Council to give upon restoration of historic frontages
Monday, 12th November 2012.
Efforts to persuade owners of Victorian and Edwardian properties in Haverhill to preserve or restore their original frontages have failed and now the council is proposing to give up on them.
Two conservation areas in the town – centred on Queen Street and on Hamlet Road – were created nearly a decade ago by St Edmundsbury Borough Council.
Properties in the areas became subject to an Article 4 Direction, which takes away owners rights to make any old change to a frontage, allowing planners to insist original features should retained or restored.
This covers replacing windows and doors, altering boundary walls, fences and railings, replacing roof coverings and removing chimneys.
The aim was to encourage owners to reinstate original features and details as the opportunities arose, but the council says this has not been achieved.
Because it needs monitoring and, with St Edmundsbury now sharing services with Forest Heath, there is going to be a shortage of staff to do the work, Haverhill Area Working Party, meeting next week, is being recommended to agree to the Directions being cancelled.
Some 300 properties are affected and owners will be consulted on the proposal.
Two conservation areas in the town – centred on Queen Street and on Hamlet Road – were created nearly a decade ago by St Edmundsbury Borough Council.
Properties in the areas became subject to an Article 4 Direction, which takes away owners rights to make any old change to a frontage, allowing planners to insist original features should retained or restored.
This covers replacing windows and doors, altering boundary walls, fences and railings, replacing roof coverings and removing chimneys.
The aim was to encourage owners to reinstate original features and details as the opportunities arose, but the council says this has not been achieved.
Because it needs monitoring and, with St Edmundsbury now sharing services with Forest Heath, there is going to be a shortage of staff to do the work, Haverhill Area Working Party, meeting next week, is being recommended to agree to the Directions being cancelled.
Some 300 properties are affected and owners will be consulted on the proposal.
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