A developer has been forced back to the drawing board after council planners slammed a proposal to convert a former care home into nine flats as "excessive" for a quiet Wolverhampton neighbourhood.
Revised Plans Submitted After Council Rejection
Plans to transform the former Abbeyfield House care home on Church Hill Road in Tettenhall into nine one-bedroom flats were formally refused by City of Wolverhampton Council in December. The authority criticised the scheme for being too intense for the local area.
In response, a fresh planning application has now been lodged with the council. The new proposal seeks permission for five flats instead of the original nine. This would comprise four two-bedroom units and one one-bedroom flat.
Interestingly, despite the reduction in the number of units, the applicant states the new configuration would still accommodate the same overall number of residents as the previously rejected scheme.
Council's Scathing Critique of Original Scheme
In a report detailing the refusal for the nine-flat plan, council planners were unequivocal in their criticism. They stated the proposal represented an "overdevelopment of the site" due to the number of units and the intensity of the built form.
The council argued the density was "excessive relative to the building size and surrounding context" in what is a "quiet residential neighbourhood" within the Tettenhall conservation area. They concluded it would result in a cramped development that failed to respect the area's established character and would harm residential amenity.
Parking and Design Concerns Highlighted
The refusal report also pinpointed several specific flaws in the original application:
Inadequate Parking: Planners highlighted that Church Hill Road is notably narrow with limited off-street parking and frequent congestion. The proposal for only nine spaces for nine apartments, with no visitor parking, was deemed insufficient. The council warned this would lead to overspill parking, harming highway safety and local amenity.
Poor Design Choices: The council also took issue with plans to replace the building's original timber windows and doors with UPVC alternatives. They described this as "unsympathetic" and stated it would "remove a traditional feature that contributes positively to the building’s character", causing harm to the conservation area.
Lack of Amenity Space: The shared garden space provided was labelled "inadequate", and the plans also failed to provide enough cycle storage or space for bins.
What Happens Next?
The ball is now in the council's court to assess the newly submitted application for five flats at Abbeyfield House. Planners will scrutinise whether the revised scheme adequately addresses the multiple concerns raised about overdevelopment, parking, and design within the sensitive conservation area.
The outcome will be closely watched by local residents and will set a precedent for the intensity of development considered acceptable in such historic Wolverhampton neighbourhoods.
