AN APPEAL against Bradford Council's refusal of planning permission for a block of retirement apartments in the grounds of Ilkley's historic Craiglands Hotel has been dismissed.

Government planning inspector Richard Schofield has concluded that the three-and-a-half storey block would harm the character and appearance of Craiglands Hotel and fail to preserve the character or appearance of the conservation area.

His decision comes after a one-day appeal hearing held at Ilkley Town Hall on May 4.

Retirement housing provider, McCarthy and Stone Retirement Lifestyles Ltd, sought to overturn the decision of Bradford Council planners last year to refuse permission for the 27-apartment development. The Council ruled it would be a “large and intrusive intervention” into the setting of the hotel, which stands close to the slopes of Ilkley Moor.

Planning permission was previously given to another applicant to build nine houses in the grounds of the hotel, on Cowpasture Road.

Both this and the retirement apartments scheme included the development of a spa in the basement of the 19th Century-built former hydropathic establishment.

Opponents of the retirement apartments plan contested the density of the development, its setting, and potential knock-on effect of the hotel, which regularly hosts functions such as wedding celebrations, losing parking spaces.

In the conclusion of his report, published on Thursday (May 19), the inspector said: "I have found that the appeal scheme would harm the character and appearance of Craiglands Hotel and fail to preserve the character or appearance of the conservation area. I afford these matters very significant weight. A number of benefits, noted above, were advanced by the appellant. On balance, I consider that the adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the scheme."

Matters relating to the proposal's effect on the protected landscape of the neighbouring Ilkley Moor were also discussed at the appeal hearing, as well as parking issues, but the inspector said there was no need to consider these matters further as he was already going to dismiss the appeal for other reasons.

He highlighted the character of the 'leafy' surroundings of Cowpasture Road, and said the proposed development would surpass much of the hotel's three-storey height.

Mr Schofield said: "Built as one of a number of hydropathic facilities, for which Ilkley was famed during the 19th century, Craiglands is an imposing stone building, with turrets, crowstep gables and crenallations characteristic of Victorian gothic architecture. It has an unsympathetic twentieth century side extension, and has lost some ground to the rear to residential development.

"Even so, its significance within the conservation area derives from its sense of, albeit somewhat faded, grandeur and elevated status, arising from its size, purpose, architecture and the sense of separation afforded by its setting in extensive, informal mature grounds. It can be regarded as a key part of the town’s spa history, for which this area of the conservation area is particularly notable."