Undershaw Has Been Saved!
’Elementary’ Errors By Council See Campaigners Win Battle To Save Sherlock Creator’s Home
Undershaw Redevelopment Plans Quashed By High Court
30/05/2012
The man behind a three-year campaign to save the former Surrey home of Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is celebrating after winning a high-profile legal challenge to stop the redevelopment of the Grade II listed building.
A judgment handed down at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, following a judicial review brought by public law experts at Irwin Mitchell, states that Waverley Borough Council’s decision to grant planning permission to turn Undershaw into nine separate homes ‘must be quashed’ due to ‘legal flaws’ identified during the process.
The ruling brings an end to a global campaign to fight the redevelopment plans and preserve the history of the property, which was also designed and built by Conan Doyle.
After moving there in 1897, he wrote a number of Holmes stories, including the classic The Hound of the Baskervilles, while also entertaining numerous literary icons including Peter Pan author JM Barrie and Dracula creator Bram Stoker.
John Gibson, the Conan Doyle scholar who founded the Undershaw Preservation Trust in 2009 to oppose the redevelopment plans, gained support from Stephen Fry, Mark Gatiss, the co-creator of the BBC’s Sherlock and the area’s local MP and Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt during his tireless campaign against the permission granted to developer Fossway.
Reacting to the news, Mr Gibson said: “This has been a long and difficult battle to save Undershaw and we are absolutely thrilled with the decision to quash planning permission to redevelop the property. This is a place which is steeped in history and should be treated with reverence.
“Conan Doyle’s life and works are a fundamental part of British culture and arguably their stock has never been higher. We have been absolutely delighted to see enthusiasts from across the world get in touch and pledge their support to our efforts.
“We are very hopeful that this decision will signal a sea-change in attitude towards this historic property and that it will lead to it being rightly preserved as a single building – hopefully as a museum or centre where future generations can be inspired by the many stories which have been created within its walls.”
Andrew Lockley, Head of Public Law at Irwin Mitchell who has represented Mr Gibson throughout his legal battle to save Undershaw, said: “We have had long-held concerns that basic errors were made by Waverley Borough Council in its decision to grant planning permission on Undershaw and this view has now been absolutely vindicated.
“The local authority failed to ensure that it received English Heritage’s views on the plans before taking its decision, despite consultation with EH being a legal requirement due to the property’s Grade II listed status.
“In addition, the council failed in its duty to reconsider the Fossway development plans following the submission of a second application on the property which would see it maintained as a single dwelling.
“Today’s decision means it is now back to the drawing board in terms of the future of Undershaw but, like John, we hope to see this property of huge cultural and historical significance preserved and treated in the manner it deserves.”
For more information regarding Undershaw please visit the Undershaw Preservation Trust’s website: http://www.saveundershaw.com/.
(Source: irwinmitchell.com)
thenightsofthedeal-toppedtable:
“Cut out the poetry, Watson,” said Holmes severly.
Frank Wiles, The Strand Magazine, January 1927
Help save Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s home!
Which home? He moved around a lot.
Arthur Conan Doyle lived in Hindhead, Surrey from 1897-1907. He built a house there, called Undershaw, to his own specifications, many of which were conveniences for his wife Louise who had tuberculosis. This is the house where he wrote The Hound off the Baskervilles, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, and many other well-loved stories. He hosted many famous writers here including J.M. Barrie, Bram Stoker, and Virgina Wolfe. Undershaw was his home when he was knighted and became Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This is also the only home of his that remains intact. After he left, Undershaw was a hotel for many years but is now empty, vandalized, and not properly maintained by the current owners.
So what’s all this “saving” business? Isn’t it a historical building? ACD is really famous!
Efforts to protect the house with an official historical status have fallen through so far. That means the people who own it can do nearly anything they like with it. Right now, they like the idea of gutting it, installing new concrete walls to divide it into three townhouses, and adding five more units on the side. If this is done, the building can never be one house again. Not a residence, a hotel, a museum, or anything but those divided flats. The local planning council have granted them permission to do this.
That is very much not cool. What can I do?
The Undershaw Preservation Trust is working hard to stop this. They are attempting to have the courts overturn Waverly Borough Council’s decision to allow the construction. Right now, the judicial review that UPT has set in motion is the only thing standing in the way of the house’s destruction.
Here’s what you can do about it:
- Visit the Undershaw Preservation Trust’s site to learn more and leave a comment to add to their number of supporters
- Like their Facebook page so you will get updates
- Follow them on Twitter and list them in your #FollowFriday so your followers can learn about Undershaw
- Write to the council expressing your dismay over their decision. Address and suggestions of points to mention are about halfway down the main UPT page. Show them Undershaw has UK and international support!
- See their shop for a variety of Holmes- and ACD-related merch. Proceeds support the Trust as they go to court to stop this travesty.
- You can even buy a scarf pattern designed after the lovely wallpaper in one of Undershaw’s main rooms. This money also goes to the Trust for their expenses.
Anything else?
Spread the word! If you are part of a Sherlockian or historical group that might be interested, invite an Undershaw representative to speak to your group, or read up on the issue and share about it yourself. If your fannish tendencies stay on the internet, reblog, retweet, share Facebook posts, write your own posts, write a song, make a video… anything to make sure people know!
Thanks for reading this far! I know it was long but this is pretty important.
(Source: sirperceval)
Sherlock Holmes, John Watson (middle and right): ‘The Red-Headed League’
"There was the huge famished brute, it’s black muzzle buried in Rucastle’s throat, while he writhed and screamed upon the ground. Running up, I blew its brains out, and it fell over with its keen white teeth still meeting in the great creases of his neck."
-Dr. Watson in Doyle’s “The Adventure of the Copper Beeches” from Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Watson was, is, and always will be, a BAMF!
(via emilykazakh)
