Historic Matlock building to be renovated

Members of Derbyshire Dales District Council’s northern area planning committee approved an application to renovate numbers one and three Knowleston Place, Matlock, in a meeting last week.

Number 1 Knowleston Place, which is grade two listed, was the former barn of an adjacent farm building and dates back to the 1600s, making it one of the oldest buildings in Matlock.

The applicant, David Ashbrook, also applied to redevelop the part of the site previously used as the Park Head Garage and turn it into four town houses.

The new houses feature large windows and balconies overlooking the park.

Speaking in the meeting, Councillor Bob Cartwright said: “Just around the corner from there you’ve got buildings which I think are Regency and I think something could have been done to fit with those.”

He commented that the development was a conservation area and said he thought it could have been done more sympathetically.

Cllr David Fearn added however: “If you did try to mimic the buildings around the corner you would end up with an artificial 21st Century building that looks half like the other building.

“I think this is quite an exciting design.

“It reminds me a bit of a French house with large windows.

“I just think it is different and it will have an identity.”

Cllr Jackie Stevens pointed out that the existing building has been derelict for many years and needed to be renovated.

She added that to do this would take a lot of work on the part of a developer and they would need to create the new houses in order to generate the revenue to proceed with the renovation.

The development would include seven off road car parking spaces.

The original building was owned by the Knowles family, who converted it from a barn into a dwelling house at the turn of the 18th Century.

The family sold some of its land in order to create Hall Leys Park at the start of the 19th Century.

The committee granted permission for both planning applications.

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