Plans to convert a Grade II listed building in Chester into a specialist school have been refused amid concerns over heritage impact and traffic.

The proposal for 20 White Friars, a Georgian property in Chester city centre, has been rejected by Cheshire West and Chester Council following objections relating to the impact on its historic setting and the surrounding highway network.

It sought permission and listed building consent to change the use of the vacant former office building into a specialist school for pupils with Autism Spectrum Disorder, along with internal alterations and external works.

The application included proposals for new extensions, landscaping changes, boundary treatments and revised access arrangements.

Later amendments reduced the scale of development by removing some play facilities, lowering pupil numbers, and replacing earlier boundary treatments with more traditional railings. Access proposals were also revised, including the closure of the White Friars entrance and the creation of a new vehicular access via Commonhall Street.

The building has been vacant since September 2022 and actively marketed since August that year. The applicant said there was limited demand for continued commercial use, and argued the school would secure a long-term viable use while helping meet demand for specialist education places.

However, the planning officer's report concluded the scheme would result in a "high degree of less than substantial harm" to the setting of the listed building and the Chester City Conservation Area.

It added that while there were public benefits to the proposal, including bringing a vacant heritage asset back into use and providing specialist education provision, these carried "limited weight" in the overall planning balance.

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The loss of the site's landscaped grounds was also noted, alongside the introduction of hard surfacing, fencing and boundary changes, which would fail to preserve or enhance the character of the area.

Highways officers also raised concerns about the intensity of traffic movements, citing concerns over increased traffic and the suitability of surrounding narrow streets, including White Friars, Weaver Street and Commonhall Street.

The planning officer stated the development would result in "unacceptable impacts on highway safety and congestion during peak periods", adding that it had not been demonstrated that the additional traffic could be safely accommodated within the existing network.

Concerns over queuing, loss of on-street parking and the suitability of access arrangements were also raised.

While the report recognised a shortage of specialist education places and referenced national policy supporting school provision, officers concluded that the public benefits did not outweigh the identified harms.

You can find the full report here.