A North Yorkshire man has been told he cannot create an additional parking space outside his property due to the unacceptable impact the plans would have on the heritage area.
Andrew Moore’s application to demolish a brick garden store in order to enlarge the parking area at the rear of his 18th-century Georgian terraced house in Whitby has been rejected by North Yorkshire Council.
Submitted plans stated that the structure at 16 Bagdale, in Whitby’s conservation area, had “no architectural or historic significance”.
However, council officers and a national organisation raised concerns about the impact of the plan.
The Council for British Archaeology said that the contemporary 19th-century rear addition “contributes to the special interest of the listed building in evidencing how the site’s functional requirements were met historically as part of its domestic use”.
The CBA added that the application was “contrary to legislation and national planning policy for management of the historic environment” and urged the council to refuse the scheme.
Concerns were also raised by planners who said that “the wall subject to the proposal is not just a boundary feature, it forms part of the historic evolution and setting of the listed building”.
A council report states: “Together with the surviving outbuilding fabric, it evidences the historic development of the site from the late 18th century onwards and contributes positively to the character of Bagdale through its age, materials, form and historic associations.
“The surviving arched opening, albeit infilled, provides a tangible link to the original arrangement and function of the outbuilding and enhances the evidential value of the structure.”
They said that the proposed removal of the single-storey outbuilding and section of rear boundary wall would result in the “loss of historic fabric and a heritage feature that makes a positive contribution to both the significance of the listed building and the character and appearance of the Whitby conservation area”.
Officers concluded: “As a consequence, the proposed total removal of the outbuilding and boundary wall to create an extended parking space is considered to be unacceptable.”
The application was rejected by the Local Planning Authority on Wednesday, 22 July.