Wrexham homeowner loses appeal over refusal of plans to remove mosaic

Kathleen Jones said her son had started work to repaint her property on Ruabon Road in October last year when he discovered the tiles were falling apart.

He decided to install wood panelling in its place, but Wrexham Council brought the work to a halt and later rejected her application to replace the design.

The son of Kathleen Jones had begun work to replace the mosaic with wood panels when Wrexham Council brought the work to a halt. Source: Planning document

Mrs Jones launched an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate in August in a bid to push the proposals through.

But an inspector has now backed the local authority’s conclusion that it would result in the loss of a distinguishing feature of the house, which is located inside a conservation area.

In his report, Iwan Lloyd said: “The removal of the mosaic tiles and its replacement with wood panelling would fail to preserve the appearance of the Fairy Road Conservation Area.

“I note the appellant’s pictures and points that the tiles when removed were broken and could not be salvaged and refers to the difficulty and cost in obtaining replacements.

“However, the special character of the Fairy Road Conservation Area is reflected in the distinct arts and craft style which utilised a variety of building traditions and detailing.

“The finesse and distinctive character of these features were incorporated in the design of the buildings forming part of the charm and appearance of the conservation area.

“In all, the alterations taken place by the removal of the tiles and replacement with wood panelling is harmful.”

In the appeal documents, Mrs Jones said the proposed panelling was designed to replicate the appearance of houses on the opposite side of the street.

She added the mosaic pieces required to replace the old one were no longer likely to be in existence.

However, Mr Lloyd said he was not convinced that they could not be sourced and dismissed the appeal.