Planning & Design Practice Director Jon Millhouse gave a presentation on Friday 9 October as part of the RTPI East Midlands webinar ‘The Re-use of Historic Buildings’.
This webinar forms part of the RTPI Online series, and was an opportunity to look at best practice in the redevelopment and re-use of important historical assets. Jon joined a panel of speakers including experts from Savills, Locus Consulting and City of Lincoln Council who reviewed current legislation, policy and guidance. The event also featured in-depth case studies, one from from Lincoln looking at the Lincoln Cathedral Visitor centre and Cornhill Quarter, and the second on the redevelopment of a Derbyshire mill complex for commercial and residential uses, the John Smedley Mills project, that Planning Design were lucky enough to work on.
Jon commented “it was great to share my experiences of a rewarding and interesting project, and reflect on the practicalities of redeveloping an historic site and using planning obligations in a creative way to secure Investments into worthwhile projects such as an apprenticeship training programme, the establishment of an archive for historic garments and the restoration of dilapidated listed buildings”.
The Highly Commended Certificate recognised our work on the redevelopment of the ‘East Site’ at John Smedley Mills, Lea Bridge. Planning Design were instructed as planning consultants, alongside Evans Vettori Architects to deliver a complex set of proposals for redevelopment, conversion and part demolition on the site, which is the last working textile mill in the Derwent Valley World Heritage Site and the “oldest manufacturing factory in the world”.
The ‘East Site’ was no longer needed for garment manufacture and development was needed to secure a beneficial future use for the land and buildings and to support the company’s development and expansion. The scheme included the renovation of three late 18th century Grade II Listed cottages which were in a very poor state of repair and on the “heritage at risk” register.
The full ‘The Re-use of Historic Buildings’ webinar is available to view on the RTPI East Midlands YouTube channel.
Planning Design recognise the importance of the built heritage in our towns, villages and rural areas. We have worked on numerous schemes affecting Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Director Jon Millhouse specialises in heritage planning and design team leader Lindsay Cruddas is a registered Specialist Conservation Architect.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us for a free 30 minute consultation to discuss a particular building or project.
Planning & Design Practice Ltd have recently gained planning permission for a new summer house, within the grounds of a substantial Victorian residence in Carsington, within the Derbyshire Dales.
The site is within the Carsington and Hopton Conservation Area and previous design attempts by other agents had failed to meet the strict design criteria of this historic village.
The Carsington and Hopton Conservation Area, was designated in 1971 with the boundary extended again in 1994. In 2008/9 a comprehensive Character Appraisal was undertaken with a Draft Appraisal produced in May 2009. The Appraisal considered the special qualities and interests of the Conservation Area including its archaeological significance, the architectural and historic quality of the buildings, the relationship of the buildings and spaces, the landscape and the setting of the conservation area and the negative and neutral factors affecting the area.
Planning & Design Practice Ltd prepared a revised scheme for the summer house, consisting of an oak frame construction, built upon a solid plinth of Birchover stone. The traditional gabled roof is to be covered with lead, a reference to the ancient settlement of Lutudarum near Carsington, the administrative centre for the Roman Empire’s lead mining operations. To maximise sunlight within the summerhouse, vaulted, thin steel framed windows are to be used, set within the oak frame.
The revised design was found to be appropriately subservient yet of a high quality design as befits the Conservation Area. We look forward to seeing the scheme completed.
At Planning & Design Practice Ltd we recognise the importance of the built heritage in our towns, villages and rural areas.
We have the in-house expertise to ensure that proposals are designed sympathetically to conserve and enhance historic buildings and sites, and we use our experience to provide the right level of detail to accompany applications for planning permission and listed building consent.
We have worked on numerous schemes affecting Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Director Jon Millhouse specialises in heritage planning and architectural team leader Lindsay Cruddas is a registered Specialist Conservation Architect.
For more information or to discuss your project or property, please get in touch.
On Tuesday 13th October, Planning & Design Practice Ltd Director Jon Millhouse took part in the latest Marketing Derby Talking Business live event, joining a panel of local business leaders, and sharing his thoughts on how Derby’s rich built heritage can help with the city’s economic recovery following the impacts of the Covid pandemic.
Jon joined fellow Bondholders, Stella Birks from tourism agency Visit Derby, creative business coach and mentor Ursula Cameron, Paul Norbury from PwC, Bromley Sibson from leading training provider Mitre Group and Matt Simpson from financial services organisation OVISO Financial.
As predicted, the Covid health pandemic has morphed into an economic emergency. Quarter 2 saw the biggest GDP drop in history and whilst Q3 has clawed some of this back there is focus on economic recovery in Q4 and 2021.
Introduced by John Forkin, Managing Director of Marketing Derby, the aim of the debate was to discuss the signs of recovery, and to ascertain what steps can be taken to ensure businesses are best positioned for growth. With the panel having a broad range of experiences from different sectors, different perspectives were outlined – is the glass half full or half empty?
Beginning the discussion, Paul Norbury talked about the challenges faced in bringing a large number of people back to the offices at PWC and how they are coping with new restrictions and boosting team morale. Matt Simpson from OVISO Financial gave an overview of the housing market since March and his thoughts for the market in 2021, particularly following Stamp Duty being reintroduced. Stella Birks from Visit Derby discussed the effect of Covid on tourism in Derby and Derbyshire, lessons we can learn from other European cities and the role that businesses can play in helping restore visitor numbers and provide innovative and engaging visitor experiences. With insight into a number of different sectors, business coach Ursula Cameron gave an overview into how each are dealing with recovery differently. Brom Sibson from training provider the Mitre Group talked about the recovery of our workforce using available apprenticeship schemes, and how larger companies can help small businesses by “donating” their levy.
Jon, as both a Chartered Town Planner and a Full Member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, with a specialist interest in Historic Building Conservation, reflected on Derby’s past and the role that its history can play in a post Covid recovery.
Jon comments:
“Derby is blessed with many historic buildings and spaces which have the potential to be restored, better revealed and better used, creating the kind of environment in which people want to invest, which will in turn help with the city’s economic recovery post Covid.
But at the same time Derby’s heritage is at risk. The principal uses which have underpinned the city centre for decades, retail stores and offices, are looking very vulnerable at the present time in the face of increased online shopping and remote working.
But from a crisis comes an opportunity. The old economic model – chain store retailers paying high rents to absentee landlords, high business rates, upper floors left dormant and buildings poorly maintained – is no longer working. Lower rents and rates will in time allow local independent businesses to enter the city centre and landlords will be incentivised to find new uses for upper floors, in order to maintain a good return on their assets.
If we value and prioritise economic activity in our historic buildings and spaces, our city centre can eventually bounce back better than before.”
Marketing Derby promotes Derby and Derbyshire in order to attract and support investment. In the last three years it has attracted a capital investment of £359 million, supporting the city and the county.
Planning & Design Practice Ltd offer a comprehensive range of services, specialising in planning, architecture, heritage, urban design, and rural development. For a free 30 minute consultation to discuss how we can help you please get in touch.
Planning & Design Practice Ltd recently submitted a planning application for the demolition of steel frame buildings and the construction of a new dwelling at Sheephills, Blackwall, Kirk Ireton. The application was submitted under Paragraph 79 of the National Planning Policy Framework, which allows for new houses in the countryside which are considered to be of exceptional quality.
In our 20 plus years of preparing and submitting proposals in the Dales, we have never before as a practice prepared a Paragraph 79 proposal, despite being asked to do so by numerous potential clients. In each of these previous cases we have advised that the site in question is not sufficiently special, and refrained from pursuing a proposal.
We proposed a Paragraph 79 house at Sheephills because we genuinely believed that this particular site, and the opportunity it offers for enhancement, are truly exceptional.
Sheephills occupies a wonderful position on the wooded valley slopes above Biggin by Hulland which is quintessential of the southern Derbyshire Dales. Historically, Sheephills was a farmstead including farmhouse and outbuildings, owned by the Blackwall estate. Today it comprises of a group of ugly rusting sheds, ripe for enhancement. Uniquely, the land has been owned and farmed by the same family -our clients the Blackwall family- since at least 1415.
We prepared our proposals thoughtfully and methodically over a 3-year period. Our first step was to carry out a thorough context analysis. This is included in the application documents and should be read for the proposal to be fully understood. As well as assessing the site and its immediate surroundings the analysis also sought to understand the prevailing characteristics of a traditional Derbyshire Dales vernacular house, in order that lessons could be learned and then interpreted in the new design.
We prepared an initial draft design and held a site visit and workshop meeting with independent design review panel OPUN and Derbyshire Dales officers, in February 2018. Feedback was received and the design developed further. After preparing a second revision of the design we submitted the proposals again to OPUN. The design review panel provided further feedback in March 2020 in the form of a series of questions. Our answers to these questions are submitted as part of this application and should be read for context. After making further improvements to the design, we submitted this application.
The overriding theme of the proposal is a reinterpretation of a rural Derbyshire Dales vernacular house in the 21st century -not blindly following the aesthetics of traditional architecture but learning the lessons of the past and seeking to reapply them to meet the challenges of today. In this respect we hope that the design will act as an exemplar, hopefully serving to raise the standards of design more generally across the Derbyshire Dales.
Building on my own initial context analysis work, the design was prepared primarily by Lindsay Cruddas, a RIBA registered specialist conservation architect with considerable experience working in the Dales, and developed further by Fernando Collado Lopez, a registered architect with experience of working in the UK, Spain and North America.
Looking for your dream home? Our team of experienced professionals work with home owners on a daily basis to provide the technical knowledge, design ideals & relevant expertise to help guide you through what can be a daunting process. For more information, and a free half an hour consultation to discuss your project, please contact us.
Jon Millhouse, Director, Planning & Design Practice Ltd
It was sad to hear that Willersley Castle Hotel, one of our former clients, recently closed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, after decades of trading. Last year Bennetts of Irongate, Derby, the “world’s oldest department store” similarly had to close its doors after financial difficulties. Thankfully a buyer for that business has since been found.
These unfortunate stories are a salutary reminder of how many of our cherished historic buildings are in commercial use -from country houses to historic town centre shops- and how susceptible those uses are to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and to broader structural changes in the retail sector.
Historic buildings need viable uses in order to ensure their maintenance and conservation over the longer term. Such uses also enable us, the public, to enjoy and appreciate them.
It is interesting to note that the government is looking to deregulate high street planning controls in an effort to revitalise our retail centres. Surely the cutting of business rates and high street rents is also needed to safeguard our historic commercial buildings. Responsible custodians of historic commercial properties should be rewarded with tax relief. They look after our shared heritage, employ people and bring vitality to town centres, yet pay for more tax than their online counterparts.
Buildings which have lasted a long time have done so because they are robust and resilient. With a little help from all of us they will continue to serve us and enrich our lives for many years to come.
Jon Millhouse, Director, Planning & Design Practice Ltd.
Jon is both a Chartered Town Planner and a Full Member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, with a specialist interest in Historic Building Conservation.
At Planning & Design Practice Ltd we recognise the importance of the built heritage in our towns, villages and rural areas.We have worked on numerous schemes affecting Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. To discuss a particular project or building, please get in touch.
Main Image: Willersley Castle Hotel – Methodist Guild Holidays Ltd
Walk around Belper, Holbrook or Makeney and you may not realise how much of the fabric of these places was shaped by one family; the Strutts. Jon Millhouse and George Henshaw of Planning & Design Practice Ltd, writing for Derbyshire Life, discuss what they have discovered about the Strutt family’s built legacy, through their projects and research.
Many people will be familiar with Strutt’s North Mill at Belper, built by William Strutt in 1804 using a revolutionary iron-framed fire proof design, to replace the cotton spinning mill constructed by his father Jedediah Strutt in 1786 but destroyed by fire in 1803. Thanks to the designation of the Derwent Valley Mills as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001, there is also increasing awareness of the role that Strutt’s mills along with a handful of other late 18th Century pioneering cotton mills within the valley, played in kick-starting the industrial revolution and establishing the blueprint for the factory system and dependent industrial communities.
The Strutts were not only responsible for building cotton mills and workers housing however. They built various community facilities for their workers at Belper and Milford, and also built or upgraded a number of outlying farms to secure a reliable food source. After selling the mills in 1897, the family set about expanding and re-developing Belper. Much of the fabric of the town as it stands today can be attributed to the Strutts, and many of the houses and farms in neighbouring villages can trace their history back to the family’s investments.
Jon explains more “I have been fortunate enough to work on several projects involving the restoration of Strutt properties. Learning more about their history has proved fascinating. We obtained consent for the restoration and re-use of a 17th century farmhouse and barns at Highfield Farm Holbrook on behalf of trustees of the estate, who still own and manage a handful of properties in the area. Also on behalf of the estate, we recently submitted an application to restore Larch Tree Cottage at Hazelwood, a delightful building dating back to the 17th century and (we believe) the oldest property in the village.
At Grange Farm, Milford, a former Strutt farm now in private ownership, we obtained consent for the conversion of a disused stone barn, which should help to secure its long term future.”
Grange Farm enjoys a pleasant outlook on a hill overlooking Milford, where Jedediah Strutt also built a cotton mill and workers housing.
Jon continues “One of our most interesting projects was at Holly House Farm, Blackbrook, for its links to the Strutt story, even though it was never owned by the estate. Holly House Farm was owned by the Slater family. Samuel Slater, also known as “Slater the Traitor”, famously absconded to America after serving an apprenticeship at Strutt’s Mill in Milford, taking its industrial secrets with him. He built ‘Slater Mill’ in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1793, America’s first fully mechanised cotton spinning mill. Fondly remembered in the States as ‘the father of the American Manufacturers’ he helped to set the country on its path to becoming an industrial super power. You might say that this was all part of the Strutt legacy, even though the family would presumably not have approved at the time!
Only a ruin survives where the original farmhouse once stood, although Slater’s descendants did return in the 1920s to construct a much larger farmhouse immediately to the north, in the grand American neoclassical style. It is doubtful whether the remnants of the original farmhouse would survive for too many more years, so we obtained consent for a novel, contemporary building which will span and showcase the old ruins, hopefully preserving them for prosperity.”
Having made their mills as efficient as possible, the Strutts decided to use their industrial expertise by experimenting on the farms. Their understanding of factory work flows led to unconventional yet efficient farm layouts, for example taking advantage of the fall of the land to aid movement of raw materials between each process. Examples of these layouts can be found at Dalley Farm and Cross Roads Farm, close to the family home of Bridge Hill, providing easy access for experimentation whilst providing produce for the family and large workforce. Wyver Farm at Belper and Moscow Farm at Milford were also built on these principles.
William Strutt, eldest son of Jedediah, focused his energies on fire resistant construction methods, the industry being blighted by early timber frame buildings when containing flammable cotton material. Using an iron framed construction, the mills became fireproof and after applications at Belper, Milford and Darley Abbey the Strutts moved onto making their model farms fireproof.
The building of the estate portfolio by the Strutts resulted in the purchase of existing farmsteads, mostly in poor condition, where improvements were also made.
The major innovation of farm buildings by the Strutts ended around 1860, although it was still encouraged with the Strutt’s architects, Hunter & Woodhouse, winning second place in a national competition by the Royal Agricultural Society for model farm buildings in 1911.
Hunter & Woodhouse were not only commissioned by the Strutts to work on farm buildings, but the renovation of a number of important Strutt based houses in the area as well as the construction of many new buildings, particularly in Belper.
Jon concludes “the Strutts left a technological legacy, but also a physical one, which we can still appreciate today.”
Jon Millhouse is a Chartered Town Planner and member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation. He can be contacted on 01332 347371.
Strutt’s North Mill and East Mill
Design proposals for Holly House Farm at BlackbrookFarmhouse at Highfield Farm, Holbrook
At Planning and Design Practice Ltd we were delighted to hear the news that fellow Marketing Derby Bondholder, the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership has agreed to provide £1 million to create a new link road to unlock the development of Ashbourne Airfield.
The £10.7m scheme, next to the Airfield Industrial Estate, will see the creation of the Ashbourne Business Park, together with a new housing development and a new roundabout and link road.
The project is a partnership between Derbyshire Dales District Council, Derbyshire County Council and landowner FW Harrison, all of which have put in additional funding for the infrastructure improvements.
Planning and Design Practice Ltd have a long history with the site, having devised the original masterplan and secured outline permission in October 2014 (the largest single development ever approved in Derbyshire Dales). We also secured the allocation of the Airfield for redevelopment in the Derbyshire Dales Local Plan in December 2017, secured detailed planning permission for a new link road through the site and submitted a revised outline application in 2019 (set to be decided by the Derbyshire Dales District Council Planning Board on 4th February 2020).
The scheme will provide 367 homes, 8-10ha of industrial and commercial land, a hotel and a community hub. Land has been allocated in the Local Plan for a further 1100 homes, 6-8Ha of employment land and community facilities at the Airfield in a second phase of development to the north.
The new link road will open up the existing adjacent industrial estate which is fully occupied and a new bus route will also be created.
The proposals include areas for wildlife conservation, a public open space and new landscape features incorporating over 1 hectare of new woodland. The scheme will deliver over £3m in public subsidy for school and college places and highway improvements as well as affordable housing.
Derbyshire Dales Planning Committee resolved to grant planning permission for a hybrid planning application on the 4th February subject to the completion of a Section 106 Agreement.
The permission combined a full application for the first new commercial building and brought together all the existing consents. The 2017 outline permission was also renewed but with extended timescales for the submission of reserved matters to enable the Industrial Estate to be developed (including the creation of a new business park) over the next 10 years.
The first phase of the development, including the new access is scheduled to start on the 9th March 2020.
Jon Millhouse, Director at Planning & Design Practice Ltd said: “We are excited to see the Airfield development about to commence. We have always envisaged and sought to achieve a high quality and truly sustainable new development, where people can live, work and play.”
Planning and Design Practice Ltd recognise that urban design has a key role to play in tackling climate change, by making future places more robust to withstand the impact of climate change and adaptable as conditions change. We have a talented group of planners and urban designers who can work with you to create outward looking inclusive designs which will be supported by Local planning Authorities. For more information please visit www.planningdesign.co.uk or phone 01332 347371.
Impressed by the Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust’s plans to restore and develop The Derby Canal, Chartered Town Planner Jon Millhouse, of Derby-based Planning and Design Practice, offers a few ideas of his own for re-embracing Derby’s waterways and achieving a waterside renaissance in the city.
“I recently attended a presentation by the Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust in which they outlined their vision to reinstate parts of the old Derby Canal, build a new marina and boat lift at Pride Park, and run a riverboat along the Derwent between Exeter Bridge and Darley Abbey Mills.
I applaud the Trust’s ambition and wish them every success. If their plans become a reality, and the city centre becomes navigable once again by boat, this could be the catalyst for further water-based projects in Derby, allowing the city to re-embrace its waterways in a way it hasn’t done for 100 years, but in a manner suited to the challenges and opportunities of the twenty first century. I outline below some ambitious ideas of my own for the city’s waterways.
1: A Riverbus
A riverbus, of the type which runs along the Thames in Central London, could ferry commuters, shoppers and visitors along the Derwent from the northern to the eastern outskirts to the city centre. Derby lacks a tram system like Nottingham’s but this would provide an unusual and enjoyable alternative. Admittedly, it may not be the quickest way to travel, but personally I would be prepared to add a few minutes to the daily commute to my office in return for as pleasant journey along the Derwent! With major infrastructure works soon to commence on the A38 (and associated traffic disruption likely to follow) and people increasingly looking for more environmentally friendly ways to travel, a riverbus could be an attractive proposition.
2: Re-creating a city centre dock
The Derby canal once terminated in a large dock, in the North Riverside area between the River Derwent and Nottingham Road in the centre of Derby, now occupied by the Darwin Place car park and car lot. Historic maps show wharfs, cranes, foundries and terraced housing surrounding the dock – it must have been a hive of activity in its day.
If the Canal Trusts plans to build a boat lift at Pride Park become a reality, this would allow boats to navigate from the national canal network as far as the weir in front of the Council House. The Darwin Place car park could be transformed into a modern day dock, accessed via a lock on the River Derwent. This could be cross-funded by the development of waterside offices and apartments, creating a mini London docklands in the heart of Derby!
3: Re-opening the Markeaton Brook in Derby
The final kilometre of the Markeaton Brook before it reaches the Derwent, now runs in Victorian-built culverts beneath Sadler Gate Bridge, The Strand, Victoria Street and Albert Street. Re-opening this waterway would breathe new life into these historic streets. Imagine the graceful curve of the Strand terrace facing (and being reflected by) water rather than tarmac. Imagine a waterway running down the centre of Victoria Street, overlooked by landmark buildings such as the Old Central Post Office and the HSBC bank, flanked by cafes and pedestrian walk ways, and crossed by an Amsterdam style arched bridge as its junction with Cornmarket and St. Peter Street.
Such an operation would not be easy, but if Victorian engineers could manage to put an entire water course inside a tunnel, surely it is not beyond our capabilities in the 21st Century to ‘take the lid off’ again. The cost of such infrastructure works would be re-paid in time by an increase in property values and economic activity brought about by an enhancement of the city centre environment.”
Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust’s plans to restore and develop The Derby Canal
Derby and Sandiacre Canal Trust’s plans to restore and develop The Derby Canal
Political parties of all stripes are vowing to ‘tackle the housing crisis’ and make Britain carbon neutral in the coming decades. This could radically change how we build and live in our homes in the future. Or perhaps not. Jon Millhouse, Director at Planning & Design Practice Ltd, believes that terraced housing could be the key to meeting this challenge.
Good ideas have a habit of coming back around. At the turn of the twentieth century, the most popular form of house building was terraced housing. As a concept, it was simple, yet effective. It didn’t require much land take, yet each household was usually allocated a decent amount of internal accommodation, and a garden. There was typically a shop on the corner of every street, or a pub; schools and places of work usually within walking distance. People travelled further afield by bicycle or tram.
Later in the twentieth century, as cars became the dominant mode of transport and the aspiration for most families, our built environment changed too. Rows of terraced houses were swept away to accommodate new roads. Those terraced streets which did survive became car-dominated. Those who could afford to often moved in the suburbs, or better still, the countryside, relying on the private motor car to serve their needs. The type of housing we began to build, and continue to build to this day, is designed around the car; low density detached housing with driveways and garages.
As we face up to the challenges of tackling climate change, and building enough houses to accommodate our population without having to pave over our treasured countryside, reverting to terraced housing once again, but in a manner fit for the twenty first century, could be a big part of the solution. Many aspects of that original urban form suit our needs today. Having only two (narrow) walls exposed to the outside world rather than four, significantly reduces heat loss. The higher densities enabled mean we can create walkable and cyclable neighbourhoods, reducing our reliance on the car. Small convenience food stores, micropubs and trams are all coming back into fashion. Fewer cars mean quieter streets, where children can play, and residents can interact, helping to address the increased problem of social isolation. It also means more exercise, which is good for our physical and mental health, particularly if supplemented with public open space in close proximity, offering opportunities for recreation, biodiversity and trees to help with carbon capture, urban cooling and flood resilience.
None of these ideas are new, none of this is rocket science. It is merely common sense. We shouldn’t assume that modern problems require a revolutionary, technological solution. Much can be learned from the past.
But neither should we assume that in re-adopting a house type of the past, we have to accept its historic limitations. Modern terraced housing can be better insulated, better lit and more spacious than its predecessors. We can generate heat and power through microgeneration, rather than coal. With such mod-cons, terraced houses can once again become the kind of property that developers want to build, and that people want to live in.
Image: geograph-2703969-by-Dave-Bevis Popular terraced housing at Chester Green, Derby. Fronting a quiet road reserved for cyclists and pedestrians, and a public green space.
Modern terraced housing at Oaklands, Duffield Road, Derby. (Planning permission obtained by Planning & Design Practice Ltd on behalf of Meadowview Homes).
Examples of an urban form designed around the motor car became the norm in the later twentieth century.
The historic Wingfield Station, recognised as one of Derbyshire’s top ten most important ‘at risk’ buildings – has been rescued thanks to the collaborative work of Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust (DHBT), Amber Valley Borough Council (AVBC) and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Built in 1840, the Grade II* listed Wingfield Station and Parcel Shed closed in 1967. It is one of the earliest stations built in England – possibly the world. It is also the last surviving example of railway architect, Francis Thompson’s best work on the North Midland Railway.
Francis Thompson was commissioned by Robert Stephenson – son of George Stephenson – to design 24 stations along the Derby to Leeds section of the North Midland Line. Wingfield Station is the only one to survive. As well as being famous for his railway work, Francis Thompson designed houses, commercial buildings, and many publicly acclaimed buildings. One of the most representative of his surviving work is the Midland (now Hallmark) Hotel, Derby.
In 2012, the Victorian Society described the station as a “maimed beauty deserving better” and one of the ten most important buildings at risk in the country.
AVBC compulsorily purchased the building after more than 30 years of concern over the deteriorating condition of the Station, which is in urgent need of repair and conservation.
The council will hand over ownership of the buildings to DHBT on Tuesday 10 December 10th, in order for the Trust to begin essential works to preserve it for future commercial and community use.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded DHBT development funding of £137,000 to start the project and an application for a further grant to complete the work is planned.
During the restoration of the nationally significant buildings, DHBT is planning to offer a host of activities including “Living History” events detailing the story of the station and the North Midland Railway line as well as open days for the public and local community to gain first-hand experience of the project. In addition the Trust will offer bursary placements for young people’s training in traditional skills.
The Trust will also be recruiting volunteers to help with the project as well as collecting memories and experiences of those who used to work, or had families who worked, at the station or on the local railway.
Commenting on the project Peter Milner FRICS, DHBT Trustee Lead said: “We’re very grateful to the work done by Amber Valley Borough Council and for the National Heritage Lottery Fund support. We intend to give the building a new lease of life as well as offering many opportunities for the community and students to get involved. It’s great to know that we are a step closer to taking the building off the Heritage at Risk Register and ensure its survival for years to come.”
Derek Latham, Chair of DHBT said: “Wingfield Station is just one of many heritage buildings at risk in Derbyshire that we want to see saved and restored for the benefit of our communities in perpetuity. We hope the rescue of Wingfield Station will encourage more action to be taken to secure the future of others on the list.”
Other funders who have made this project possible include The Pilgrim Trust and The Architectural Heritage Fund.
“Wingfield Station is said to be the oldest surviving rural railway station in the world, so it’s great to hear that the Trust will not only be restoring the building, but also opening up that heritage to the local community” said Jon Millhouse, Director at Planning & Design Practice Ltd.
Jon is both a Chartered Town Planner and a member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation.
Planning & Design recognise the importance of the built heritage in our towns, villages and rural areas.
We have worked on numerous schemes affecting Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site. Director Jon Millhouse specialises in heritage planning and design team leader Lindsay Cruddas is a registered Specialist Conservation Architect.
To discuss a specific project or for general heritage enquiries, please get in touch.
