Plan to turn Grade II listed address and former opticians in Boston into grocery shop

Planning notices outside the premises in Wide Bargate, Boston.

A bid has been made to turn a Grade II listed address in Boston, last used as an opticians, into a grocery shop.

Boston Borough Council has been asked to approve the change of use of 86-88 Wide Bargate – what was David Hallgate Optometrist – to a grocery shop.

As part of this, planning permission has also been requested to install a new front door and make internal alterations. Initially, the go-ahead was also requested for a disabled access ramp at the front of the premises, but these no longer form part of the plans.

The three-storey address, along with 84 Wide Bargate next door, carries a Grade II listing with Historic England, meaning it is considered to be ‘of significant interest’.

The former David Hallgate Optometrist premises, in Wide Bargate, Boston, where the disabled access ramp had been proposed.

Historic England’s official list entry for 84-88 Wide Bargate describes the property as early 19th century and logs such features as its hipped slate roof, rounded corners, and five-bay front. The interior was not inspected, the entry notes.

The application has been submitted by Grand Retail Trading Ltd, with Bretway Designs acting as the agents.

In the Design and Access Statement, which forms part of the application, it is noted: “The proposal will help to meet Boston town's growing shopping needs. It is an attractive design (using good quality materials) that will enhance the appearance of the vicinity and has been carefully designed to avoid unacceptable impacts on neighbouring properties.”

In the Heritage Impact Assessment, another part of the application, it is argued that the proposal will ‘not impact negatively on the special architectural and historic interest of the building’.

Before being dropped from the application, the proposed ramp attracted opposition from Heritage Lincolnshire.

“It is not sympathetic to the principle façade and would compromise the overall appearance of this façade,” it said.

Lincolnshire County Council also took issue with the proposed ramp, saying it would lead to pedestrians having to take ‘unreasonable manoeuvres in order to pass one another’.

Following the change, the council said it had no objections to the plans.

In its original submission, Heritage Lincolnshire also noted that the proposed UPVC door was ‘not an appropriate material to be using on a listed building’.

Here, another change has been made, as the application says the front door will be replaced with ‘appropriate wooden material to match the existing door in character and appearance’.

The Standard has approached the agents for a comment.