Listed Buildings Prosecutions Database Commentary

54 added her and her husband had been told by an officer at the Council that, due to the state of the boathouse, there was a 90 per cent chance they would receive planning permission to demolish it. We were even asked to submit retrospective planning permission which we were in the process of doing before we were issued with the court summons." (Source LPA) Wrexham Borough Council Miners Rescue Centre. Listed Grade 2. Built in 1913 to train miners how to rescue their colleagues in underground emergencies. A local businessman pleaded guilty and was fined £2000 and ordered to pay £1,700 costs for instructing two laborers to commence demolition on 18 th August 2010 only hours after Cadw had listed the building. The Council brought the work to a halt but the men returned two days later to try to make the building structurally safe resulting in part of the roof collapsing. The two contractors were fined £300 with £200 costs and £150 with £100 costs respectively. In mitigation the defendant claimed he was acting within his rights because he had not been told of Cadw’s decision to list and the local authority had already given two consents for demolition. “He did not think in a million years that it would be granted listed status”. The court was told the defendant had started work on a project to restore the Centre and had engaged a leading architect. (Source: BBC News North East Wales) [Extensive further documentation & illustrations at : http://www.northwalesminers.com/trust/projects/project_rescuestation.htm ] Wrexham Borough Council [06-12] Lower Honkley Farmhouse, Rossett, Listed Grade 2. This mediaeval cruck-framed house was the subject of unauthorised alteration without listed building consent. The owner Mr. Frederick Nigel Darlington of Rossett denied four charges brought by the Council but changed his pleas and admitted three charges part way though the case. District Judge Andrew Shaw, sitting at Mold Magistrates Court on 28 th June 2012 gave the owner a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £8,000 costs. Architectural technician Geraint Lewis of Dolgellau denied four charges but was convicted on two counts and fined £1,000 with £3,000 costs. The defendants claimed the council had “led them up the garden path” by granting planning consent containing a controversial clause that required a conservation method statement. The judge said that while the planning application had not been a text book one, it would have been much better if simultaneous consideration had been given to an application for listed building consent. (Source Daily Post: North West News) Wychavon District Council [08-2015] Glasshouses, Walled Garden, Westwood House, Westwood Park, Droitwich Spa, Listed Grade 2. On 3 September 2014 officers of the Council were alerted by a member of the public that one of two glasshouses at the property was being demolished. On site it was found that one of the glasshouses had