PLANS to convert the upper floors of a former Lichfield city centre bar into apartments have been rejected.
The former Chameleon site at 4 Bore Street would have been brought back into use for the first time in more than a decade had the scheme been given the go ahead.
It would have seen the ground floor retained as a pub, with the upper levels converted to become self-contained flats.
A planning statement said:
“It is proposed to convert the existing two vacant first and second floor rooms to one and two bedrooms with bathrooms, lounge, dining room and kitchen for each flat. Access will be via a rear door.
“The public house will be rented out to a tenant and the four self-contained flats will also be rented out.”
But Lichfield District Council’s planning committee has refused permission for the development in the listed building.
As well as not adhering to the Lichfield city centre design code, concerns were also raised about the viability of residential use.
A planning officer’s report said:
“Objections have also been received from neighbouring properties due to the proposed smoking area to the rear of the site and the potential for access issues resulting from the proposal at the rear of the site.
“It has not been demonstrated how the proposal to have a public house on the ground floor and apartments directly above will work in practice without causing issues for the residents on the floors above.
“The environmental health officer was consulted on this application and has concerns over odour and noise issues and is not able to support the application. An informal handwritten ‘noise assessment’ was provided by the applicant, but this is not considered to be acceptable to understand and mitigate the potential impacts of noise on the future occupants and occupants of nearby residences.
“During quieter evening times, when residents would expect respite from the city centre, disturbance would be of detriment to the living conditions of the occupants of the flats.
“In this location, the design code states that all new residential amenity should include the provision of at least 7.5 sq m for a single bedroom and 11.5 sq m for a double bedroom. Two of the bedrooms on the first floor plan do not meet those standards and neither bedroom on the second floor meet the standards.
“Therefore, the units are not large enough to comfortably cater for all of the occupants’ day-to-day activities and living needs, and are cramped to the extent that satisfactory living conditions for occupiers are not provided.
“Additionally, the layout provides no private amenity space for either unit. The development therefore lacks any suitable private space for access to daylight and fresh air and activities such as drying, washing and growing plants.
“The development fails to provide satisfactory living conditions for the occupiers of the flats.”
Full details of the application and refusal decision can be found on Lichfield District Council’s planning website.
