Developer refused permission to remove planning condition on Stone church conversion

A developer converting a former Stone church into new apartments has said he will win his appeal against Stafford Borough Council after his request to change a planning condition was rejected.

Alistair Howells, who has been working on the transformation of St John’s Church for several years, also raised concerns about how his applications have been dealt with by the authority at Wednesday’s planning committee meeting.

He applied for a condition requiring four first-floor windows to be obscure-glazed, imposed as part of a previous planning consent in November 2022, to be removed. But planning committee members refused permission for the condition to be removed after hearing from a neighbour that it would lead to future occupants of the new home being able to see into their house and garden.

The Grade II Listed church, which dates back to the 1870s, closed to worshippers in 2012 because the congregation were unable to afford the hefty repair bill, which had shot up to £1.75 million. Mr Howells bought the site at auction in 2013 for £157,000, and initially, it was proposed to turn the former church into a restaurant.

In 2015, Stafford Borough Council turned down plans to convert the building and add a two-storey extension to create four apartments, with a two-and-a-half-storey building proposed for the church car park to provide an additional four flats. A fresh application was submitted in 2016 for conversion of the building and a two-storey extension to provide five apartments, with four more to be provided in a new two-and-a-half-storey building on the church car park, and permission was allowed on appeal in 2017.

Listed Building Consent was also granted on appeal; however, due to a failure to discharge a condition of the Listed Building Consent, that consent lapsed.

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A number of works carried out on the building, including the replacement of coloured glass windows and installation of roof lights in a revised position, were deemed unauthorised. However, planning committee members granted retrospective consent in November 2022 for variation of approved plans and retention of works to the listed building.

Neighbour Keith Handy objected to window changes at the 2022 meeting, raising concerns that they would “literally open into our garden and look into the corner of our home.”

On Wednesday, he urged committee members to reject the latest application to remove the obscure glazing requirements for four first-floor windows.

He said:

“This is about our privacy and amenity. We have lived next door for nearly a quarter of a century.

“This is deeply personal to us, and we have had to live with uncertainty since the church was sold in 2012. We don’t have a right of appeal, so we rely on you to protect us.”

But Mr Howells said:

“There is no right to privacy in a garden. If there was, it would be impossible to build new estates, all of which overlook gardens.

“There are a lot of questions to answer about conduct relating to my development and the planning and Listed Building Consents for it over the last three and a half years. I have highlighted my concerns in a meeting, and there is an ongoing situation.

“If the (application is) not passed, I will appeal the decision, and I will both win and be awarded costs. The condition goes against the report of the Inspector when he passed (a previous) application at appeal.”