Plans for city centre store scuppered

Plans to rejig a prominent but empty Hereford shop to create access to the upstairs floors have been rejected.

M & M Portfolio of Buckinghamshire had sought planning permission to alter the layout of the three-storey former Monsoon/Accessorize store in High Town, Hereford, which closed in mid-2021.

This was to include a new door on what had been the frontage to Accessorize at 11 High Town, a grade II listed building, to provide access to the upper floors  via a new staircase.

A new partition wall was to be added within the shop, the existing lift and staircases to the basement and first floor removed, and a service added door to the timber-framed rear.

An accompanying heritage statement implied that the currently unused upper floors would then be converted to residential use, an idea which had formed part of the pre-application discussion with the council. But the actual planning application did not seek permission for this.

Buildings conservation officer Debra Lewis said she had “grave reservations in respect of the proposed staircase to the upper floors being considered, as the works to the upper floors have not been applied for”.

Without this, “it is premature to consider the access to the upper floors in isolation”, she said, and suggested the application be withdrawn and later resubmitted along with plans for the upper floors.

In refusing the “premature” bid, planning officer Simon Rowles agreed that “harm to the building cannot be justified” in the absence of plans for the upper floors.