Walsall City Council planners have refused permission for Strollers’ plans to replace the LM Legacy Health and Fitness Center in Crump Hill with new housing.
The center has been closed for years, but had it been allowed to be redeveloped, 18 one-bedroom apartments and four two-bedroom apartments would have been built.
But officials said the redevelopment would have a negative impact on the location of the Grade II-listed St Lawrence Church next door.
Other reasons for refusal include lack of off-street parking, lack of amenity space for some residents, concerns about anti-social behavior and legal agreements to secure payment of open space donations. It included no.
Representatives of the developer said the property had been on the market for rental for about four years without any success.
And in a heritage impact statement, Archeology Projects Services said alterations to the current building would improve views from the adjacent Grade II-listed St Lawrence Church.
Agent CT Planning said: “This property was actively jointly marketed for rental and sale by Mason Young and My World Estates between September 2019 and September 2022. (They) have had 12 viewings and none of them have shown any interest.”
“The site is sustainably located, close to public transport, Darlaston Town Center and a range of amenities and services, successfully achieving the 15-minute distance principle.
“This site is not located in a conservation area. However, St. Lawrence Church is located to the south of the site.
“We believe that appropriate landscape planning can be ensured depending on the conditions to mitigate the impact of development on listed properties.
“The property has been actively marketed for at least one year with little interest, in accordance with policy, and it has been demonstrated that there are sufficient replacement facilities in the immediate vicinity of the site to compensate for the loss of the building. .”Health Club.
“Overall, this proposal is considered to make the most efficient use of this brownfield site by increasing the size of the existing building to one storey to provide 22 apartments. .”