Conversion proposed for historic hall and former hotel at Todmorden
It could be turned into homes if plans are approved
It was recently a major venue for weddings and events as a hotel, but major proposals have now been submitted to convert a now derelict historic Todmorden building complex into 22 new homes.
Mr Sanjay Sharma of Rural Solutions has applied to Calderdale Council planners seeking permission to convert Grade II listed Scaitcliffe Hall and associated buildings into housing.
Scaitcliffe Hall, which is off Burnley Road, Todmorden, orginally dates to the 1660s, historically associated with the town’s Crossley family, and it was their home for many years.
But it has seen different uses more recently, including as a council care home in the 1970s, and it underwent expansion in the 1990s when its parkland setting ensured it was a very popular privately-owned hotel venue for weddings and other events.
It closed suddenly in 1998 when one of the then owners of the hotel became embroiled in a serious fraud case.
In the new century new ownership saw the Sharma family take the reins but it has not operated as a hotel for some years and even subject of a YouTube video viewed by more than 2,000 people lamenting the condition of the buildings.
Supporting papers with the application say it closed around 2012, suffered a major fire in 2017 and is now “vacant and derelict” and argue the conversions will allow heritage buildings to be brought back into use.
Now the company wants to convert Scaitcliffe Hall and its annexe into three four-bedroom homes and convert the Coach House into two three-bedroom and one four-bedroom home.
Conversion of the barn into one two-bedroom and one three-bedroom home is also proposed.
The company also wants to demolish the modern extension built in the 1990s to allow nine new homes to be built there, with a further five new homes proposed for the former car park.
Permission for associated landscaping across the site and biodiversity net gain improvements to be made outside the curtilage of the residential homes is also sought.
The supporting papers say a detailed pre-application meeting held with Calderdale Council officers in November last year has informed the heritage, design and landscape strategy for the project.
“Amendments have been carefully considered to ensure that the existing listed buildings are able to be brought back into use and significant repairs are undertaken.
“This would safeguard the future of the important heritage assets.
“Also, new homes are proposed to ensure that the significance of the listed build is maintained and that their setting is improved via high-quality residential design,” say the papers.
But all housing would be “market housing” with no affordable homes provided “due to the financial viability of bringing the three Grade II listed buildings into use,” they say.
Scaitcliffe Hall was listed in 1976, according to Historic England.
The full application – number 25/00877/FUL – and supporting papers submitted with it can be viewed on Calderdale Council’s Planning Portal.