A PLANNING application has been submitted to convert a former Grade II Listed hotel in Whitchurch into a residential property.

Dodington Lodge has been hotel for over 70 years before its closure last year and since then RPS Design Group, acting on behalf of applicant Jason Lansley, has been working on plans for its conversion.

In a design and access statement accompanying the plans the developers explain that the transformation will entail turning the hotel into seven apartments and a development of five detached bungalows, with associated hard and soft external works within the grounds.

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It reads: “The proposal is to redevelop a now vacant building and bring it back into long term viable use.

“The new buildings are designed to sit comfortably within the area, being of a relatively contemporary design, albeit sitting with the listed building.

“The primary heritage values of the building are conserved.”

An application for the change of use was granted in June of 2022, since when, initials plans were withdrawn after a comment from a Shropshire Council Historic Environment Development Services consultee.

The consultee said: “There is insufficient detail and information provided to be able to assess the full impact of the proposed changes to the main listed building.

“Such as missing sections to the areas where the levels within the building are being revised from existing to proposed and little in the way of description/assessment of the proposed work.”

In the new application, RPS Design says that there won’t be a lot of changes coming to the old Dodington Lodge building.

They said: “The primary heritage values and significance of the building are unaffected by the proposals.

“The proposals to the building are minimal and impact where previous change has occurred.

“Internally where significance is moderate, change impacts upon the more modern parts of the building and includes removal of later walls and insertion of new walls.”

A section of the wall from the original range is proposed to be removed, but they believe that it is “relatively difficult to interpret as original”.

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They added: “The impact of works is considered negligible in terms of the heritage values of the building, given the lack of significance internally.

“Most of these works are reversible should future owners wish to revert the building back to its current, but non-original form.”

Now the application is pending consideration by Shropshire Council's planning department.