La Vieille Maison is a derelict and ruined cottage. It stands on the north side of La Rue du Vieux Moulin, in Trinity, and lies in the Green Zone. On 19th January, 2006, a Planning Application was received by Department to restore and extend the cottage. On 13th March, 2006, the property, following an assessment carried out by the Jersey Heritage Trust, was designated as an pSSI and added to the Historic Buildings Register. The JHT’s evaluation assessed the site as having 'significant architectural, historical and archaeological merit’ and referred, in particular, to some of its surviving notable features, including a decorated gable-kneeler dated 1679. On the 13th April 2007 La Vieille Maison was given full SSI status. On 6th December, 2006, Planning Permission was granted to the owner to ‘Restore cottage. Construct extension comprising of bedroom, kitchen, study and staircase.’ The Permit (P/2006/0173) imposed strict conditions on the mannner in which the property was to be developed, this principally in the ‘interests of protecting the architectural and historical interest, character and integrity of the building.’ On 8th October, 2007, the site was visited by Janet Dore, Principal Historic Buildings Advisor, and Lawrence Davies, Planning Officer. The officers found that significant work had been carried out on the cottage up to first floor level, this without the prior approval of the Department, and that the materials used, i.e. concrete block and Portland cement, were not in accordance with those specified on the approved plans. The officers took numerous photographs of these offending works. No one was on site at the time of this visit. Janet Dore immediately wrote a letter to Mr. R. Godel, the architect, advising him that all works should cease until the Department had had time to consider the situation. The work carried out on La Vieille Maison is in clear breach of the conditions of the Planning Permit and may have caused irreversible damage to the original structure. The service of a Stop Notice is recommended to prevent the continuance of any further development activity on this site and thereby allow time for:- a). an assessment to be made of exactly what work has been carried out, and what remedial action may be required to return the building to it’s original pre-development state; b). allow time for an appropriate Enforcement Notice to be prepared and served. |