No decision on flats

A decision was not made on a proposals to build a number of flats behind a city centre pub after the application was withdrawn.

The proposal would have seen a four-storey apartment building built behind The Firefly pub and various other buildings in Lowesmoor in Worcester.

Worcester City Council’s planning committee had meet in the Guildhall last Thursday (April 28) to make a decision but the item was removed from the agenda at the last minute after the application was withdrawn.

The council’s planning officers had recommended to the committee that the plan should be refused because it was too big for the space.

A number of objections were made against the plan during consultation and it was criticised for using “highly selective” results from noise tests carried out in June during the Covid lockdown – when the pub would be quieter than usual – to support the scheme.

The planning application for the four-story apartment building stated that noise from the pub and surrounding area could be “suitably controlled” for the people living in the flats.

The recommendation from the council’s planners said the building was “poorly considered” and would look “contrived” and would be unsuitable for future residents.

The recommendation of refusal from the council said: “The proposals by reason of its layout, scale and mass, inactive frontages to the proposed front elevation and proximity to the boundaries with neighbouring development would result in a contrived and poorly considered development that would cause harm to the character of the area and adversely impact on existing commercial operations, [such as] the Firefly and Elim Pentecostal Church and are considered to be an overdevelopment of the site.

“The proposals would potentially impact on the long-term viability of the evening economy and community assets such as the Firefly.

“The layout and scale of the proposed development would result in harm to the amenities of existing neighbouring residential occupiers but also would fail to provide an appropriate residential environment for future residential occupiers by reason of overlooking, interlooking between residential properties, a poor quality and contrived layout and dark external and internal space which would be reliant on artificial light.”