PLANS to demolish a listed outbuilding attached to a cottage have been rejected again, this time by a planning inspector.

Simon Kuczera wanted permission to demolish a Grade II listed outbuilding attached to Lime Tree Cottage in Flower Lane, Amesbury because it was dilapidated and there was no funding available to conserve it. He said the building has been vacant for more than 50 years and is an eyesore. He said it was no longer viable and any harm that would be caused by demolishing it was outweighed by the benefit of bringing the site back into use.

Wiltshire Council has refused plans to demolish it several times because it would cause significant harm to the fabric and character of the listed building.

Planning inspector Roger Shrimplin said: “The basic structure of this outbuilding is reasonably sound, both internally and externally, and is capable of repair and restoration to create a useful building.”

He said the outbuilding is part of the listed building Lime Tree Cottage and owners of listed buildings have a maintenance obligation and that other development options had not been properly evaluated.

“The demolition of the outbuilding would amount to the demolition of a large proportion of the listed building as a whole and the loss of an important feature in the streetscene.

“An alternative future for the building has not been tested by a marketing exercise, which could be useful in this case, and there may be realistic options available for the repair and retention of the structure," he said. "It has not been demonstrated that the loss of the outbuilding is inevitable, nor has it been shown that the benefits of the scheme would outweigh the harm to the listed building.”

He dismissed the appeal.