PLANS to extend and repurpose a former town centre restaurant have been submitted to Rotherham Council, but questions have already been raised about the proposal.

The application is to extend the former restaurant in the High Street by building out the first and second storeys of the building, which are currently set back from the street.

That is regarded as an ‘infill’ development and would allow for the creation of four one bedroomed apartments, each capable of accommodating two people.

The application deals only with that element of the building, with another expected later to deal with the ground floor.

Old and new: But questions have been asked about the impact of an extension

placeholder image — Old and new: But questions have been asked about the impact of an extension

However, planners have already been contacted by a neighbour, raising questions about whether the extension would be appropriate, next door to the old Three Cranes building, which is Grade II Listed.

It is suggested the roof of the new extension might be higher than the Listed building.

In addition, it is claimed that a side alley, proposed as the means of entry and exit for the apartments, is someone else’s property.

The applicants have submitted a photograph showing High Street in 1900, which shows the building on that site at the time was built out to the pavement edge on upper storeys.

The Three Cranes building is believed to date from somewhere between the 15th and 17th Century, and is believed to be the last surviving medieval town house in Rotherham.

High Street is in a Conservation Area and the application argues that because of improvements made elsewhere, the existing restaurant building “is now considered to detract even more from the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and the setting of the Listed buildings.”