Campaigners from Guildford Heritage Forum fear plans to sell off West Lodge, a Grade II listed building, at Chilworth Gunpowder Mills will result in the building’s demolition.
Get Surrey writes:
Guildford Borough Council’s (GBC) executive agreed on February 20 plans to sell West Lodge , a vacant, one-storey building in Blacksmith Lane, after the local parish council failed to find the money to repair it. Repairing the dilapidated building is estimated to cost £100,000, which the council is unwilling to pay given increased financial pressure on local government.
But Gavin Morgan, founder of the Guildford Heritage Forum, said West Lodge was likely to be demolished if sold off and should be protected.
Speaking at the executive meeting, Mr Morgan said: ‘Once most of it is demolished – and that is the logical outcome of this proposal – then it is gone forever.
I sympathise with the efforts of asset management and the arguments from a property management point of view. But this council is not a property management company, it is a public service with amenity, cultural and heritage responsibilities.
West Lodge costs nothing to leave alone and we are not desperately in need of money from selling it.’…
Once the site where the East India Company produced ammunition for its merchant ships, the gunpowder mills began operating in the early 17th century and are scheduled by English Heritage due to their historical importance.
But West Lodge, which closed in 1920, does not fall under this protection.
However, it is still protected as a Grade-II listed building, which will make it difficult to demolish.
