Coseley Working Mens Club, 57 Ivyhouse Lane, BILSTON, WV14 9JH

Coseley Working Mens Club, 57 Ivyhouse Lane, BILSTON, WV14 9JH — Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council — Appeal Decision Site visit made on 22 July 2025 by B Astley-Serougi BA(Hons) LLM MSc MRTPI an Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State Decision date: 11 August 2025 Appeal Ref: APP/C4615/W/25/3365880 Car park adjacent Coseley Working Mens Club, Ivyhouse Lane, Coseley, Dudley WV14 9JH • The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) against a refusal to grant planning permission. • The appeal is made by Ms Araba Brew-Hammond of The EV Network against the decision of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. • The application Ref is P25/0168. • The development proposed is described as alterations to car park layout to include the installation of 4. No charger units to serve 8. No new EV charging bays and associated equipment. Decision 1. The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for alterations to car park layout to include the installation of 4. No charger units to serve 8.

Coseley Working Mens Club, 57 Ivyhouse Lane, BILSTON, WV14 9JH — Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council — Appeal Decision No new EV charging bays and associated equipment at Car park adjacent Coseley Working Mens Club, Ivyhouse Lane, Coseley, Dudley WV14 9JH in accordance with the terms of the application, Ref P25/0168, subject to the following conditions: 1) The development hereby permitted shall begin not later than 3 years from the date of this decision. 2) The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: EVN1336_02 rev D (Planning Layout with Planter), EVN1336_04 rev A (Location Plan), 001_01 rev A (Electric Charger Elevations (ALPITRONIC HYC 300)), 002_10 rev B (Feeder Pillar Elevations (5 WAY SCHNEIDER PILLAR)), 002_12 rev A (Substation Elevations (SUBSTATION TR18)) and GL2002 - 1rev 0 (4-metre Tubular Lighting Column Elevations). 3) Prior to the first use of the development hereby permitted, the timber planter as indicated on drawing no. EVN1366_02 rev D shall be installed and soft landscaping maintained for the lifetime of the development, in accordance with the approved Planting Method Statement and Maintenance Plan (May 2025). Preliminary Matters 2.

Coseley Working Mens Club, 57 Ivyhouse Lane, BILSTON, WV14 9JH — Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council — Appeal Decision The appellant has provided during the appeal process an amended planning layout plan including planter as well as a Planting Method Statement and Maintenance Plan (May 2025). The Council has had the chance to consider both of these plans. The amendments are minor and do not substantially change the appeal scheme. Although the appeals process should not generally be used to evolve a scheme, I am satisfied that in this case, accepting the amended plans would not prejudice other interested parties. Therefore, I have determined this https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

Coseley Working Mens Club, 57 Ivyhouse Lane, BILSTON, WV14 9JH — Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council — Appeal Decision The appellant has provided during the appeal process an amended planning layout plan including planter as well as a Planting Method Statement and Maintenance Plan (May 2025). The Council has had the chance to consider both of these plans. The amendments are minor and do not substantially change the appeal scheme. Although the appeals process should not generally be used to evolve a scheme, I am satisfied that in this case, accepting the amended plans would not prejudice other interested parties. Therefore, I have determined this https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate

Coseley Working Mens Club, 57 Ivyhouse Lane, BILSTON, WV14 9JH — Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council — Appeal Decision Appeal Decision APP/C4615/W/25/3365880 appeal on the amended plans before me, as did the Council in its statement of case. Main Issue 3. The main issue is the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the surrounding area. Reasons 4. The appeal scheme would reconfigure the existing car park area sited in front of the Coseley Working Men’s Club. To support the electric vehicle charging units a substation structure would be required to secure a connection from the local electricity grid as well as a feeder pillar which would hold a number of switches and relays for the metering and safety of the proposed chargers. 5. The appeal site is located opposite a petrol station and is also adjacent to a fast- food restaurant and drive-thru. There are residential dwellings on Ivyhouse Lane however, the location of the proposed installation would be next to the boundary wall with the adjacent fast-food restaurant The site itself has a significant gradient in terms of ground levels. Therefore, the proposed development would be located towards the front street level which is at a lower site level and a significant distance from the residential dwellings on Ivyhouse Lane.

Coseley Working Mens Club, 57 Ivyhouse Lane, BILSTON, WV14 9JH — Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council — Appeal Decision Accordingly, it would to my mind, be viewed in conjunction with the non-residential uses immediately adjacent to the appeal site. 6. The proposed substation structure would be located close to the boundary wall which is of significant height. Additionally, given the existing fencing as well as the proposed screening and timber planter, it would not be overly dominant in terms of scale and massing to an extent that it would result in unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the surrounding area. 7. Whilst the appeal scheme would be visible from the public highway, there is limited substantive evidence before me to adequately demonstrate that it would result in visual clutter and thus unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the surrounding area given the adjacent non-residential uses. 8. A previously approved application positioned development further behind the proposed location in this appeal which would have been on a higher level of land. However, for the reasons given above in relation to the topography of the site as well as the significant boundary wall, the location of the appeal scheme would not result in unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the surrounding area. 9.

Coseley Working Mens Club, 57 Ivyhouse Lane, BILSTON, WV14 9JH — Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council — Appeal Decision In conclusion, the appeal scheme would comply with Policy S6 of the Dudley Borough Development Strategy 2017 and Policy ENV3 of the Black Country Core Strategy 2011 insofar as they seek to ensure that developments are of a high- quality design and respond to the character of the local area. Conditions 10. The Council has provided a list of suggested conditions. I have amended the wording of suggested conditions for clarity and to ensure accordance with the tests set out in paragraph 57 of the Framework. https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2

Coseley Working Mens Club, 57 Ivyhouse Lane, BILSTON, WV14 9JH — Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council — Appeal Decision In conclusion, the appeal scheme would comply with Policy S6 of the Dudley Borough Development Strategy 2017 and Policy ENV3 of the Black Country Core Strategy 2011 insofar as they seek to ensure that developments are of a high- quality design and respond to the character of the local area. Conditions 10. The Council has provided a list of suggested conditions. I have amended the wording of suggested conditions for clarity and to ensure accordance with the tests set out in paragraph 57 of the Framework. https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 2 Appeal Decision APP/C4615/W/25/3365880 11. In addition to the standard time limit condition (1), I have attached a condition specifying the approved plans to provide certainty (2). To prevent the erosion of the character and appearance of the surrounding area I have imposed a condition requiring the soft landscaping and timber planter to be provided prior to the first use of the site and maintained thereafter (3). Conclusion 12. The material considerations do not indicate that a decision should be made other than in accordance with the development plan. For the reasons given above the appeal should be allowed.

Coseley Working Mens Club, 57 Ivyhouse Lane, BILSTON, WV14 9JH — Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council — B Astley-Serougi INSPECTOR https://www.gov.uk/planning-inspectorate 3