Wychavon District Council has successfully prosecuted the owner of a grade II listed property who demolished glasshouses without permission.
Wychavon District Council writes:
A man who demolished a 19th century glasshouse that was within the grounds of a Grade II listed walled garden has been ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £5,520.
Duccio Latino Senese Baldi (51) of Cummins Farm Cottages, Worcester, pleaded guilty to carrying out the works when he appeared at Worcester Magistrates Court on 6 August 2015.
On 3 September 2014, Wychavon District Council was alerted by a member of the public that one of two glasshouses at the property the Walled Garden, Westwood House, Westwood Park, Droitwich Spa – a Grade II listed property – was being demolished.
Council officers went to the site and found that one of the glasshouses had been almost completely demolished and that the glazed timber frames and broken glass from the glasshouse had been thrown into a skip.
The walled garden property, which Baldi jointly owns, is part of the Westwood House estate and includes Westwood House – a Grade I listed building, registered historic park and one of the most important historic listed buildings in the area.
The glasshouses in the walled garden were built in the late 19th century, were restored in 2005, and were fine examples of their type.
Their restoration had been part of a listed building planning permission that enabled the owner at the time to restore the glasshouses and to build an architect designed house against the kitchen wall. The planning permission was exceptional and was subject to a legal agreement requiring the owner at the time to carry out repair and restoration works to the glasshouses, the kitchen garden and the 18th century garden wall.
Sue Marsh, Planning Solicitor at Wychavon District Council, said: ‘We are pleased with the outcome of this prosecution as it helps us to highlight the need to protect historical, listed properties in the district and the need for owners of such properties to be aware of their responsibilities when it comes to preservation.’
The fines and costs have to be paid within 28 days and the glasshouse will have to be rebuilt.
