Dave Fawthrop wrote:

Round our area most coal chutes have been blocked off with masonry, as they
are now redundant, why not consider that. It would be a good idea to leave
the cast iron cover in place as an interesting feature.

I would not recommend this. The holes in the coal hole cover are most
likely providing vital ventilation to the cellar, and blocking them up
will probably cause it to get far damper than a few drops of rain every
now and then.

My coal hole is still as it was when the house was built (1870) and
although the cellar is not exactly habitable it is relatively dry as
cellars go. In neighbouring houses where the coal hole has been blocked
off the cellars are damp and smelly - in next-door-but-one the aroma of
damp cellar hits you as soon as you walk into the hallway!

Bear in mind that the cellar is a hole in the ground with wet earth
beyond all the brickwork. A bit of rain coming in is insignificant, but
obstructing the flow of air can wreak havoc. It can also affect the
well-being of the downstairs joists and floorboards as well.