Newport dental surgery plans are pulled

A plan to convert an historic Newport building into a dental surgery with flats has been withdrawn after heritage concerns were raised.

Britannia House Dental Surgery is planning to move from New Street in Newport into a Grade II-listed three-storey building in St Mary’s Street in the town centre.

Telford & Wrekin Council has this week confirmed that the application has been withdrawn.

It follows concern from the council’s senior conservation and design officer that not enough information had been provided about proposed internal work.

The official had responded to details of the plans by saying that they supported it in principle.

But the council said it needed more details about fire safety measures and what would be proposed to prevent noise from the dental surgery being heard by residents of the new flats.

The concern centres on work that would be carried out on “historic floorboards” to fill voids with mineral wool.

Officials also want more information about proposed suspended ceilings, the blocking of “historic doorways” and lining walls with plasterboard and insulation.

“The application currently fails to demonstrate that acoustic and fire safety measures can be delivered without unacceptable harm to historic fabric,” officials wrote.

“Without detailed, heritage-sensitive specifications for acoustic and fire safety works, the application cannot be supported.”

Under the proposal, the front of the ground and first floors would be used as a dentist surgery, while two apartments would span all three floors.

A two-bed duplex was proposed for the ground and first floors, while a three-bedroom apartment was planned for the second floor, to be accessed by a staircase to the rear of the building.

The applicant’s agent has told the council: “I have been given instructions to withdraw the current applications relating to 38 St Marys Street.”