The unit says the demolition of multiple listed buildings on the site and the impact of the planned development on nearby historic buildings cannot be justified despite the project’s wider benefit to the public.
As part of the application Dandara, who are acting on behalf of Andium Homes, are also planning to retain and refurbish some of the other buildings of interest.
One of those, Sans Souci, is where brewing operations in the area began with the first bottles of beer being made in the house’s rear garden in 1871.
The building retains much of its original fixtures and fittings including a basement wine cellar, coal cellar and pantry, among other features of interest. It is hoped that the building can be restored and used as a new centre for Autism Jersey.
Meanwhile, the eight-storey grade-three-listed brewhouse on Ann Street still has its original copper brewing equipment and is described by the HET as ‘the most significant building that relates specifically to Jersey’s brewing history’, and a ‘locally unique example of industrial design’. The developers plan to refurbish and repurpose the building as offices.
Developers also hope to refurbish a grade-four-listed Georgian townhouse, 12 Simon Place, and convert it into caretaker accommodation.
However, other buildings including the grade-three-listed 4A Simon Place, which features a cast-iron stove, grade-four-listed 1830s 4 Simon Place, as well as the grade-four-listed brewery office block – which features a panelled mahogany staircase – could all be knocked down.
In the Historic Environment Team letter, it says: ‘There are six listed buildings on this site – three are proposed to be demolished and a third partially demolished. This runs contrary to the strong presumption in [planning] policy to preserve listed buildings. The site is also in the setting of 15 listed buildings on adjacent streets as well as the wider setting of Victoria College.
‘The scale and mass of the scheme will not be contained within its townscape context so it is further contended that the settings of more distant and higher-lying buildings such as Almorah Crescent will also be negatively impacted. Policy HE1 requires the preservation or improvement of the settings of listed buildings – this proposal achieves neither.’
The letter adds that the destruction of listed buildings can be justified in certain instances if there is a substantial public benefit as a result.
However, it says, this is not the case with this application.
‘The site can and should be developed but the loss of and impact on the historic environment is unreasonably high. The impact of the high new housing blocks denudes both the settings of the adjacent listed buildings and the wider townscape by way of height, scale, mass and design,’ it says.
‘A more nuanced, place-making and sustainable community development approach is urged with contextual architecture delivering much needed new housing in polite interventions in the townscape. A heritage-led approach would help build for the future.’
Meanwhile, Marcus Binney, president of Save Jersey’s Heritage, said that a planning inquiry should be held to assess the impact of the potential loss of the listed buildings.
‘On Bath Street [Le Masurier’s development], the Environment Minister should have intervened to hold a planning inquiry.
‘With Ann Street, he has an opportunity to do just that and to combine it with the probable development of the Mayfair Hotel nearby.’
