The ‘wilful destruction’ of a 400-year-old Jacobean ceiling in the heart of Bristol’s Old City has sparked calls for a planning loophole to be closed.
The BBC writes:
Historic England (HE) said it received an urgent listing request last week but the ceiling was ‘deliberately removed’ before it could be assessed.
The owner of the building has yet to respond to requests for comment.
An HE spokeswoman said the developers had been ‘legally within their rights’ to remove the ceiling.
‘We understand a significant amount of the elaborate Jacobean ceiling was deliberately removed and destroyed yesterday, before we were able to see inside the building,’ a spokeswoman said.
‘We are continuing with the listing assessment but are saddened that this important 400-year-old feature has been lost for future generations.’
See the BBC News Report
Bristol 247 news writes:
Developers intent on turning the historic Small Street building into student flats met with widespread condemnation… after ripping out the ornate craftsmanship inside. But the company has responded to criticism, saying it took action because the premises had become dangerous and it needed to ‘respect the safety’ of the site.
