Brightwell's dereliction - part 1

Waverley Borough Council has been told it ought to be "utterly ashamed of itself"

for permitting the Grade II listed Brightwell House to descend into its current derelict state.

The public roasting of the council for failing in its duties as custodians came from a representative of the Farnham Buildings Trust at last Thursday's meeting of the East Street development consultative forum.

The building, which according to the East Street design brief will be preserved and play an integral part in the East Street scheme, currently stands boarded up and in limbo with little prospect of imminent salvation.

Trust representative Michael Murphy showed the forum two pictures of the building of Brightwell House in its current state and, in stark contrast, its former glory days.

"What sort of an example does your negligence set for other owners of the hundreds of listed buildings throughout the borough? You should be utterly ashamed of yourselves," he told councillors.

"You say that you are going to restore Brightwell House to its former glory - fine! So what are you waiting for?

"The longer you leave this old building empty the more it is 'at risk'. It has already been broken into and a valuable Georgian fireplace - part of the listed contents - has been stolen.

The building should now be rated as being 'at extreme risk', the very highest category."

Attached to the house are extensions to the north and west to house the Redgrave Theatre and an administrative block.

Mr Murphy warned that the removal of these will require listed building consent and could result in the whole application being "called in" for a public enquiry.

Excavation of the underground car park, in close proximity on three sides of Brightwell House, will also be necessary.

"This work will need to be done with extreme care. Should Brightwell House be damaged the legally required repairs to, or possible rebuild of, this listed building to the statutory standard will cost a huge amount of money," said Mr Murphy.

He added that if owners of listed buildings failed to maintain them the local Historic Buildings Authority would use its powers to effect the necessary work.

"Failing that, the building would be compulsorily purchased "to enable it to be properly preserved for future generations".

He urged Waverley to employ a highly qualified structural engineer with experience of listed buildings to report on the house's current structural state and to consider the effects of removing the extensions and excavating the underground car park. The report, once received, should not be "withheld, delayed or tampered with" and should be immediately made available to all interested parties.

"Remember, the Farnham Buildings Preservation Trust is watching you," Mr Murphy concluded.

Waverley hits back:

The Council's response to Buildings Preservation Trust

Brightwell House as it used to be.

Drawing by NFRC actor Dennis Chinnery

The above article is based upon one which appeared in the Farnham Herald on 2 September 2005