Hartlepool company loses appeal over replacement door installed after car crashed into shopfront

A training company whose door was smashed in by a car has lost a planning appeal to keep its replacement entrance.
Evolution Training, after the crashEvolution Training, after the crash
Evolution Training, after the crash

Evolution Training, based in Scarborough Street, was slapped with an enforcement notice when it had a uPVC replacement door fitted after the previous one was destroyed in a vehicle crash in February 2018.

Hartlepool Borough Council ordered the company to restore the traditional features of its previous door after having a retrospective planning application rejected for the replacement.

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Evolution Training, after the crashEvolution Training, after the crash
Evolution Training, after the crash

Council bosses moved to contest the appeal and The Planning Inspectorate, the Government agency which deals with planning appeals, has now ruled in the council’s favour.

A report from inspector Roy Merrett from The Planning Inspectorate dismissed the appeal and noted the enforcement notice is upheld, with some minor changes to wording.

It said: “The appeal is dismissed and the enforcement notice is upheld with corrections.”

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The report states the existing composite door, uPVC frame and cladding should be removed and in its a place a traditionally constructed timber replacement door and frame should be installed.

The door, frame, timber and surrounding material must then be painted in a colour to match the existing building.

The applicant will now have two months the complete the necessary changes to the door, according to the report.

Daniel James, council planning team leader, update the council planning committee with the findings from the report at their latest meeting.

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He said: “The appeal at 27 Scarborough Street was for an unauthorised composite door that had been put in.

“The appeal was dismissed and they will be required to put back in a suitable and satisfactory door.”

The planning committee previously objected to the new door at its September 2018 meeting stating it was ‘out of character’ with the Church Street Conservation Area where it is located.

However Evolution Training bosses said the replacement door was ‘more substantial, safer, more secure for staff’ and ‘looked nicer’ than the previous door.