11th February 2019
Planning permission will enable sympathetic restoration of Wellington’s Cornhill Terrace
Alder King Planning Consultants, acting on behalf of Freemantle Developments Limited, have secured a resolution to grant planning permission for backland development in the heart of Wellington in Somerset.
Planning permission was granted at Taunton Deane Borough Council’s planning committee for the erection of 34 new build dwellings and Listed Building Consent for the conversion, alteration and extension of number 3 Cornhill to create four flats and the conversion of numbers 4-6 Cornhill to provide four town houses.
Mark Cullen, principal planner at Alder King, said: “The Cornhill terrace, a valuable heritage asset in Wellington, is in a very poor state of repair. The development proposals will enable its sympathetic restoration and enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area. This was seen by committee members as a clear benefit weighing in favour of development proposals.”
Alder King entered into detailed pre-application discussions with the Council over a period of several months to develop the scope, design and layout of the planning application. Following submission of the planning application to the Council in August last year, close collaboration with the Council’s technical officers resulted in further design improvements to the scheme which were carefully balanced against scheme viability. Freemantle also engaged with the South West Design Review Panel which was supportive of the project’s aspirations.
In its assessment of the application, the Council recognised the substantial benefits the scheme would have by reinvigorating Cornhill, contributing much-needed housing in a sustainable location, adding useful new local pedestrian connections for both existing and future residents and regenerating the town. On the basis of no technical objections restricting development in this location, Taunton Deane’s planning committee voted in favour of the officer’s recommendation for approval.