Agenda item

Lowered ceiling to first floor rear bar area (retrospective) [Micklegate Ward] [Site Visit]

Members considered an application for Listed Building Consent for a lowered ceiling to the first floor rear bar area (retrospective)

Officers reported that the owner of the adjacent property, no 45 Micklegate, had written to request that his earlier objections to the lowered ceiling in the rear first floor room were taken into consideration, on the grounds of unnecessarily radical nature of the proposal, the impact upon residential amenity of the adjacent property and the undertaking of building work on land outside of the applicant’s ownership.

Officers advised Members that Central Government advice on Planning Policy Guidance 15 (PPG15) required any work to be carried out on a listed building to be fully justified. They confirmed that the installation of a lowered ceiling was not a building control requirement, (there was no requirement to provide sound insulation to the flat above, which was the justification given, as this flat was intended for occupation by the bar manager) and furthermore that there was no evidence that the original ceiling had been badly damaged. They stated that they believed that the introduction of a suspended ceiling harmed the character of the listed building and should not be carried out if other alternatives are available.

The Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for York Central, who had spoken under Public Participation on Plans Item 45a questioned why such harsh and strict conditions were being placed on this application when other developments on the same road had been allowed. 

The applicant advised Members that he had no intention of damaging the building and drew Members’ attention to a letter received from a Craftsman which confirmed that the cornice was beyond repair and to a photograph which showed existing water damage. He stressed that Planning Policy Guidance 15 was designed to be open to interpretation. He stated that the lowered ceiling would allow cables and pipes to be hidden and a new cornice would be installed which would match the original damaged cornice, in order to retain the character of the room.

Members questioned whether the ceiling was beyond repair or whether it could be repaired at a cost and officers advised that repair was an option. They confirmed that they had not been consulted by the owner prior to any of the works being carried out.

Members expressed the view that the installation of the lowered ceiling was not likely to have caused any damage to the original features and in fact provided protection to the original coving and some sound insulation. However they stressed it was important to remember that this was a listed building and acknowledged that it did change the character of the room. They also agreed that the applicant had not been able to justify that the lowered ceiling was the only option in the circumstances to provide sound insulation to the flat above.

RESOLVED:             That the application be refused.

REASON:                  The insertion of a suspended ceiling into the rear first floor room harms the character and appearance of the listed building and has not been adequately justified as being desirable or necessary in terms of its impact upon the Listed Building in accordance with the requirements of Central Government advice on Listed Building Control outlined in paragraph 3.4 of Planning Policy Guidance 15 "Planning and the Historic Environment ". The proposal is therefore contrary to policy HE4 of the Local Plan and paragraphs 3.12 to 3.14, C58 and C60 of PPG 15.