Consent has been given for a disintegrated milestone at the Saracen's Head Hotel, Southwell, to be replaced
Planners have granted consent for a disintegrated milestone at the Saracen's Head Hotel, Southwell, to be replaced with a replica.
Newark and Sherwood District Council's planning committee was told there was little appetite from the hotel owners to do the work themselves, so granted permission to Southwell Civic Society to do the work.
The original application was made, and deferred, by committee in 2014.
Members agreed with the planning officer recommendation they were minded to approve the application subject to referral to the Secretary of State.
However, it was decided this should be subject to the signing of a Section 106 legal agreement ensuring that the replica milestone was erected within a timely manner from the original milestone being removed.
Westgate Brewery in Suffolk is the owner of the land.
As such, Westgate Brewery is required to sign any Section 106 legal agreement —a developer financial contribution — relating to the site
The report to committee said: "In reality, Westgate Brewery has very little interest in this application. Over the last five years the applicant, the council’s planning officers and the council’s solicitors have made numerous attempts to obtain the signature of the brewery but this is not forthcoming.
"As such, this application is being referred back to planning committee with no signed Section 106 legal agreement.
"Members are required to decide whether to refuse the application or whether to confirm that they are minded to support the application, subject to the amended conditions in the recommendation section of this report and subject to referral to the Secretary of State."
Southwell Civic Society said: “In order to satisfy the concerns of the planning committee that the stone would be removed and then not replaced, the trustess of the Southwell Civic Society are prepared to make a binding declaration that they would not remove the old milestone until the new one is ready for installation.
"Alternatively the trustees are willing to construct and carve the new stone so that it is available for inspection prior to planning permission being confirmed.”
The milestone used to read: To London 132 miles; To Mansfield 12 miles; To Newark 6 miles; To Nottingham 15 miles, but is now so faded as to be unreadable.
Committee chairman Roger Blaney said there was a frustration that the Section 106 agreement had not been signed.
Mr Blaney said he thought the new application a compromise.
It was supported by the town council but objected to by Historic England, an objection that Mr Blaney described as somewhat purist and that conserving something that was now unreadable seemed illogical.
The application was agreed by committee.
