Group may take legal action to save listed Newport building

8:20am Wednesday 25th April 2012 in News

A CONSERVATION group said it may resort to legal action over plans to partially demolish a listed 19th century gentry house in the north of the city.

Rydale Court Properties Ltd has applied to Newport council to partially demolish and refurbish Woodlands House, Woodlands Drive, Malpas and build houses in its grounds.

SAVE Britain’s Heritage said it could potentially seek a judicial review if the plans are approved by Newport council’s planning committee when it meets today.

But planners have recommended they be approved.

Under the scheme extensions to Woodlands House would be demolished, according to a report to the committee.

The building would be remodelled to create six new apartments, and seven four-bedroom detached houses would be built within the property’s grounds.

In a letter to the council SAVE Britain’s Heritage said the proposed demolition would constitute substantial demolition and would would result in a “great change” harming the building’s
significance.

The group said that the building, a grade II-listed house believed to date from around 1850 and built in a “restrained classical style,” is a rare survivor of its type and period in the city, and
is important as part of the development of Newport.

“Were your council to grant consent and SAVE… felt there were grounds for a challenge, we would not hesitate to initiate judicial review proceedings,” the letter read.

According to the planning report currently only one of the eight apartments at the home is occupied. The building is on the council’s buildings ‘at risk’ register.

Newport council’s historic buildings conservation officer said he couldn’t support the application because of the impact it would have on the building’s character and setting.

A viability report found that to convert the entire building into flats would cost £6.66 million, but to demolish the later extensions of the building would reduce costs to £3.04 million.

But the new homes would need to be built to make the scheme viable, an agent for the applicant told planners, as the apartments would only generate a return of £990,000.

The report from planners acknowledged that the scheme would “adversely impact” on the architectural and historic interest and setting of the listed building.

But it said that, given the desire to reuse the site and the viability of refurbishment being secured, the proposals were justified.

It recommended the plans are approved with conditions.

Comment now! Register or sign in below.

Or