TWO new houses could be built in the grounds of an historic Worcester house once owned by the founder of Kay’s.

The plan is to put two, two-storey detached houses in the grounds of the Grade II-Listed Heron Lodge, off London Road, one of the city’s historic landmarks.

It is being recommended for approval by Worcester City Council’s planning committee at a meeting tomorrow.

A report to the committee says the application is to build on a redundant car parking area left over from when the Lodge was used as office accommodation.

Planning officer Alan Coleman said in his report: “On balance, I am of the opinion that the site has sufficient capacity to accommodate the proposed development in an acceptable manner with regard to siting, size, layout, design, appearance and impact on the character and appearance of the site, its setting within the curtilage of a Grade II listed building and Lark Hill Conservation Area and neighbouring residents’ amenities.”

The report also said planning permission had recently been granted to convert the early 19th century house into four homes and there is an application to build two more houses between the Lodge and Lark Hill.

However, neighbours have complained that the contemporary design of the proposed new houses would be out of character.

Heron Lodge, built between 1823 and 1828, is regarded as one of the city’s historic treasures. It was built as one of a group of villas along London Road for Rear Admiral Herbert Brace Powell, who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

He was commander of the fleet which escorted Napoleon to the island of St Helena and he named the newly built lodge after his ship, HMS Heron.

In the early 20th century it was bought by William Kilbourne Kay, founder of Kays Universal Sales, the famous catalogue company which went on to be one of the city’s biggest employers.

The planning report says the site is big enough to accommodate the two houses without having too much visual impact on the main building, which retains a number of original architectural features.

It was later used as offices for the First company, which runs county bus services.

The plan is being recommended for approval by the planning committee.