Battle stepped up to save Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's former home
UNDERSHAW, the former Hindhead home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the famous character Sherlock Holmes, is at the centre of a battle to prevent it being turned into three or four separate units with a further five houses built alongside it.
The Undershaw Preservation Trust (UPT) has confirmed it is seeking a judicial review against Waverley Borough Council (WBC), following the council's decision to grant a planning application by the owners, Fossway Ltd, to redevelop the historic house, subject to conditions.
The UPT has reported the council to the local government Ombudsman, claiming there was a "total maladaministrative failure (by WBC) to protect a Grade II listed building."
A total of 53 signatories have sent an open letter to South West Surrey MP Jeremy Hunt, which was published in The Times at the end of last month, calling on Mr Hunt, who is the government's culture secretary, to review the decision.
Signatories included famous national and international actors, historians and authors – along with Richard Doyle, great nephew of Conan Doyle and his wife, Jane Doyle.
The UPT's decision to seek a judicial review follows the submission of a second planning application from a Devon professional house renovator, Max Norris, who wants to keep Undershaw as a single dwelling, with limited public access.
Mr Norris's application was received by WBC shortly before the June 9 planning meeting, when Undershaw was valued at around 600,000, but wasn't considered at that time, as planning applications normally take around eight weeks before they come on the planning agenda.
However, WBC granted Mr Norris' application under their delegated powers, but as the estimated value of Undershaw has now been put at around the 1.5m mark, Mr Norris says he can no longer afford to buy it off the owners.
Effectively, that means Fossway Ltd can go ahead with its redevelopment plans and can only be stopped if the UPT wins its judicial review at the Royal Courts of Justice and Fossway's application is overturned.
Lynn Gale, assistant director of the UPT, said: "The UPT favours a single dwelling house, as well as keeping all options open on the property as a future small country hotel or a museum.
"However, if these nine lock-up-and-leave units are built, this will be irreversible and all options for the building will be totally gone and with it, any chance of using this iconic building to boost tourism and for the regeneration of Hindhead once the A3 tunnel is open."
In a letter from John Gibson, director of UPT to Waverley Council calling for the review, he stated: "My indictment is that over the past five years, since May 2005, when the property became vacant, your planning department has presided over a complete maladministrative failure to protect and preserve this (Undershaw) iconic Grade II listed building for the nation."
In a further letter to the council, Mr Gibson said: "What has happened to this iconic building over the past five years has been universally condemned worldwide.
"It is no exaggeration to say that your authority (Waverley) totally failed this unique literary property known throughout the world."
In a letter to Mr Gibson, Waverley Borough Council said: "Since the property remained empty and the owners, registered in the British Virgin Islands, seemed unable to find an appropriate use for it, the building entered into a steep decline. It was repeatedly broken into, lead was stripped from the roof and there was serious and damaging ingress of water.
"The council repeatedly brought these problems to the attention of the owner's agent who undertook only inadequate remedial action.
"In November 2008, the council served a Repair Notice requiring the house to be reinstated to its condition at the time of (grade) listing.
The council had no powers to undertake this level of work itself.
WBC said this prompted the owners to employ "an architect with a successful record of residential conversion of large listed buildings."
On the current approved plans, WBC said: "The scheme was considered on its merits and it remains open for anyone to submit alternative schemes and negotiate with the owners."
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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