Register of Buildings and Sites of Architectural, Historical and Archaeological Importance: Appeal against registration

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A decision made (01/12/2006) regarding Register of Buildings and Sites of Architectural, Historical and Archaeological Importance: Appeal against registration – 61 St Saviour’s Road, St Helier.

Subject:	Register of Buildings and Sites of Architectural, Historical and Archaeological Importance: Appeal against registration – 61 St Saviour’s Road, St Helier
Decision Reference:	MD-PE-2006-0105	Exempt clause(s):		Report not exempt, but attachment exempt under 3.2.1 (b)
Type of Report (oral or written):	Written/oral	Person Giving Report (if oral):		Historic Buildings Officer/ Curator of Historic Buildings
Telephone or e-mail meeting	n/a	Report File ref:		3/04/02/01/Ministerial Reports
Written Report Title:	Register of Buildings and Sites of Architectural, Archaeological and Historical Importance in Jersey - assessment of appeal against the registration of 61 St Saviour’s Road, St Helier	Written report – Author:		Curator of Historic Buildings
Decision(s): 61 St Saviour’s Road, St Helier shall be removed from the Historic Buildings Register.
Reason(s) for decision: 61 St Saviour’s Road does not satisfy the published criteria for registration. The removal of 61 St Saviour’s Road from the Register is in accordance with Interim Policy guidance 5.6 & 5.7 that state “Age is clearly a significant consideration, particularly in relation to historic interest” ; “After the middle of the 19th century, because of the greatly increased numbers of buildings constructed, and the much larger proportion which has survived, greater selectivity will be necessary…architectural quality, or the extent to which particular buildings or types define or make a major contribution to local character and identity, or represent the tangible legacy of formative trends, trades or events, become more significant”.
Action required:  Issue decision letter to the appellant  Notify Development Control – Urban Section  Amend Historic Buildings Register
Signature: (Minister/ Assistant Minister)			Date of Decision: 1 December 2006

Register of Buildings and Sites of Architectural, Historical and Archaeological Importance: Appeal against registration – 61 St Saviour’s Road, St Helier.

		Item No:
		Date:

PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT

Register of Buildings and Sites of Architectural, Archaeological and Historical Importance Appeal against the registration of 61 St Saviour’s Road, St Helier

Purpose of the Report

The purpose of this report is for the Minister to consider an appeal against the registration of 61 St Saviour’s Road as a Building of Local Interest, 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.

61 St Saviour’s Road was identified as a Building Frontage of Townscape Importance (BFTI) in the schedule accompanying the Jersey Island Plan 1987 but was not included in the 1992 Historic Buildings Register. The Jersey Building Heritage Sub-Committee assessed 61-65 St Saviour’s Road in November 2001 and concluded that 61 had sufficient architectural and historic interest to be added to the Historic Buildings Register as a BLI.

In March 2006, an appeal against this registration was lodged by BDK Architects.

The former Jersey Heritage Advisory Panel carried out an external evaluation of the property at its meeting on 13 March 2006 and recommended that 61 St Saviour’s Road be removed from the Historic Buildings Register. This conclusion was reached in light of a more detailed and refined method of assessing urban domestic buildings developed by the Design and Conservation in 2004 following a number of borderline registration decisions.

The Minister for Planning and Environment subsequently requested that the building be reassessed by the newly constituted MRLAG.

An evaluation of the significance of 61 St Saviour’s Road was carried out by MRLAG in September 2006. Mr P Harding declared an interest and withdrew from all discussions.

Discussion

The group carried out an external assessment of 61 St Saviour’s Road and was advised of the evaluation of the significance of the house carried out by the Curator of Historic Buildings.

Members agreed that 61 St Saviour’s Road is likely the result of various build phases, with the frontage railings and rear elevation appearing to date to the early nineteenth century, the front façade to the late nineteenth century and a large dormer extension to the Edwardian period. Some members concluded that the gable has also been rebuilt.

It was observed that the front elevation is embellished with render work popular in Victorian Jersey - most notably a balconette with pierced render decoration and garlands crowning first floor windows. However, the group discussed whether some elements of this render work may be as recent as the 1950s and that the decorative tiles are certainly modern.

Some opinion was expressed that the resulting building is of historic and architectural interest, makes a positive scenic contribution and has group value with Nos. 63 and 65.

Taking these points of view into consideration the group reached a split decision 7:3 in favour of recommending the removal of 61 St Saviour’s Road from the Historic Buildings Register.

Subsequent representations have been received which suggest that the building is the result of different building fashions and makes a contribution to the local townscape and that, on this basis it ought to be retained in the Register.

Recommendation

61 St Saviour’s Road should be removed from the Historic Buildings Register.

Comment by Principal Historic Buildings Advisor

At the meeting on 9th November the Minister postponed his decision on this matter until he had received comments from the Principal Historic Buildings Advisor. She has now been able to consider the case and notes that whilst this is a pleasant building, it is similar to many others locally and has no particular interest. The interpretation of the point above which refers to several different phases including possibly 20th century is particularly relevant in her opinion. Buildings do develop and evolve over time and where later phases add to and extend, this shows a timeline of development. In this case however the speculation is that the phases are layered one on the other with the earlier fabric altered and damaged by the subsequent changes to it. Thus the amount of unaltered survival has diminished with each layer of change leaving little to appreciate in its original or early form. She therefore agrees with the recommendation of the Curator of Historic Buildings.

Reason(s) for Decision

61 St Saviour’s Road does not satisfy the published criteria for registration.

The removal of 61 St Saviour’s Road from the Register is in accordance with Interim Policy guidance 5.6 & 5.7 that state “Age is clearly a significant consideration, particularly in relation to historic interest” ; “After the middle of the 19th century, because of the greatly increased numbers of buildings constructed, and the much larger proportion which has survived, greater selectivity will be necessary…architectural quality, or the extent to which particular buildings or types define or make a major contribution to local character and identity, or represent the tangible legacy of formative trends, trades or events, become more significant”.

Action Required

 Amend the Historic Buildings Register to remove 61 St Saviour’s Road

 Issue a notification letter to the owners

 Notify Development Control - Urban 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 & extract from the Le Gros map 1834

Historic building survey form

Photographs

Exempt 3.2.1(b) Appeal submission from BDK Architects

Exempt 3.2.1(b) Representation dated 26 September 2006

Exempt 3.2.1(b) Representation dated 24 September 2006

23 November 2006