PLANS to demolish and replace one of Kingsley’s oldest and most distinctive buildings have been refused by Cheshire West and Chester Council’s (CWAC) planning committee.

A number of objections were received to the proposals to replace Rose Cottage on Norley Road, which one resident described as the only remaining example of a crofter’s integrated cottage and barn in the village.

The application to build a two-storey detached house to replace Rose Cottage – which has a corrugated metal roof replacement for the original thatch – was called in by clr Ralph Oultram in response to local concern over the loss of the building.

CWAC’s planning officials reported that English Heritage found no reason to offer statutory protection to the cottage but the application was rejected by the committee as an unacceptable loss of a local heritage asset.