There has been a lot of press publicity recently about crime in general and vandalism and theft in particular. The wheel hasn't really been re-invented. The need for security has always been apparent. Pontefract Castle was designed with this as the main objective and it also protected the shops beneath it. The castle fell to a siege not a frontal attack by the 17th century equivalent of ram raiders. The butchers' shops in the Shambles in York had wooden security shutters which opened to create a counter. The walls of the gritstone buildings in West Yorkshire which were converted into local shops during the late 19th century were two or three feet thick, had oak planked doors with a bar behind and small window openings which could be shuttered from either inside or out to give substantial protection from the sorts of attack used by intruder of the time. Security in some form, certainly in this unruly part of the world, was part of the design of most shops until well into the 19th century. It is within the last 100 years that picture windows, competitive displays etc have become important factors in retailing. The security equipment being sold to protect the windows of historic buildings which have been converted into shops against the weapons used by today's thieves is usually 'off the shelf. It is not inbuilt and is designed for modern buildings. Five cases illustrate that, with one notable exception, some general trends do emerge from recent appeals where the issue of shop front security for historic buildings has been tested. The first has been referred to briefly before, but is worth repeating in more detail. CheltenhamDistrict Council:listed building enforcementnoticerelatingto the erectionof boxedsecurityshuttersabove the front and rearwindows of a GradeII* listedjeweller'sshop which ispart of a terrace. The front elevation of the terrace, which is one of the best groups of buildings in the town, has a richly decorated frieze above the shop fronts supported by white painted caryatids, and the rear shop front is original. The appellant's business is the only remaining hand-made-clock firm in Britain. Unlike other jewellers, the highvalue stock cannot be removed to a safe every evening. Bandit glass and an external grille had been fitted but this had not prevented several other attempted and actual break-ins. The insurance company sought more comprehensive security which resulted in the fitting of the unauthorised shutters. CONTEXT 38 SIRTITUS David Morton looks at problems raised by the conflict between building conservation and shop front security. The approved local plan for the Borough places a strong presumption against alterations to listed buildings which affect their character and the Council has also approved a shopfront design guide which recommends security glass, internal security grilles and external open mesh grilles but comments that external solid metal shutters will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances. The authority took advice from a security expert who recommended internal collapsible grilles or perforated external shutters in this case. The estimate was that this would cost £3,000 but the appellant's figure was £15,000 and he wished to be treated as an exception to the policy. The Secretary of State accepted that the nature of the goods and the number of break-ins did present special circumstances but these had to be weighed against the listed building and Conservation Area considerations. The inspector considered that the front shutter was inconspicuous when open but the rear shutter was obtrusive at all times. He described the shutter boxes as "lumpen". What a lovely word. He summed up his view by saying that this outstanding terrace in a well frequented and most attractive part of a historic town deserved the greatest protection from merited but unsympathetic alterations. In upholding the enforcement notice, the Secretary of State recognised the security problem at the premises and allowed time not just for removal of the unauthorised shutters but for the approval and fitting of a suitable alternative. Derby City Council:appealagainstthe refosalof listed building consentfor the installationof a securitygrille in a GradeII shop.front. The 18th century brick facade comprises the last four bays of the Duke of Devonshire's town house. Recently new shop fronts have been allowed, including one for the appeal site when it changed from a public house in 1990. The issue at the inquiry was the effect of a perforated roller shutter which encloses the full width of a listed building frontage between pilasters under the fascia, and the degree of harm in the street scene generally when judged against similar installations already approved in the Conservation Area. The shutter is fully concealed behind the fascia during opening hours and when down matches the colour of the overall shop front as an integral part of the design. In deciding to grant consent, the inspector considered that the shutter or grille could be more open and visually lighter but that it was more acceptable in the street scene than the solid shutter approved next door and was of a similar design to one approved nearby. He also made the point that the impact of the grille is restricted to periods when the city centre is largely deserted. The council also accepted that the grille conformed to many of the points in its Design Notes which give guidance on shopfront design and security measures within Conservation Areas. Derby City Council:listed building enforcementnoticeagainstthefitting of a securityrollergrille and steelhousingon the front elevationof a GradeII listedshopin the Derby City Centre ConservationArea. The appeal premises are one of a series of modern shop fronts set into the ground floor of an early 18th century building. The inspector commented that the aesthetic quality of the shopping frontage was not uniform and that even if it was true that other buildings have been similarly altered, this was not a blanket justification for an individual alteration. In deciding to uphold the notice, the inspector considered that the installation of the shutter and its box adversely affected the building when retracted but more particularly when lowered. He felt that the box was a brash affair placed without regard to its integration into the shopfront and the shutter when lowered gave a fortified effect. North BedfordshireBoroughCouncil: enforcementnoticeagainstthefitting of a largebox typeshutter on an unlistedshop within the Bedford ConservationArea. The appeal' premises are a hardware shop in Bedford High Street. Although modernised in 1963, they still retain a substantial part of their earlier character. 21
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