PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT
Register of Buildings and Sites of Architectural, Archaeological and Historical Importance
Review of La Carrière, Les Fonds de Longueville, Grouville
Purpose of the Report
The purpose of this report is for the Minister to review the existing registration of La Carrière, having regard to the States strategic objective ‘to protect the best of the Island’s architectural heritage’ and a key objective of the Island Plan 2002 to protect and promote Jersey’s built, cultural and archaeological heritage.
Background
This report has been prepared by the Jersey Heritage Trust as part of its responsibility under a Service Level Agreement to provide reports and recommendations to the Minister for Planning and Environment on the registration of buildings and sites. It incorporates the views of the Ministerial Registration and Listing Advisory Group (MRLAG) - a group established to provide independent, expert advice on matters relating to the protection of buildings and sites of cultural interest.
La Carrière was not included in the 1992 Historic Buildings Register and was not considered by the Jersey Building Heritage Sub-Committee during its review of registered buildings in Grouville.
Following a serious fire at the property in November 2005, the owner of La Carrière requested that the Jersey Heritage Advisory Panel assess the architectural and historical interests of the house. The Panel discussed the buildings at a site visit on 14 November and recommended that La Carrière satisfied the criteria for inclusion on the Register as a BLI. La Carrière was subsequently added to the Register as a BLI by the Environment and Public Services Committee.
On 10 October 2006, the Minister for Planning and Environment requested that the Jersey Heritage Trust and MRLAG re-examine the registration of the property. The Group carried out a detailed inspection of La Carrière at its meeting on 13 November.
Discussion
MRLAG noted that La Carrière is a farm group comprising a circa 1831 house and a range of early nineteenth century outbuildings that form a courtyard to the east. The buildings incorporate elements of an earlier property that has stood on the site since the eighteenth century, notably re-used decorative stonework on the ground floor of the main house and forming the main entrance gateway into the farmyard.
It was agreed that the farm house has an uncommon arrangement for its rural location with the formal entrance located at first floor level and accessed via a flight of granite steps – more usually found in town houses.
The group was aware that the property suffered a serious fire in November 2005 as a result of which most of the windows, doors, roofs and interiors were destroyed. However, it was agreed that the historic layout of the farm survives with little alteration since the nineteenth century and that the external character of the buildings is also largely intact.
Members also observed that the farm sits in a prominent roadside position and is integrated into the historic landscape with Les Fonds de Longueville zigzagging around the outside of the property. Map evidence shows that the farm group has evolved on the site since at least the eighteenth century, and the fact that the road is deflected around the outside of the property perhaps suggests an earlier date.
Taking these factors into consideration, it was unanimously agreed that La Carrière satisfies the criteria for registration as a Building of Local Interest.
Comment of Assistant Director
A representation from MS Planning on behalf of the owner of this property has been received (dated 06 November and attached as an appendix) which raises a number of issues. These are responded to in the response from the department, dated 13 November, also attached. The key issue raised by this representation is, however, whether the fire-damaged condition of the building is material to the decision as to whether the building should be registered.
The condition of the building, structurally or otherwise, should not be a material consideration in the context of deciding whether it ought to be registered or not in so far as the decision should rest upon the extant merits of the structure relative to the published criteria for registration.
In this particular case, the advice of both the JHT and MRLAG is that the remaining elements of the building - albeit that it has suffered fire-damage which is self-evident and a factor acknowledged by all parties – have, according to the criteria which should be consistently applied to assess registration, some intrinsic value in their current condition and should be safeguarded accordingly.
Matters relating to the potential repair and re-use of the building ought to be properly and thoroughly considered within the context of a development application and not be confused with the process of registration.
Recommendation
La Carrière should be retained on the Historic Buildings Register as a Building of Local Interest.
Reason(s) for Decision
La Carrière satisfies the published criteria for registration.
The registration of La Carrière is in accordance with Interim Policy HB1 which states ‘Historic buildings which contribute positively to the distinctive character or appearance of Jersey’s built-up areas or countryside, particularly where they are of ‘group value’, will be identified and included in the Register of Buildings and Sites of Architectural, Archaeological and Historical Importance in Jersey.’
Action Required
Letter to the owner
Notify Development Control - Rural Team of decision
Written by: | Roger Hills Curator of Historic Buildings - Jersey Heritage Trust |
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Approved by: | Janet Dore Principal Historic Buildings Advisor |
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Endorsed by: | Kevin Pilley Assistant Director |
Attachments:
Assessment form and photographs, October 2006
1795, 1849, 1935 and 2003 map extracts
Letter from MS Planning (dated 06 November 2006) exempt 3.2.1(b)
Letter from P&E dated 13 November 2006.
GR0246
23 November 2006
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