Plans to demolish one of Stoke-on-Trent's oldest houses have been rejected by the local council - for the third time.

An application to demolish Ford Green House, Smallthorne, and redevelop the site with ten houses was refused in 2008. Another proposal to demolish the property was refused in 2023.

Fresh plans to demolish the historic home and replace it with three houses were submitted in August 2023 and refused by the council again this week (6 November).

The house has suffered from vandalism and arson in recent years (LDRS).

A heritage statement submitted as part of the most recent application said: "Since the early-21st century the house has suffered from poor maintenance, vandalism and arson and has thus been significantly damaged; it is no longer safe and is in danger of further collapse. It is also an obvious danger to the public.

"It is considered that Ford Green House is now in such a poor and derelict condition that any of the historical or architectural heritage it may once had had has been so severely compromised that it would no longer be considered as a non-designated heritage asset under the guidelines of the National Planning Policy Framework.

"The degree of necessary rebuilding work to restore the property is such that more of its fabric would need to be lost in the process and the end result would be in effect little more than a replica utilising the salvageable elements of the external shell."

The applicant wanted to demolish the historic house and build three new homes (Image via planning application).

One objection was received from a third party, who suggested that the applicant should look at rebuilding Ford Green House instead of demolishing it.

An Officer's Report, published by the council, says: "The proposal involves the demolition of a heritage asset and the applicant has failed to provide solid justification for this and the application contains a lack of information on the feasibility of restoration and measures taken to prevent further deterioration.

"The scheme proposes re-development of the site to allow for three dwellings, however, a number of significant concerns have been identified and the scheme is overall, considered to be poorly designed, having adverse impacts on residential amenity and the established pattern of the existing built form."

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