As reported in the ‘Local News’ many local people were delighted when almost a year ago, Gedling Borough Council’s Planning Committee voted overwhelmingly to refuse a planning application to demolish the cottage and outbuildings at 34 Main Street, located between St Wilfrid’s Church and St Wilfrid’s Square.
The proposed development sought to remove all of the old buildings and intensively develop the area with a combination of three and two storey retail units and apartments, necessitating the loss of the entire garden and old orchard.
However, there is now a risk that the decision taken to refuse the development will be overturned on appeal. The applicant waited until the very last day of the available 6-month window to lodge an appeal against the planning permission refusal and the case is now being actively determined by the National Planning Inspectorate, on the basis of written representations.
The possibility of the appeal process finding in the applicant’s favour might be more likely because (GBC) Gedling Borough Council’s Planning Department actually recommended that the application should have been approved by the Planning Committee – despite strong objections by residents and significant concerns being raised by Historic England and GBC’s own Conservation & Heritage Officer.
The appeal documents can be viewed via reference 2019/1180 on the GBC website’s ‘comment on a planning application’ facility and additional comments can be submitted, by July 7th, directly to the Planning Inspectorate online at: https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk
It was hoped that the application’s refusal might have prompted alternative plans to be put forward for the old buildings and garden to be sensitively restored to their former glory.
Now we must continue to wait – the fate of our village centre appears, once again, to be out of our hands!
Written by Chris Peck – Calverton Preservation & History Society