Inspector backs council decision to reject flats

A council's decision to reject plans for a development next to a former library has been upheld.

Plans were submitted last year to build a three-storey building which would house nine apartments near the former Pear Tree Library in Normanton, Derby.

Derby City Council rejected the application which prompted an appeal by applicant and developer 2i Investments.

But the government Planning Inspectorate upheld the council's refusal on the grounds the development would cause "significant harm" to the building.

Originally known as the Carnegie Library, the building is locally listed, meaning it does not meet the criteria for being nationally listed but has "architectural or historical importance" to the local area, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

In its appeal after the council rejected the proposal in February 2024, the developer argued the design of the flats would "intertwine fittingly" with the historical building and its setting – not harm it.

But the Planning Inspectorate's decision report said: "It is fair to assert that the new block of development would not be experienced as a genuinely subordinate and respectful addition to either the west wing or wider building taken as a whole.

"I find that the proposed development would fail to preserve the building and cause significant harm to its heritage significance.

"As a consequence, a localised adverse effect upon the Portland Street street scene would also materialise."

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