An appeal has been lodged against an enforcement notice requiring the replacement of historic green tiles ripped off a Brighton pub.
Millionaire property developer Charlie Southall handed out leaflets as workers took drills to the historic tiles cladding the Montreal Arms in Albion Hill in April.
Brighton and Hove City Council issued a temporary stop notice the same day – and last month it has issued a new stop notice, and an enforcement notice requiring the reinstatement of the tiles by 24 May next year.
The appeal, which was lodged a couple of weeks ago, effectively puts that deadline on hold until a planning inspector has their say.
The council said it could not release the name of the person or company who had lodged the appeal as it was not yet in the public domain.
Once a planning inspector has picked up the case, these details will be registered on the planning inspectorate’s website. This could take several weeks or even months.
The notice requires:
I. Cease the removal of the glazed ceramic tiles from the façade of the building on the Land, except the minimum amount required to be removed to repair the lintels
II. Reinstate glazed ceramic tiles to all elevations where tiles have been removed or damaged as a consequence of the unauthorised works set out in paragraph 3.
III. Reinstate the glazed ceramic tiles removed to repair the lintels.
IV. The new tiles being reinstated shall match the colours and finish of the existing tiles on each area of the elevation so that the four horizontal bands of colouring are replicated, as shown on the photographs attached at Annex 2.
V. All moulded details to the fascia and window cills being reinstated shall be replicated in material, colour and finish and reinstated.
VI. The lettering to the fascia being reinstated shall be replicated in font, size, colour, material and finish, where removed or damaged as a consequence of the unauthorised works.
The removal of the tiles came days after Mr Southall announced he was pulling a fundraiser for £85,000 to convert the pub into a temporary refuge for Ukrainian women and children.
The plans were well received by the neighbourhood when first announced, but questions were subsequently raised about how much Mr Southall set to personally benefit from the plans – and why he needed money to renovate the building.
The Montreal Arms is a locally listed building. This means it has been identified as a heritage asset that is important to the local area and its people.
The Montreal Arms is not a statutory listed building and therefore the council cannot use legislation that relates to works to a listed building. This means that there is no control over internal alterations to the building.