes to the house and curtilage to improve and modernise the property.”
The applicant says that building a parking space would ‘not greatly’ alter the character of the surrounding area.
The design statement added: “The property is set directly off the adjacent lane with a rented parking place down the road which is not ideal for the property owner.
“The creation of a parking place outside the property within the curtilage will add significantly to the property and there will be no increase in traffic created by the proposed scheme.
“The overall visual character of the site has been carefully considered to maintain the visual amenity of the local setting and neighbouring properties. The parking space will not greatly alter the character of the area, the windows will match the existing units and the works to the rear will not be seen from any public viewpoints.
“Other houses along Paradise have created parking spaces so the scheme would replicate these properties.”
The council’s built heritage officer objected to the scheme, despite noting that planning permission for ‘similar works’ was granted to another property on Paradise.
“It is considered that removing the existing retaining wall and erecting a new one recessed 3.6m back from the road would disrupt the historic street pattern, alter the line of the traditional garden frontages and boundary treatments, and disrupt the relationships between the buildings,” said the heritage officer.
“This would cause harm to the outstanding universal value of the WHS and the character and appearance of the SGCA.
“It is further considered that the proposal does not include sufficient public benefit to balance the harm identified above.”
The heritage officer raised no objections to other home renovation works as part of the plans.
In response the applicant argued houses along Paradise road are not of ‘high architectural merit’ and other residents have been allowed to create parking areas.
The council’s highways officer also objected to the scheme after raising concerns about the ‘insufficient length’ of the proposed parking space.
The applicant has withdrawn the proposals and plans to re-submit them meeting highways requirements.
