OWNERS of a toy shop applied for Listed Building Consent from the county council.

An application for Listed Building Consent for alterations, extension or demolition of a listed building was submitted by the agent Doonan Architects Ltd to Northumberland County Council to remove a commercial kitchen at the premises of Mr Wolf, at Market Street in Hexham.

The building, which forms part of a Grade II listed terrace, is located within Hexham Conservation Area, close to the Abbey.

The site was previously occupied by the New Silver Palace Chinese restaurant.

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This application aims to decommission the commercial kitchen including the removal of the modern extractor and ventilation system on the rear elevation; repair works to the rear elevation; and the installation of timber patio doors.

The design and access statement said: "Following the success of their business in a smaller property on Market Street our clients were looking for larger premises in the town to accommodate the increasing demand for their products, the closure of the Chinese takeaway provided the perfect solution.

"Our clients took over the occupancy, which involved returning the building into its former use, as a retail unit.

"The rear of the building was used as a food preparation area which included a large extractor/ ventilation unit. The unit consisted of a large metal flue on the exterior of the rear elevation. This exited from the rear of the metal sheet board on the rear elevation and protruded above the roofline."

The owners of Mr Wolf, Mr and Mrs Birney, have improved the front of the shop by removing the render finish and revealed the ashlar stone.

"The appearance of the building is much improved from its previous state, where it can be enjoyed by the public and has an improved impact upon the Conservation Area character in comparison to its former state," the statement said.

An application was submitted in February 2023 for the proposals previously mentioned. This application was refused due to the design of the newly installed PVC doors to the rear of the property.

The current application proposes to remove the current PVC doors and install full-height, painted timber doors, as per the proposed drawings included in the planning application.

For more information, go to the council's planning portal and search reference number 24/00475/LBC.