Historic Buildings Register: Assessment of La Falaise, St. Martin.

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Register of Buildings and Sites of Architectural, Historical and Archaeological Importance: assessment of La Falaise, La Rue de Flicquet, St. Martin.

Subject:	Register of Buildings and Sites of Architectural, Historical and Archaeological Importance: assessment of La Falaise, La Rue de Flicquet, St Martin.
Decision Reference:	MD-PE-2006-0053	Exempt clause(s):
Type of Report (oral or written):	Written/oral	Person Giving Report (if oral):		Curator of Historic Buildings
Telephone or e-mail meeting		Report File ref:		3/04/02/01/MR
Written Report Title:	Register of Buildings and Sites of Architectural, Archaeological and Historical Importance in Jersey - assessment of La Falaise, La Rue de Flicquet, St Martin	Written report – Author:		Curator of Historic Buildings
Decision(s): La Falaise, St Martin shall not be added to the Historic Buildings Register as a Building of Local Interest.
Reason(s) for decision: The Minister was of the view that whilst the building was of some scenic value it did not have sufficient significant architectural and/or historic value – having been built post 1911 - to satisfy the published criteria for registration as a Building of Local Interest.
Action required:  Issue letter to owner to advise of Ministerial decision  Notify Development Control – Rural Section
Signature: (Minister/ Assistant Minister)			Date of Decision: 7 July 2006

Historic Buildings Register: Assessment of La Falaise, St. Martin.

		Item No:
		Date:

PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT

Assessment of La Falaise, La Rue de Flicquet, St Martin

Purpose of the Report

The purpose of this report is for the Minister to consider adding La Falaise to the Historic Buildings Register, 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 make assessments and 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 Jersey Heritage Advisory Panel (JHAP) - a group established to provide independent, expert advice on matters relating to the protection of buildings and sites of cultural interest.

La Falaise was not included in the 1992 Historic Buildings Register and was not considered for Registration by the Jersey Building Heritage Sub-Committee during its review of registered buildings in St Martin in 2001.

In January 2006, the Assistant Director: Policy and Projects requested that JHT assess the architectural and historic interests of La Falaise to ascertain whether the property warrants Registration following a query from a member of the public and former tenant of the property as to why it was not registered when so many other properties in the area were.

Discussion

The Curator of Historic Buildings carried out an appraisal of the buildings and site during January 2006. Information from a neighbour and a former tenant of the property linked the building of the cottage with the construction of St Catherine’s breakwater in the mid-nineteenth century and the Godfray Map shows a building on the site in 1849. Research confirmed that the cottage was part of the St Catherine’s Estate that came into public ownership in 1947 but no direct reference to the origin of the cottage was discovered. It was noted that the cottage has historic and architectural interest, retains its integrity and is of high quality construction with granite ashlar dressings to quoins and openings and as such makes a significant and positive contribution to the scenic value of the area and to the architectural and historical character and appearance of Jersey. Taking these factors into consideration, the Curator of Historic Buildings concluded that the cottage merited inclusion on the Register as a Building of Local Interest.

This recommendation was put to the Jersey Heritage Advisory Panel at its meeting on 13 February 2006. At this meeting the Panel carried out an external and internal inspection of the cottage and noted that some historic features survive to the interior, including a dressed granite fireplace in the reception room and two fireplaces in the bedrooms. The Panel concluded that pSSI grading might be appropriate if further research could prove the historic link between the building of the cottage and the construction of St Catherine’s breakwater.

Further research was carried by the Curator of Historic Buildings. Conversations with the neighbour and the family who lived in the cottage some years ago provided anecdotal evidence and little was found in correspondence relating to the St Catherine’s Estate, held by the Jersey Archive, apart from a letter from the States Engineers Office to the Committee for St Catherine’s Harbour dated 17 April 1900 which states “A corner of the west wall, and south gable has settled considerably and requires to be taken down and rebuilt. The interior of the cottage requires whitewashing and the outside and inside woodwork should be painted. Necessary repairs for fit condition £12” (Jersey Archive ref: D/AP/V/47). Most importantly, drawings were found at the Archive entitled ‘Plan for Reconstruction of a Cottage at Fliquet Bay’ (Jersey Archive ref: D/AL/A5/685). The plans, adopted by the Harbours Committee on 22 April 1911, show the cottage as it stands today (albeit with some alterations to the internal layout).

In light of this evidence, and in the absence of conclusive evidence linking the cottage to the construction of the St Catherine’s Breakwater, a report was taken to the Jersey Heritage Advisory Panel at its meeting of 13 March reiterating the recommendation that La Falaise should be added to the Register as a Building of Local Interest.

Members were asked to reconsider their earlier conclusion bearing in mind the fact that La Falaise was extensively reconstructed - if not entirely rebuilt - sometime after 1911. Taking these matters into consideration, the Panel concurred with the recommendation and agreed that as no conclusive link had been found relating the cottage to the construction of St Catherine’s harbour and that the cottage had indeed been reconstructed in the early C20th that it did not satisfy the criteria for Registration as a proposed Site of Special Interest. However Members unanimously agreed that due to its architectural and scenic interest La Falaise merited addition to the Historic Buildings Register as a Building of Local Interest.

Recommendation

La Falaise should be added to the Historic Buildings Register as a BLI.

Reason(s) for Decision

La Falaise satisfies the published criteria for registration.

The registration of La Falaise 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

 Amend the Historic Buildings Register to include La Falaise as a BLI

 Issue a notification letter to the owner

 Notify Development Control - Rural Section of the decision

Written by:	Roger Hills Curator of Historic Buildings - Jersey Heritage Trust

Approved by:	Fiona Smith Historic Buildings Officer

Endorsed by:	Kevin Pilley Assistant Director

Attachments:

Location plan

Historic building survey form

Photographs

Letter from Mr J Jenkins (exempt 3.2.1(b))

Plans for reconstruction of La Falaise (Jersey Archive ref: D/AL/A5/685)

Plan of St Catherine’s Estate 22/01/1964 (Jersey Archive ref: F/G/R1/3)

10 April 2006