rog and gina
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Thought this might be of interest.
You never know what might happen to a listed building near you!
Taken from Cheltenham echo..
Builder Gerald Kinahan knocked down a 16th century listed building after a mystery man offered him £200 to do it, a court heard.
In just 20 minutes, historic Oak House in Apperley - the village's third oldest building - was destroyed.
Kinahan told a court he had no idea that the house was grade II listed.
Neither did he know that the mysterious man in a red van who hired him to carry out the work was not the owner.
The real owner, Ruth Greenshield, has denied knowing anything about Kinahan's actions.
She is not being prosecuted because Tewkesbury Borough Council says there is no evidence she was behind the work.
Chaceley Parish Council chairman Kinahan told Cirencester Magistrates' Court he was not aware he was breaking the law when he carried out the extensive demolition work.
He said he did not know it was a listed house with original features including timber framing and said most of the damage had been caused by a fire two years ago.
He only realised something was wrong when the chairman of Deerhurst Parish Council rang to tell him the building was listed.
Kinahan said: "I was approached by a man who gave his name as Mr Hardley. He didn't give me his Christian name.
"He was in his 50s, shortish with a peculiar receding hairline and he was dressed respectably.
"He didn't say he was the owner, he just said he needed this work done urgently because there was a frame coming on the Monday and a start needed to be made to get bricks out of the panels.
"He gave me a piece of paper with his surname and a mobile number on it.
"There was no written contract. This is very common. I have been in business for six years and I go on trust.
"He spoke in a respectable way and his words were well pronounced.
"When I got there the building was in a very poor state of repair. I could see the muddy floor.
"I had no reason at all to believe it was listed. I thought because of the state it was in, it needed serious work done to it.
"I started in the corner by the chimney and started to push the panels out. I didn't use a bulldozer or a digger.
"I took extra care to leave enough beams so the building would be supported. The whole thing only took 20 minutes."
He said after he finished the work, neighbours told him the building was listed.
"I was shocked when they told me," he said. "I thought it was up to the contractor or the home owner to get that sorted out.
"I wanted to get home to ring Mr Hardley to find out what was going on.
"When I rang him a man answered and said he didn't know what it was all about.
"I never managed to get hold of him and I've not been paid."
Dr Sarah Lewis, a conservation officer at Tewkesbury Borough Council, admitted the house had been damaged in a fire in 2002.
She said after Kinahan had finished his work, 80 per cent of the east part of the building had been demolished and 60 per cent of the south gable.
Brick infill panels were knocked out and tiles came off the roof. Floors also collapsed.
She said: "The timber frame was completely destroyed.
"We've lost historic work - the mark of carpenters on the wood was lost.
"The impact has been substantial on the historic and architectural significance of the building. None of the works were authorised and they would have required listed building consent.
"The work was done in a brutal manner. It wasn't done carefully."
Tewkesbury Borough Council decided to prosecute Kinahan after a vote by its planning committee.
Kinahan, 59, of Lawn Farm, Corse Farm, denies executing the works without authority on February 18 last year.
Last week Ruth Greenshield submitted an application to Tewkesbury Borough Council for planning permission for 14 houses, including nine lower-cost homes, in the field next to where Oak House stood in Deerhurst Road, Apperley.
You never know what might happen to a listed building near you!
Taken from Cheltenham echo..
Builder Gerald Kinahan knocked down a 16th century listed building after a mystery man offered him £200 to do it, a court heard.
In just 20 minutes, historic Oak House in Apperley - the village's third oldest building - was destroyed.
Kinahan told a court he had no idea that the house was grade II listed.
Neither did he know that the mysterious man in a red van who hired him to carry out the work was not the owner.
The real owner, Ruth Greenshield, has denied knowing anything about Kinahan's actions.
She is not being prosecuted because Tewkesbury Borough Council says there is no evidence she was behind the work.
Chaceley Parish Council chairman Kinahan told Cirencester Magistrates' Court he was not aware he was breaking the law when he carried out the extensive demolition work.
He said he did not know it was a listed house with original features including timber framing and said most of the damage had been caused by a fire two years ago.
He only realised something was wrong when the chairman of Deerhurst Parish Council rang to tell him the building was listed.
Kinahan said: "I was approached by a man who gave his name as Mr Hardley. He didn't give me his Christian name.
"He was in his 50s, shortish with a peculiar receding hairline and he was dressed respectably.
"He didn't say he was the owner, he just said he needed this work done urgently because there was a frame coming on the Monday and a start needed to be made to get bricks out of the panels.
"He gave me a piece of paper with his surname and a mobile number on it.
"There was no written contract. This is very common. I have been in business for six years and I go on trust.
"He spoke in a respectable way and his words were well pronounced.
"When I got there the building was in a very poor state of repair. I could see the muddy floor.
"I had no reason at all to believe it was listed. I thought because of the state it was in, it needed serious work done to it.
"I started in the corner by the chimney and started to push the panels out. I didn't use a bulldozer or a digger.
"I took extra care to leave enough beams so the building would be supported. The whole thing only took 20 minutes."
He said after he finished the work, neighbours told him the building was listed.
"I was shocked when they told me," he said. "I thought it was up to the contractor or the home owner to get that sorted out.
"I wanted to get home to ring Mr Hardley to find out what was going on.
"When I rang him a man answered and said he didn't know what it was all about.
"I never managed to get hold of him and I've not been paid."
Dr Sarah Lewis, a conservation officer at Tewkesbury Borough Council, admitted the house had been damaged in a fire in 2002.
She said after Kinahan had finished his work, 80 per cent of the east part of the building had been demolished and 60 per cent of the south gable.
Brick infill panels were knocked out and tiles came off the roof. Floors also collapsed.
She said: "The timber frame was completely destroyed.
"We've lost historic work - the mark of carpenters on the wood was lost.
"The impact has been substantial on the historic and architectural significance of the building. None of the works were authorised and they would have required listed building consent.
"The work was done in a brutal manner. It wasn't done carefully."
Tewkesbury Borough Council decided to prosecute Kinahan after a vote by its planning committee.
Kinahan, 59, of Lawn Farm, Corse Farm, denies executing the works without authority on February 18 last year.
Last week Ruth Greenshield submitted an application to Tewkesbury Borough Council for planning permission for 14 houses, including nine lower-cost homes, in the field next to where Oak House stood in Deerhurst Road, Apperley.
