Plans Submitted for Three New Houses in Grounds of Listed Home Being Converted to Flats

PLANS for three new houses in the “extensive grounds” of a listed home that is to be converted to flats have been published. 
Planners have already given the go-ahead to divide grade II-listed Portskewett House into a four bedroom flat at the back and two bedroom flat at the front. 
Monmouthshire County Council’s planning department is considering the plans, submitted by G Rowell, of Westwise Construction in Rochdale, for the three new detached homes either side of the existing entrance from Main Road. 
Two houses would be to the left of the front of the main house, with parking spaces, and the third to the right with a large area of permeable block paving in front of the main house and between the new homes. 
Details of new planting, and trees and hedges to be removed and replaced, have also been submitted to the council, which approved the plan to convert the main house to flats in December last year. 
A statement submitted with the application confirms a Monkey Puzzle Tree at the entrance will be remain in place.  
It stated: “The Tree Report commissioned by our client has suggested careful management and local replanting of trees to the roadside southern boundary. 
“The large Monkey Puzzle tree adjacent to the entrance will be retained. A large area of the front lawn area will be retained as a grassed area.” 
Plans show hedges either side of the entrance, and fronting Main Road, will be replaced while three trees to the left of the entrance, and another to the right where the stand alone house is planned, will be removed. 
Portskewett House is described as a well preserved Tudor Revival villa dating to around 1840 and it’s thought the house may have been built as a “dower house” which is a home built for a widow on her deceased husband’s estate. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​