Planning & Design Practice are delighted to have received planning permission from Derby City Council to allow a plaque with two names missing from a war memorial at St. Helen’s House in Derby. The house was first built in 1766-7 and was originally in use as a Town Mansion for John Gisborne and was later the residence of William Strutt. After its use as a residential premises the building was purchased and became Derby School in 1863.
In 1921 a memorial was erected to the western elevation of St Helen’s House to commemorate the students from the school who fought and lost their lives in the great war.
After the second world war, the names of those who were educated at the school, fought in the war and died in battle were added to the memorial above the names of those who perished in the first world war. When the school left the site of St Helen’s House the war memorial was transported with it. Since then, the statue has been reinstated at St Helen’s House where it is still in place today.
St Helen’s House and the war memorial are both listed, Grade I and Grade II respectively. It has become apparent through the passage of time that two former pupils who died in the first world war were not added to the memorial at its construction in 1921. Listed Building Consent is therefore sought to add an additional plaque to the memorial so these names can be included.
Listed buildings are a significant part of our heritage, offering a glimpse into the past through their unique architectural features.
Listed buildings are graded based on their importance: Grade I, II*, or II. Only around 2.5% of listed buildings are Grade I, 5.8% are Grade II*, and the majority—about 91.7%—fall into Grade II.
Planning authorities are legally required to give special consideration to preserving listed buildings. This includes not only evaluating new applications based on current regulations but also taking into account the building’s historical significance. Researching the planning history of a listed property is essential to understanding any previous approvals or outstanding conditions.
St. Helen’s House – a brief history
St Helen’s House is a Grade I listed building situated in King Street, Derby, England. Now leased as offices, it has been used in the past as a private residence and as an educational establishment.
The house was built between 1766 and 1767 for John Gisborne (of Yoxall Lodge, Staffordshire), in the Palladian style by architect Joseph Pickford. It has been described by Maxwell Craven, for the Georgian Group of London, as “one of the few surviving purpose-built Georgian gentleman’s town houses of this size and quality outside London.”.
In 1801, the house was purchased by William Strutt, the eldest son of Jedediah Strutt (a pioneer in the cotton industry). Following William’s death, the house passed to his son Edward, who became MP and Alderman of Derby. In 1860 Edward loaned the house to the governors of Derby School, who purchased it from Strutt 3 years later for a price of £3,300. The school was evacuated during World War II and occupied by the Ordnance Survey, as a base to create maps to be used by Allied Forces. The school returned in 1945 before leaving to a new purpose built site in 1966.
St Helen’s House was then the home of the Joseph Wright School of Art and, from 1972, as an Adult Education centre. Due to the deterioration of the exterior of the buildings, the centre was moved and the building became vacant in 2004.
Derby City Council sold the house, and the neighbouring Pearson Building in 2006. Repairs were made in 2008/09 with plans for conversion into a 50 room hotel and apartment block. The economic climate in 2011 led to t he abandonment of these plans and in 2011 a revised planning application was submitted which proposed converting the two buildings into offices. Today this historic gem offers a blend of modern amenities and timeless charm, boasting spacious private offices, collaborative co-working spaces, and state-of-the-art meeting rooms.
Planning & Design Practice – your heritage experts
At PDP we recognise the importance of the built heritage in our towns, villages and rural areas. We have an in-house team of consultants, conservation architects and architectural technicians who ensure that proposals are designed sympathetically to conserve and enhance historic buildings and sites.
We have worked on numerous schemes affecting Listed Buildings, buildings at risk, Conservation Areas and within the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. We have the expertise and specialist knowledge to achieve success with your project regardless of its size.
For more information on the heritage services we provide, or for a no obligation discussion on your project or property, please contact us on 01332 347371 or email enquiries@planningdesign.co.uk
