Farnham residents in a series of letters to the Herald this week expressed their concern and anger at the restoration work being undertaken at Brightwell House, a Grade II-listed building at the heart of Farnham's Brightwells Yard development.

The writers believe that Crest Nicholson, the developer responsible for the restoration, Waverley Borough Council, and Surrey County Council have failed to take proper care of the historic house and its reputation.

They call for action to be taken to ensure that the restoration work is undertaken in accordance with regulations and to restore the dignity of the house.

They also call for the local authority to flex its muscles and enforce statutory processes to put a stop to the unacceptable restoration work.

We'd love to hear your views on Brightwell House – please email us at [email protected]

The following letters were printed in this week's Farnham Herald, dated Thursday, February 9...

SCANDALOUS...

I was shocked but not surprised to see the picture of the appalling state of Brightwell House.

Crest Nicholson were supposed to take care of this Grade II-listed building. Instead it has been battered and bashed about for nigh on 20 years with everlasting construction work going on around it.

Architect Mark Westcott calls it “criminal damage” and I agree with him. Why did Waverley Borough Council’s building inspectors allow this deterioration to continue year after year?

It is scandalous that no-one will be brought to account for this damage.

Crest Nicholson reckon they can restore the house in a few months. Well, we all know how fast they work, don’t we?

Newcomers to the town may like to know Old Farnhamians called this grand old house “Brightwells”. It was set in lovely public gardens with a majestic Cedar of Lebanon on the lawn in front of it. The house should have been respected and looked after properly as a valuable part of Farnham’s rich heritage .

Maureen Covey

Hurlands Close, Farnham

TAKE ACTION

It is not only Brightwell House that needs restoration, but it is also the collective reputations of Crest Nicholson, Waverley Borough Council and Surrey County Council which need enhancement.

The present fiasco over the ripping out of parts of the historic fabric of the Grade II house is the latest instalment in the long saga of cultural vandalism inflicted on this treasured part of Farnham, and it is time to bring it to a halt.

The Redgrave Theatre was demolished to restore the late 18th-century Grade II listed Brightwell House.

For those who do not know the history of Waverley’s long desire to get rid of the theatre, the situation may need explanation.

The local authority had once made decisions over the Redgrave Theatre which resulted in financial loss and so decided to close the theatre in 1998.

As it was such an embarrassment, the solution appeared to be resolved by sweeping the theatre entirely away in a grand regeneration plan. Brightwell House would have to go as well, to offer an ‘unencumbered site’ to developers.

However, further embarrassment awaited Waverley. Through the efforts of the Farnham Society and the Farnham Trust, English Heritage (EH) thwarted the council’s attempt in 2001 to have the house de-listed and EH actually strengthened the listing.

Forced to re-instate Brightwell House into the regeneration plan, Waverley needed to justify the demolition of the Redgrave Theatre.

As the theatre was attached to Brightwell House, the house formed part of the theatre, providing a restaurant, bar and other facilities. The theatre was covered by the strict planning rules applied to listed properties for any plans to interfere with it.

The Redgrave could only be demolished provided certain planning conditions imposed by Waverley were met. It appears now that many of these may have been flouted by Crest Nicholson.

The expectations were that Brightwell House would be restored expertly to its ‘former glory’ as a late 18th-century villa with nationally-important historic connections. Without the Redgrave Theatre, the house would retain something of its former dignity.

The demolition went ahead in 2019, but at a time when theatres were recognised as a worthy means of getting people into struggling town centres.

In Farnham’s case, the theatre would have helped attract visitors and residents into Brightwells Yard, bringing trade to all those difficult- to-let retail units.

It has dawned on our councils too late that the theatre could have been a boon, rather than an encumbrance, and now we see Brightwell House as the centrepiece of the development, dwarfed by its neighbours, looking a mess, with parts of its historic fabric mutilated. Another embarrassment!

Surrey County Council has taken responsibility for the retail side of operations at Brightwells Yard. Will it step in and insist that Waverley’s planning enforcement team has the courage to stand up for its reputation of being ‘tough’ on those who flout its planning rules?

To avoid the stigma of being recognised as being incapable of protecting listed buildings, are Surrey and Waverley councils strong enough together to stand up to Crest Nicholson and demand the developer restores Brightwell House according to its official accreditation?

Anne Cooper

Chairman, Farnham Theatre Association Chairman

FLEX MUSCLES!

Something has gone wrong, and needs to be put right, soon.

What has gone wrong is that Crest Nicholson is in the process of restoring Brightwell House barbarically badly.

What needs to be put right is for the local authority (Waverley) to use its statutory powers to insist the restoration is in line with the regulations connected to listed building status.

Regular readers will know Waverley is well capable of flexing its muscles to good effect in this area, as it has shown over the shipping container house in south Farnham, which is due to be knocked down and replaced at the council’s insistence.

The issues are not identical, but in both cases the onus is on Waverley to put a block on unsuitable building and to insist on the enforcement of statutory processes.

Sauce for the goose must be sauce for the gander, even if it is inconvenient.

David Wylde

St James’s Terrace, Farnham