Listed Buildings Prosecutions Database Commentary

3 accommodation at first floor. Unusually the Hall also had an extra floor inserted to give an attic area accessed by an oak solid tread stair. The high quality of workmanship, extent of the surviving ancient timberwork and rare attic floor was responsible for the Grade 2* listing. Following complaints to the local planning authority from the previous owner, the local planning authority visited the building in August 1989 and the new owner was advised to stop work. A year-long investigation in conjunction with the Historic buildings Specialists at Essex County Council concluded with the owner Mr. Raymond Pluck pleaded guilty to 10 counts including removing the attic floor; the solid tread staircase and ancient timbers as well as the removal of partition walls and ceilings on the first floor; removal of the partition to the staircase enclosure in the hall; removal of wall linings and two fireplaces and removal of the front porch. The defendant who owned at least one other Listed building (on which unauthorised work had also been undertaken) was un-cooperative throughout and was a maximum (at that time) of £2,000 on each of eight counts and £1,000 on each of the remainder by Halstead Magistrates Court; totaling £18,000 with £5,158.60 costs. The defendant was given seven days to pay. (Source: LPA) Braintree District Council [10-2000] Hole Farm, Kelvedon, Listed Grade 2* The building was described by the person responsible for listing it, John McCann, as a remarkably unaltered specimen of a mediaeval hall house. The owner undertook The unauthorised replacement of windows; removal of an early staircase, cupboard and door; installation of a new staircase; removal of one fireplace and alteration of another, and cutting of a tie beam. The owner was found guilty on four counts and was fined £2,000 with £2,150 costs. There was some pre-trial plea- bargaining as a result of which some charges were dropped. The owner had also instructed the unauthorised shotblasting of soot-blackened timbers for which the contractor Aquablast Ltd was fined £1,000. Essex County Council remarked that although the owner would have to change all the windows, most of the damage could not be rectified. (Source: LPA) Brecon Beacons National Park Authority [08-2015] Llanwenarth House, Grade 2. Built in c.1532 in sandstone but remodeled in the 18 th century, the seven bedroom manor house in the picturesque Usk valley was where Irish composer Cecil Alexander is thought to have written the lyrics where Irish composer Cecil Alexander wrote the lyrics to the hymn 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' with lines thought to have been inspired by the River Usk, which flows close to the property boundary. The building was listed in 1956. Property developer Mr. Kim Gregory Davies carried out £1million-worth of work and about sixty alterations without consent. After Davies had carried out the work, officials from the National Park Authority received an anonymous tip-off in 2009 that unlawful renovation work was being carried out. They visited and tried to gain access to the property several times but were refused entry by Davies, who locked the gates to keep them out. A warrant was issued and Council officers eventually managed to gain access in 2012 and discovered that substantial changes had been undertaken including the removal of 18 th century Regency features and replacement with 'mock Tudor' interiors including replacing historic doors with modern 'Tudoresque' ones, taking up parquet flooring and laying down modern tiles in their place, removing historic timber windows and turning a bedroom into a bathroom, hard cement had been used for the renovation work instead of lime mortar. The defendant also installed a mosaic-clad spa bath, altered the coach house and courtyard taking up the old cobblestones replacing these with flagstones. The headstones of three children who had died more than 100 years ago - David, 4, Rosie, 3, and 11-month-old Thomas taken from the village of Llechryd, near Rhymney had been used as wall plaques for interior decoration . Council officers were unable to determine when this macabre feature was installed, but found cut up gravestones in the back garden. Davies had originally insisted he had done nothing wrong and claimed that a since departed planning officer had given him verbal permission to carry out the work and he had saved the building from ruin as it was falling down when he bought it in 2007 for £675,000. Prosecutor Nicholas Haggan QC told Newport Crown Court that listed building specialist Michael Davis had described the alterations as being the “worst example” he had seen during his 25-year career. He said: “The works carried out by this defendant were extensive and affected every part of the exterior and