01/04/2025
Dear Mr Freeman
Thank you for your response to my mail of 3rd March 2025 received on 5th March 2025.
Responding to the numbered points:
1. Thank you for your apologies. Perhaps we could arrange a meeting with you, Maureen and our group to coordinate our efforts in seeking some cooperation from the owners.
2. It seems that, as in point 1, the owners are not providing requested information or visiting the site to carry out inspections. I must, however, disagree with you re your statement that you are confined to taking action only where emergency works are required, such as weatherproofing. The relevant Listed Building Act 1990 clearly states your powers of enforcement are not confined to urgent works but, rather, those necessary for the proper preservation of the building.
3. I do not wish to dwell on who was writing reports when and where. We seem to be going round in circles here, so I would direct you to my suggestion in point 1 regarding coordinating efforts.
I have addressed your further remarks in order of presentation:
The ridge of the thatch, with our local knowledge applied, has not been replaced for more than 15 years. This has been verified by previous leaseholders. I note you are still awaiting an assessment of the ridge and flashing from the owners. Please see the following paragraph regarding our comments on water ingress.
The photograph I sent you is where water ingress has occurred in the past. It was repaired once and has failed again. I have attached three photographs clearly demonstrating the ingress is in the same place and that plaster you describe as historic is indeed that from the repair. Please also notice water staining to the floors and walls. This point of failure is directly below the roof flashing questioned in the above paragraph.
As a group we viewed the water ingress in December 2024: the floor was extremely wet and had soaked through to the ceiling beneath.
Attached photograph 1: June 2022
Attached photograph 2: August 2023, showing repair with some ongoing signs of damp
Attached photograph 3: December 2024, showing total failure of the repair to both ceiling and flashing
You continue to declare that the building is holding up well considering it has been left empty and unheated (I should add, for almost five years). Who has advised you that this is the case? The owners have forwarded no reports or surveys, so please explain how you have come to this conclusion.
I agree with you when you explain that it is difficult to comment on other people’s opinion of the building’s condition without survey reports and consideration to the qualifications of those compiling them. This is why we petitioned EDDC to carry out a survey by a suitably qualified historic building surveyor. Over 1000 East Devon residents signed the petition asking for this to be undertaken. Why have you not acted upon this? Why do you persistently not answer us when asked this question?
I have copied below the overall condition report from our RICS valuation. This is of course is a commercial valuation report, but it does give the surveyor’s impression of the overall condition.
10. OVERALL CONDITION
10.1 Internal
From the result of my inspection to the interior of the property I would advise that the property is in a poor state of repair with some immediate remedial maintenance an essential action to halt further deterioration of the building and its services. Existing decorative finishes throughout the property require cleaning and repair together with a full refurbishment or redecoration of the trade areas, ancillary rooms, store-rooms, and private accommodation. The kitchen itself requires a thorough deep clean and renovation, prior to refit of new equipment, to ensure it meets Health & Hygiene standards. It is evident the building has not been maintained to a high level in recent years. Due to the age and condition of the property it can be reasonably expected that continued maintenance will be required to ensure the property remains at an acceptable level for sustainable commercial use throughout the rest of its useful life.
10.2 External
The exterior of the property requires immediate attention to ensure various features do not deteriorate further. It would appear limited maintenance has been undertaken on the building for a number of years. The thatched and rear pitched roofs require full inspection and repair where required, to ensure that they are fully secure and waterproof. Plant growth and vegetation to the perimeter is evident and this will damage the property if permitted to continue. The grounds are heavily overgrown. All outbuildings require external maintenance and each of the letting bedrooms require redecoration.
10.3 Overall
Overall, the condition of the property is poor and requires redecoration and brightening (e.g. removal of the partition in the middle of the trading area). A number of areas require immediate maintenance (e.g. warped wood flooring in the entrance passage way). The exterior has not been maintained to the highest standards in recent years, so it will need both maintenance and redecoration to bring the property up to a standard that will be attractive to customers wishing to use the George Inn as a public house. The external areas require serious attention to ensure that they maximize on the land facilities and to appeal to local and passing trade. I would advise a full structural survey is undertaken on the property prior to any future exchange of contracts to assess the full cost for repairs and maintenance required to the property. Maintenance to the property could then be scheduled on an ongoing basis.
This report is not a building survey. However, we would advise the client to read the joint position report compiled by the RICS in September 2022 that comments on moisture in traditional buildings. A link to this report can be found here: investigation-of-moisture_jps_2022.pdf (rics.org)
I consider the building should have a useful economic life providing a routine maintenance schedule is introduced for the property. This schedule must maintain the property to a reasonable standard for commercial use on an ongoing basis.
Summarising, we believe that we have clearly demonstrated that the George Inn, as a Grade II* listed building, is not being properly preserved and has not been properly preserved in the past. The owners have shown a protracted disinterest in preserving the building and continue to be uncooperative. You have the authority to issue repair orders, or a written warning of impending repair orders, under the terms of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, Section 48.
We, the George Inn Continuity Group, with the support of the villagers of Chardstock, implore you to take immediate action in the interest of our community and not to allow this important community asset to deteriorate further.
Your sincerely
Ian Cockburn
Chair
George Inn Continuity Group
CC GICG Committee Members
GICG Members
Chardstock Village Newsletter
Chardstock Parish Council
Subject: RE: The George Inn Chardstock
Dear Mr Cockburn,
Thank you for your further comments which are noted.
There are two levels of notices that we can serve – an urgent works notice and a repairs notice. It is the urgent works notice that should be used for emergency repairs and is most applicable in this case given that it is a specific repair that is potentially needed. The advice I am receiving from our experienced specialist conservation officer is that an urgent works notice is not justified at the present time. A repairs notice would be more applicable where there has been protracted failure to keep the building in a reasonable state of repair but as previously explained we believe that we are someway from that being applicable.
Maureen has however arranged to meet the owner’s surveyor in a couple of weeks’ time to discuss works needed to the thatch. The additional information you have provided is very helpful and will help to inform that conversation with the surveyor. It sounds as though a replacement ridge is overdue and would resolve the issue so hopefully, she can have a positive meeting assessing the condition of the thatch and agree the works needed. I will catch up with her after that meeting to discuss whether any further actions are needed from us, but it is good that the owners are co-operating over this at the present time.
I am sorry that you feel that we have not acted upon the petition but ultimately whether we take formal action in this case is based purely on the condition of the building and whether action is justified. At the present time, our assessment is that it is not, but we will continue to monitor the position and work with the owner and surveyor to secure repairs as and when they are needed.
Kind regards.
Ed Freeman BSc (Hons) Dip TP MRTPI
Assistant Director – Planning Strategy and Development Management
Planning Strategy and Development Management
East Devon District Council
