Proposed North Devon Maritime Museum building refused

Applicants were looking to improve visitor experience

A project to improve the visitor experience at Appledore’s Maritime Museum has been turned down because an “overbearing” building doesn’t fit with its historic surroundings.

Members of Torridge District Council’s plans committee said the modern warehouse-style design of the heritage boathouse which the museum wants approval for is out of keeping in a residential area full of listed buildings.

The application for Odun House, Odun Road, opposite the existing museum, involved demolishing the current interpretation centre, including several old stone buildings, one of which was adapted to provide a Victorian schoolroom for groups of youngsters.

Museum trustees said the current facility didn’t provide adequate work or display space for maritime projects, and damp posed a risk to the museum archive.

As well as being able to house a newly renovated boat fully masted, the new building would have provided storage, refreshments for visitors and pop-up exhibitions, they said.

Planning officers had recommended approval, saying the public benefit outweighed other considerations.

But some councillors were concerned by the size of the building, which they said would eat into the museum-owned but council-run car park next door by a third. They also questioned the choice of materials.

“A profiled metal roof is semi-industrial and the footprint of the building looks to be going up by 50 per cent, and its height will increase,” said Cllr Huw Thomas (Green, Bideford East). “It’s too big and overbearing for the location. It will dominate in a residential area with listed buildings and be detrimental to the street.

He also added that losing car parking didn’t make sense when the application was about attracting more visitors.

The committee heard the site is next to an ‘arts and craft’ style house, which was frequently photographed and opposite a terrace of listed properties.

Cllr Simon Newton (Con, Winkleigh) agreed about the roof, but said that could be dealt with by a planning condition. “I believe the museum has a right to modernise and make its facilities fit for purpose,” he said.

He said the loss of five car parking spaces was not significant as 34 would remain.

Plans’ committee chairman Cllr Peter Hames (Green, Appledore) used his casting vote to refuse the application after the decision was tied.

He said he was against it because of the heritage aspects and the impact on the car park which is often full and used a lot by parents taking children to the nearby school.

In the summer Appledore is popular with visitors, and parking is under pressure, he said.