Appeal rejected over hall flats scheme

In May last year, Sheffield Council's city centre, south and east planning board refused planning consent for the development, at the listed Vestry Hall at the junction of Crookesmoor Road and Roebuck Road in Crookesmoor.

Adam Khan Architects had applied to redevelop the 19th-century Vestry Hall itself and also build a new extension to the adjoining Coach House, to form four self-contained flats housing 29 students.

At last year's meeting, councillors agreed with planning officers that the proposed development would "detract from the special architectural and historic interest" of the hall and also constitute an overdevelopment of the site.

Councillors also said that the flats would have created noise, disturbance and congestion on nearby roads.

The developer then appealed to the Secretary of State in an attempt to have the decision overturned, but this appeal has now been refused.

Members of the planning board will consider a report from the planning inspector at their meeting on Monday, March 29.

That report says: "In terms of listed building impact, the inspector felt that the rebuilding and extending of the Coach House would result in a building which contrasted successfully with the listed hall and complemented it in terms of scale.

"However, he concluded that the internal alterations to the hall were unacceptable, resulting in too much subdivision and disruption of the original form of the building, and that new additions such as windows and rooflights would be visually harmful.

"He agreed with the council that unacceptable levels of overlooking would accrue from the development."

The inspector, however, said that there was "insufficient evidence" that the flats would have caused extra noise, and the development was also "unlikely to create a demand for on-street parking that would compromise highway safety".

When the plans went before councillors last year they attracted a number of objections, from both local residents and the Sheffield Conservation Advisory Group.

The conservation group said "any use of the buildings leading to the retention of their existing form would be preferred" and subdividing the interior of the Vestry Hall would be "unacceptable".