‘ABHORRENT’ changes made to convert a Grade II listed Westbury Leigh church, which is in a conservation area, into four apartments, must be undone after planning appeals were thrown out by a Wiltshire Council inspector.
Westbury Town councillors at a highways, planning and development meeting last week said they celebrated the news that the bids for listed building consent and planning permission for Westbury Leigh Baptist Church were rejected.
“This is extremely good news,” cllr Gordon King told members. “This person showed absolute disregard for this building, internally and externally. It’s an absolute abhorrence. He carried on regardless. He changed the front with car parking spaces, which he should not have been able to do. There was great disquiet locally about it. Unless he’s going to the High Court, he will have to start undigging what he’s done, which will be very interesting indeed.”
In the ruling, the inspector said public benefits presented by the applicant would be outweighed by the unacceptable harm the alterations would cause to the building. The church was constructed circa 1796-97 then enlarged by the addition of a Sunday School between 1847 and 1871.
The inspector’s report said, “This is an impressive red brick building with single pediment front and slate roof, set at an angle and in an elevated position in relation to the road, which increases its prominence within the street scene.
“The significance of this Grade II listed building primarily does not solely derive from its historic interest, but also from its architectural detailing and characteristic layout as a former place of worship with its single interrupted space, which can still be appreciated.”
Planning permission and listed building consent were previously granted for the conversion of the Sunday school into four one-bedroom apartments and the chapel into a three-bedroom dwelling. Works were well under way, the inspector said, but the applications sought further consent for the change of use of the chapel building into four two-bedroom flats.
“The proposed development and works would require the demolition of the balcony and the erection of a number of partition walls, which would bisect the appeal building both vertically and horizontally,” the inspector said. “As well as causing a significant loss of historic fabric, the proposed subdivisions would harmfully erode the spacious and open character of the former chapel, to the detriment of its architectural and historic significance.”
Cllr Sheila Kimmins said, “I would like the inspector to keep an eagle eye on this and make sure it’s put back as it should be.”
“What will happen to this building?” asked cllr Nick Pyne. “Will it just fall down eventually? It’s sad with a building like this because it’s too expensive to run as a dwelling.”
But cllr King responded, “He put himself in this position, it’s up to him and Wiltshire Council to make sure he puts everything right.”
