Demolition of Carrow Bridge House in Norwich blocked AGAIN

Carrow Bridge House, which has stood next to the river crossing for more than a century, has been subject to three demolition attempts in recent years. 

The developers seeking to replace the house, Wexham Homes, fought Norwich City Council's refusal of their bid to tear it down and appealed the decision to the Planning Inspectorate. 

However, the government agency supported City Hall's view and accused the developers of "deliberate neglect" of the property, which is vacant and dilapidated. 

Carrow Bridge House in Carrow Road (Image: Archant) The building - partly obscured as it is below the level of the road near the river crossing - is the city's only surviving bridge house and has been empty since its last tenant was moved on in 2017 after 50 years in the property. 

David Spencer, the inspector reviewing the case, said: "The proposal would result in the total loss, both physically in terms of the fabric of the building but also its cultural, functional and aesthetic association with the adjacent bridge and the linked historic significance of river trade to the city.

"The site is in a relatively untidy condition, and while most of the building is boarded up it has nonetheless been broken into and vandalised. 

"Whilst there have been some efforts to secure the building, it is evident that the appeal site has been in a moribund condition for some time and efforts to keep the site in a reasonable state appear to have been limited."

READ MORE: City Hall blames 'substandard work' for delays to Hay Hill revamp

Carrow Bridge House has fallen into disrepair in recent years (Image: Denise Bradley) He added that any replacement building would be a "brash replica" of the original and said the poor state of the site did not justify its demolition. 

This is the third time Carrow Bridge House has survived a demolition attempt after Norfolk County Council made a failed application to knock it down for landscaping in 2018.