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From the
http://www.maidstoneandmedwaynews.co.uk 1 May 2014. By Sophie Sturt
VILLAGE PUB PULLED DOWN WITHOUT PLANNING PERMISSION.
AN HISTORIC pub in Leeds village has been razed to the ground without
planning permission.
The "Ten Bells" on Upper Street has been pulled down by developers
who had permission to convert the building into a home.
Developers say it had to be demolished because it was structurally
unsafe and at risk of collapse.
Jane Newsome, president of Leeds village Women's Institute, said:
“It's a great shame that the building was knocked down. They were
supposed to convert it and I'm very annoyed.”
The Maidstone and Medway News understands from the Parish Council
that villagers were completely unaware of the plan to pull the building
down.
Full planning permission to convert it into two homes and erect a
further three on the same plot was granted in March last year.
The land then changed hands, and the new owner made another
application to Maidstone Borough Council to convert the pub to a single
four-bedroom house with a car port.
In between those times various applications were made and granted to
demolish parts of the building such as extensions, but not to knock down
the original building which stands in a conservation area.
Gary Cooke, KCC's County Councillor for the village said: “I'm
shocked that any developer would pull something down without first
getting proper permission.
“I'm sympathetic with the people of Leeds. Unfortunately it's quite
clear that once something is down, it's down.
“What would have been nice would have been for the "Ten Bells" to
continue to prosper as a local amenity, meeting place and pub. It's a
shame.”
The "Ten Bells" pub was named in tribute to the number of bells
housed in the village's church tower.
St Nicholas Church has a 12th century Norman tower which contains one
of the country's earliest surviving ten-bell frames.
The pub was a central feature of the village for years before it
closed in 2012 - and it all but disappeared over the Easter weekend.
A spokesman for Maidstone Borough Council said: “An enforcement
investigation is ongoing with regard to the demolition, and the
applicant and agent have been made aware that a retrospective planning
application should be submitted for the demolition and suitable
reconstruction of the building.
“That application is expected in due course and will be subject to
statutory public consultation.
“The agent has explained that the building was demolished for health
and safety reasons as it was at risk of collapse.”
Neil Sutherland, from Giarti, the architects working on the project,
said: “I can see why local people would have been concerned to see the
pub come down but unfortunately the existing building had to go because
of safety reasons.
“A structural engineer had condemned the building and said the only
way forward was to pull it down.”
Mr Sutherland explained that the developers feared for the safety of
workers already on site constructing one of the new properties.
He added that Maidstone Borough Council had been given the report and
informed of the plan to demolish the building three weeks beforehand.
Mr Sutherland said: “The proposal was to convert it but unfortunately
the existing structure was unsafe. There were very few foundations, all
the timbers were rotten and there were tree roots growing through the
timber frame.
“The building next door is already complete and the developer was
worried about the old building coming down on top of that and their
workers. It was only scaffolding holding it up.
“We understand that people are upset but the building will look the
same as the one we have already asked permission for only with new
materials. There is no change to what has already been agreed."
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