Cannock bar granted controversial retrospective planning consent for car park change of use

A Cannock town centre venue can keep seven storage containers installed on site during the Covid pandemic – and a new wall is set to be built to screen them.

Bar Sport in High Green was granted retrospective consent to retain the external bar space in its rear car park area by Cannock Chase Council’s planning committee on Wednesday (April 29).

A previous retrospective application was refused permission in October 2024. Concerns were raised at the time that the proposal would be “an incongruous and visually intrusive form of development to the detriment of the Cannock Town Centre Conservation Area”.

A report to Wednesday’s planning committee meeting said: “The applicant seeks retrospective planning consent for the retention of a collection of seven storage containers to the rear of Bar Sport and for the change of use of the land from designated car parking area.

“The containers were granted temporary planning consent in 2020, following the relaxation of planning rules during the Covid-19 pandemic. This consent has now lapsed.

“The applicant proposes the installation of a brick wall along the boundary of the containers to screen them. The wall will be 2.5 metres in height and will be

constructed of Ibstock fast wall brick; external vegetation is also proposed.”

The application was called in for determination by the planning committee by Councillor Garry Samuels, due to potential visual impact on the surrounding area. Committee members were told that one of the conditions of permission was that the screening wall should be completed in full within a month of approval.