Council folly threatened by Council folly:
controversy over Hastings grotto facing permanent damage
A Listed Building in Hastings has been damaged by the local Council who put railings and grilles on it, and are now seeking to give themselves retrospective planning permission.
The neoclassical building is a Victorian version of a Roman Bath, in Summerfields Wood, formerly the grounds of Bohemia House, Hastings. The Grade 2 citation is here:
https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101379434-roman-bath-at-the-summerfield-estate-hastings-gensing-ward#.YP7AdqjYrfo
The industrial fencing was supposedly for safety reasons but this makes little sense. As well as persistent neglect, arguably criminal damage to a listed building has been committed. The retrospective application appears to be in breach of Hastings Borough Council's Local Plan policies including EN1 (Built and Historic Environment), and HN1 (Development Affecting the Significance and Setting of Designated Heritage Assets).
The application’s Heritage Statement is defective, lacking an Assessment of the Significance of the Roman Bath, and the effect of the galvanised structures on this Significance. The Design & Access Statement is also defective.
There has been no apparent notification of, or comment from Historic England, the Sussex Wildlife Trust, Natural England, or the Council’s Conservation Officer.
The retrospective application (case reference HS/LB/20/00805), for Listed Building Consent, is here:
https://publicaccess.hastings.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=neighbourComments&keyVal=_HSTBC_DCAPR_117862
including a strenuous objection from the Sussex Gardens Trust (SGT), lately notified, who concluded:
SGT finds the utilitarian, brightly coloured galvanised gates and grid entirely unsympathetic to the sandstone ‘Roman’ bath-house and its setting. It is hard to imagine an uglier solution. For this reason, SGT objects to the application being approved.
The case was previously reported here:
https://hastingsonlinetimes.co.uk/hot-topics/home-ground/hbc-seeks-post-hoc-approval-for-ruining-roman-ruin
The Planning Committee of Hastings Borough Council (HBC) is likely to consider the case not before Thursday 14th October.
Thursday 14th October 2021 is the first date that it might be considered.
There is time to submit comments on case HS/LB/20/00805 to:
https://publicaccess.hastings.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=_HSTBC_DCAPR_117862
For more details of the HBC actions to harm the heritage of Hastings see the Roman Bath pages
Bernard McGinley July 2021
In 2015 proposals supported by Hastings Borough Council will further erode the open space of the Bohemia Estate forever. See the Travelodge & Register offices pages for the latest informaion in a town where development is more important than open space. A planning application has already been approved for new homes at Horntye cricket. The Hastings Borough Plan published for consultation in January 2020 now confirms that Horntye Cricket Ground,Summerfields Wood off Bohemia Road and the Oval are all chosen for housing developments.
In 2015 proposals supported by Hastings Borough Council will further erode the open space of the Bohemia Estate forever. See the Travelodge & Register offices pages for the latest informaion in a town where development is more important than open space. A planning application has already been approved for new homes at Horntye cricket. The Hastings Borough Plan published for consultation in January 2020 now confirms that Horntye Cricket Ground,Summerfields Wood off Bohemia Road and the Oval are all chosen for housing developments.
Bohemia Estate & Summerfields Woods.
Bohemia Mansion viewed from the south.
Hastings was the country home of some of the Brisco family for most of the 19th century. As well as houses in London they also had homes by the seaside. Musgrave Brisco one time MP for Sussex had a large estate at Coghurst to the East of Hastings and Wastel Brisco was at Bohemia House in an elevated situation above the town at Bohemia.
These pages give information on the activities of the Brisco family and the structures they built as part of improvements to their estates including the final use of Bohemia House as a Hastings branch of the Summerfields school based in Oxford.
After Wastel Brisco occupied Bohemia Mansion he embarked on a number of improvements to the estate including the construction of an Ice House across the drive from the kitchen of the house. Within the grounds up from the ornamental ponds a natural spring was incorporated into a Roman Bath. The south drive with gate house passed in front of the Walled Garden. The North Gate House was situated just south of the ESFRS (Fire Station).
A Walled Garden with a 12' high wall surrounding it was created and excavated material from the garden created a mound that was landscaped and laid out with paths that would have offered an elevated viewing area now obscured by trees. After many years of neglect this area was recently cleared of undergrowth to reveal long lost paths and local artist in wood Joc Hare was engaged to create wooden seats and railings and this feature is now known as Prospect Mound.
At the end of the 19th century when the Bohemia estate ceased to be used by the Brisco family it was leased as a branch of Summerfields School from Oxford who used it up to the 1960s.For a short while it was used as a part of Woodlands School.
Hastings Borough Council acquired the Bohemia Estate in order to develop one of their grand regeneration plans developed by Arthur Swift (Chartered Architects and Planning Consultants) and in 1972 chose to demolish the mansion and when their over optimistic plans failed to materialise decided to place single floor buildings on the footprint of the old house for over over forty years where they remain awaiting disposal and demolition.
Summerfields wood as the area is now known has been designated as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) and the Victorian Roman Bath, Ice House and Walled Garden remain as features of the area that has a Friends of Summerfields Wood (FOSW) volunteer group who work with the Hastings Borough Council Rangers on periodic maintenance.
On this website there are also pages that consider the masterplan commissioned by Hastings Borough Council produced by Arthur Swift & Partners as well as more recent planning permissions for homes at Horntye and proposals to build homes on the site of the Register office and to demolish and rebuild the Travelodge Hotel and build upon existing open space that falls outside the Local Nature Reserve.
With the Borough Council who are unable to spend any money to care for the the former Brisco Estate and continuing pressures for the Council to sell their assets to balance the books this site will also explore what the future holds for the Brisco Estate and Local Nature Reserve.
These pages give information on the activities of the Brisco family and the structures they built as part of improvements to their estates including the final use of Bohemia House as a Hastings branch of the Summerfields school based in Oxford.
After Wastel Brisco occupied Bohemia Mansion he embarked on a number of improvements to the estate including the construction of an Ice House across the drive from the kitchen of the house. Within the grounds up from the ornamental ponds a natural spring was incorporated into a Roman Bath. The south drive with gate house passed in front of the Walled Garden. The North Gate House was situated just south of the ESFRS (Fire Station).
A Walled Garden with a 12' high wall surrounding it was created and excavated material from the garden created a mound that was landscaped and laid out with paths that would have offered an elevated viewing area now obscured by trees. After many years of neglect this area was recently cleared of undergrowth to reveal long lost paths and local artist in wood Joc Hare was engaged to create wooden seats and railings and this feature is now known as Prospect Mound.
At the end of the 19th century when the Bohemia estate ceased to be used by the Brisco family it was leased as a branch of Summerfields School from Oxford who used it up to the 1960s.For a short while it was used as a part of Woodlands School.
Hastings Borough Council acquired the Bohemia Estate in order to develop one of their grand regeneration plans developed by Arthur Swift (Chartered Architects and Planning Consultants) and in 1972 chose to demolish the mansion and when their over optimistic plans failed to materialise decided to place single floor buildings on the footprint of the old house for over over forty years where they remain awaiting disposal and demolition.
Summerfields wood as the area is now known has been designated as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) and the Victorian Roman Bath, Ice House and Walled Garden remain as features of the area that has a Friends of Summerfields Wood (FOSW) volunteer group who work with the Hastings Borough Council Rangers on periodic maintenance.
On this website there are also pages that consider the masterplan commissioned by Hastings Borough Council produced by Arthur Swift & Partners as well as more recent planning permissions for homes at Horntye and proposals to build homes on the site of the Register office and to demolish and rebuild the Travelodge Hotel and build upon existing open space that falls outside the Local Nature Reserve.
With the Borough Council who are unable to spend any money to care for the the former Brisco Estate and continuing pressures for the Council to sell their assets to balance the books this site will also explore what the future holds for the Brisco Estate and Local Nature Reserve.
The Bohemia Type 1 Ice House on a Heritage Open Day
The Hendley Bequest in Summerfields Woods
Leaping Fish Sculpture at Summerfields pond By Leigh Dyer
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The Victorian Roman Bath,created as part of Brisco improvements.
Top of Prospect Mound Summerfields Wood
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