Accommodation plans for listed town centre building refused

Plans to convert a listed building in the heart of the town centre into accomodation have been refused.

The proposed conversion of The Old Registry on 23 Chester Street into 11 flats had been submitted on behalf of Walker Smith Way, who currently occupy the building, in May 2017.

The Grade II listed building is thought to date back to 1727, with the application explaining its use through time as a house, offices and the District Register Office – thus the title over the entrance.

Documents submitted a the time stated that the development would be ‘sympathetic to the existing building and not detrimental to the appearance or character’.

The existing 15 space car park at the rear of the property would also have been retained to service the flats.

However in a document due before Wrexham’s planning committee in the new year it is noted that the application has been refused under delegated decisions – meaning the proposals will not be discussed by councillors.

Details about the reasons for the application’s refusal, state: “Insufficient information has been submitted with the application to demonstrate that the proposal would not adversely impact on the special architectural or historic interest of the Grade II listed building.

“As such, it has not been demonstrated that the proposal as submitted, would respect the character of the listed building in question.”