Registered Building Assessment Comments

The proposals are in the main, of a repair nature with a series of relatively minor amendments to the Ground Floor rear outshot to provide a Kitchen, the First Floor to provide an en-suite and the Third Floor to provide an en-suite. It should also be borne in mind that this application is retrospective and that some works have already taken place without prior approval. ### Ground Floor #### Sitting Room The fireplace, decorative boarding over, fitted cupboard to the right hand side and six panelled doors separating Sitting Room and Dining Room to the rear are not not in inde indicated on your drawings. They should be retained as part of the historic interest in the building. In similar fashion, there is a ceiling rose to the Sitting Room of particular interest as it appears to be cast iron and affixed with screws. This should also be protected for re-use. It would be difficult to recommend approval of an application to remove detailing which clearly adds to the character of the Registered Building. of interest are to be kept. the proposals Your drawings indicate an additional ‘bullnose’ tread to the bottom of the stairs. This would suggest that the stairs will be lifted. Can you confirm this and how you intend doing it? In addition, why is it necessary to ‘lift’ the staircase? Please provide further details. The notes on the drawing referring to the fireplaces state: “Existing fireplace removed for period of structural works, repaired and repositioned. to (sic) be numbered and loggedon (sic) initial removal.” This is not acceptable. Every endeavour should be made to repair the fireplaces and put them back in the rooms even if the intention is not to use them. Their removal cannot be construed to ‘protect or enhance the character of the Registered Building’ and we could not recommend approval of an application that seeks to do this. The Dining Room currently has ### First Floor The note ‘Extg floor removed / repaired + reset’, needs explanation. If the floor is in need of structural assistance, you should set out what the issues are and how you intend forming a strategy of repair. Essentially, with the loss of the floors comes all associated partitions, skirtings, doors and architraves, ceiling covings etc etc etc. There is no reason offered as to why this needs to take place and we could not recommend approval of an application that proposes this without proper justification. It was evident that there had been ingress of water for some time which had caused structural problems throughout the front of the building. The condition of the lintols over the French windows to the first floor front elevation are in need of propping and probable replacement. Please set out your strategy for repair. ### Second Floor Comment as above regarding the floor and the affected parts of the Registered Building. ATTIC SPACE Comment as above regarding the floor and the affected parts of the Registered Building. It was evident that substantial strip out of the wall, studwork and ceiling plaster and all associated historic detailing had taken place. When we visited site, there were the remains of a fire surround, possibly painted slate. We conjectured that this was potentially the surround missing from the rear room to the Second Floor. Please ensure that the surround is kept for reinstatement. As a general note: where you state on your drawings ‘plaster covings reformed to match existing/replaced to match existing’, you should provide us with 1:10 profile drawings of the existing profile and the profile you intend replacing it with. This will be the case with all skirtings, architraves, dado and picture rails etc etc etc. Similarly, you state on your drawings, ‘all timber lintols to be removed. New conc lintols to replace.’ This is potentially very disruptive to the fabric of the Registered Building and should not be carried out unless absolutely necessary. Where timbers can be left in situ and protected with products such as ‘deep kill’, this approach should be taken. The note * Care Property Survey:- needs further explanation. As set out above, it is evident that there has been water ingress to the front of the property which has caused substantial damage. We will need more in depth survey information outlining the extent of the plaster removal. Similarly, we will need 1:10 details of the existing window linings and which ones in particular are to be removed. We are familiar with the affects of water ingress and the ramifications of this in terms of timberwork. We prefer to adopt the approach of only replacing what is absolutely necessary. This whole area needs more discussion. The drawings essentially show the removal of the floors to the Ground Floor, First Floor, Second Floor front and Third Floor rear with all of the associated loss of stud partitions, skirtings, architraves, picture and dado rails and ceiling covings. This is a lot of loss of historic fabric and is not acceptable. We should seek alternatives to the repair of the floors in-situ in a manner that retains the floors. As proposed on these drawings, we could not recommend approval for this loss of historic fabric. As regards the windows, please remember that the building is Registered and that the windows policy relating to Registered Buildings is as follows: "Category a) REGISTERED BUILDINGS If the original windows are in place they should preferably be repaired. If repair is impracticable, replacement windows MUST BE THE SAME as the originals in all respects, including the method of opening, materials and detailed design. This policy will be strictly applied other than where the particular circumstances are so exceptional as to justify a relaxation. Reasons for Policy: Registered Buildings are those buildings which are judged to be of special architectural or historic interest and which are already entered into the Protected Buildings register. Because of their special status, these buildings merit particular care and any work carried out by way of repair or alteration requires Registered Building Consent. Planning Approval and Registered Building Consent ARE ALWAYS required." You have shown a note on the rear elevation which states 'new roof/render'. Does this mean the entire roof structure? Or is it just the recovering of the roof? Please clarify as the former is not acceptable. You should also be clear as to what materials you intend using. Please provide details of the 'new cast iron/aluminium rw goods'. Please provide further details (including size of the existing and proposed) rooflights. What is the rear yard to be resurfaced in? As a general note, your drawings do not have enough detail for us to properly consider an application. If the drawings came in annotated as they are, we would be left with no alternative but to refuse the application. You need to adopt more of a repair attitude to the building rather than a 'replace all' approach or provide sufficient justification as to why these works are deemed necessary. The concern is that with most of the floors replaced and the resulting loss of partitions, skirtings, architraves, covings etc., the historic interest of the building is greatly reduced.