Latest news with #GradeII
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Swindon's Health Hydro pool work is almost completed
Work on Swindon's Health Hydro is on course to be completed by early next year.A topping out ceremony marked the finish of the major structural work in phase one of the restoration and refurbishment on the Grade II* listed Victorian building, with just internal works to are set to begin at the end of the week, offering the public an opportunity to see the progress made on the multi-million pound project since its closure two years comes as a planning application was submitted recently for phase two of the work which will focus on the main pool hall. If funding is approved, work will start in early 2027 which will see the pool closed again for a further 12 to 18 was initially due to be completed on phase one in late 2024 but the discovery of asbestos and moisture issues delayed its it is reopened improvements to the Victorian building will include a new gym, modernised accessible changing facilities, a ventilation system and a new engine room. Talking about phase two, project manager, Doug Gray said: "That's not confirmed yet but that's the plan to get funding for phase two which will deal with the swimming pool itself."In phase one we're dealing with the plant side of it which will get it all up and running but from a decorative and aesthetic point of view, we want to take that back to its original form should funding be approved."And if approved, the original decorative brickwork around the stained-glass window could be revealed after decades of being hidden by peeling steel trusses holding up the roof will also be painted in a colour more reminiscent of the hydro's early 20th-Century parts of the extensive plan are less obvious, but include improved ventilation of the main pool hall, better heating and cooling and better drainage of the pool. Councillor Marina Strinkovsky said: "Everything about it is amazing…the scale of it, the size of it and the history."It's the longest continuously operating Victorian Baths in the country but it had to adapt to the needs of the community and to changing times."
Daily Mail
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Eddie Redmayne gets green light for £4.25m country retreat 'forever home' - with massive 'overhaul' on the way: RICHARD EDEN'S DIARY
Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne has been given the go-ahead to create his 'forever home' for his family in a secluded country retreat equipped with a pool and tennis court. I can disclose that the actor splashed out on the nine-bedroom, Grade II home set in 18 acres of land in Wiltshire last year, which was valued at £4.25million. He has now been given the all-clear to carry out massive renovations on the property.
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Owner of Grade II listed £800k estate at war with neighbours after building BUNGALOW in back garden without permission
A bungalow that was built instead of a double garage is at the centre of a planning controversy in a quiet neighbourhood that's led to calls for it to be pulled down. The home, within an area of green belt, lies within the grounds of the Grade II-listed Ladyshore House on a private road in Little Lever, Bolton. Plans for a double garage at the site were approved by Bolton Council in June 2019. But documents reveal that work on a single storey dwelling was completed in April 2022 and that a retrospective planning application for the alternative structure was submitted only in May – more than three years later. Retrospective planning permission is also being sought for an adjacent 'hobby room' which has been erected on the site of a former stable block. Four-bedroomed Ladyshore House, the former offices of a colliery built in 1833, has undergone extensive modernisation, which includes a day spa and a jacuzzi, and is currently on the market for £795,000. But some residents are angry that the applicant, Megan Dudley, did not seek initially seek permission to build another home on the site. One said: 'It's a bit cheeky to be doing that. If you've applied to build a garage it should be a garage and not something else. The approved plans which were submitted in 2019 show how the garage was supposed to look 'So the house should be knocked down.' 'Everything should be above board, not done through the back door.' The man added that as the home, which lies within the Irwell valley, is 'in a greenbelt area I understand why the council should fight it'. Phil Amos, 59, said: 'Planning regulations are planning regulations and should be stuck to. 'This a lovely place to live but it's being spoilt by some developments which spoil the character of the area. 'And if you allow one thing to be built then others will follow. 'I had to go the council for my extension even though it was permitted development 'I had to follow the rules carefully, so why should others get away with it'. Phil also said that as the home was built instead of garage it should 'come down', even if it led to a stand-off with the council. Other residents revealed how a group of them had bought an adjacent field that was put up for sale by the owner of Ladyshore House. 'They all clubbed together to buy the land,' said one woman. 'The feared a developer would but it and just build more houses on there. 'That would have been bad for everybody.' A planning heritage statement has been produced by planning and architecture consultancy Roman Summer Associates on behalf of Ms Dudley. It states that compared with the approved double garage plans, the house is 120mm higher, 130mm longer and 210mm wider and has been slightly re-orientated. The garage doors have been replaced by a pair of French windows and three widows, with four velux windows in the roof of the home. But the statement claims that the dwelling is 'largely identical' to the garage, which was acceptable as it was 'of a size and scale which is in proportion to the main house', 'respects the build form and pattern of existing development' and 'will not adversely affect the street scene'. The design 'would preserve the character' of the listed building and 'not have a detrimental impact on the adjoining neighbours', it says, and not compromise the greenbelt. Changes to the original plans are described as 'superficial' while the hobby-room is of similar isize and positioning to the stable block it replaced. The new building will be 'self-build home for the applicant', the statement continues, 'who wishes to reside close to her ageing parents (who reside in the adjacent Ladyshore House)'. It also adds that site should be considered 'grey belt' rather than green belt as there had been previous development. Some residents said the did not object to the bungalow, despite the retrospective planning application. 'It doesn't bother me,' one said. 'You can't really see it because of where it's located.' Another said that it was 'reasonably-sized' and didn't impact on other residents. When Mail Online visited the property, there was no-one home.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Urgent works green-lit for 'at-risk' former cinema
Work is to begin on essential repairs to a Grade II listed former cinema and bingo hall built in Art Deco style. Rotherham Council has awarded a contractor £451,000 to carry out repairs to the town centre's former Mecca Bingo building, which opened as the Regal Cinema in 1934. It has stood empty since Mecca Bingo closed during the Covid pandemic, but a council report said doing nothing was "not an option" given the state of the building and the council's legal responsibilities as its owner. A council report said: "Enabling works are required within the building to ensure that the building remains safe, secure and compliant while a review of future use is undertaken." Council officials confirmed F Parkinson Ltd had a contract to carry out urgent works to make the building safe, secure and legally compliant, while further feasibility studies into its long-term use were carried out. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the building has been at the centre of debate over redevelopment, with previous plans to demolish it for flats sparking public outcry. A previous planning application to demolish the cinema and replace it with 45 apartments and retail units was met with strong resistance and halted after campaigners succeeded in securing Grade II listed status for the building. Richard Gray of the Cinema Theatre Association, which led the listing bid, said it was "a major part of Rotherham's heritage" and praised its Art Deco design and history. The former cinema, which once seated 1,850 people, has seen several changes over the decades. According to Historic England, the cinema closed in September 1983 and remained empty until May 1989 when it reopened as Ritz Bingo. From 2004 it was operated by Mecca and then put up for sale by auction in February 2020 but failed to sell. The council acquired the building in late 2022 through its regeneration arm, Rotherham Investment and Development Office. Last year the former cinema on Corporation Street was added to the council's at-risk register in fair (Category C) condition. While no firm decision has been made on the building's future, the enabling works are intended to keep options open for possible reuse. No timeline has been given for when a final decision would be made about the building's long-term future. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North Cinema among 'at-risk' sites, says council Local Democracy Reporting Service
The Guardian
27-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Homes for sale in harbour towns and villages in England and Scotland
This three-storey Victorian semi-detached house is on the market for the first time in 40 years. Situated on West Street, which runs parallel to the waterfront, it has steps down from the terrace to the quay. There is also an old boathouse with power and the potential to be developed. To the front there's an annexe, which could provide a fourth bedroom. On the ground floor, the drawing room has a window seat and fireplace, and steps up into the dining room and kitchen. All the main rooms and stone terraces have views of Fowey harbour. £1.5m. Knight Frank, 01392 848 839 Photograph: Knight Frank , Fife In the shadow of the historic red railway bridge that extends across the Firth of Forth is a four-bedroom house built in 1910 as a bungalow, and later remodelled to add first-floor bedrooms and a bathroom. The entrance opens into a dining room-cum-sitting room with the table in the bay window. There is a snug on the ground floor and a kitchen with breakfast area. Sitting on the water's edge, the cottage has a strip of lawn at the front within a walled garden, and faces towards the modern Queensferry Crossing. £495,000. Savills, 0131 247 3738 Photograph: Savills Overlooking the harbour, with views across the River Dart, is a three-bedroom apartment in a Grade II-listed building. The block dates from 1893, and has Elizabethan-style timber framing and balustrade balconies. The flat is set mostly on the first floor with a study or playroom on the second. The interiors reflect the period style – ornate cornicing, ceiling roses and sash windows. The main reception room is open-plan and dual-aspect with balconies on two sides of the flat. Royal Avenue Gardens is a couple of minutes' walk away. £825,000. Strutt & Parker, 01392 248 137 Photograph: Strutt & Parker/BNPS Sitting back from the harbour wall, in a string of terraced houses, is a five-bedroom period property. Run as a holiday let, the interiors are painted in a neutral palette with whitewashed wooden floorboards and views out across the Firth of Forth to East Lothian. At the back is a patio and a lawned garden. Pittenweem is a fishing village on the East Neuk coastline, and it is a short walk to a bakery, a doctor's surgery and a post office, as well as plenty of pubs and cafes. Along the headland is the tidal pool and the Fife coastal path. £639,000. Rettie, 01334 237 700 Photograph: Rettie In this heritage coast town and fishing port is a smart Georgian house, standing out in sky blue against the terrace of properties. Seagull House is believed to have been the home of a master mariner and many of the original features have been retained. It is just a street back from the harbour, and elevated; the sitting room and main bedroom have views of the sea. Two bedrooms are on the ground floor, the sitting room and adjoining kitchen on the first, and another bedroom on the second. There is a terrace to the front. £500,000. Savills, 01904 617 821 Photograph: Savills/BNPS
