Grand designs

I don't think it was the case here but my understanding is that it is often possible to get planning permission to convert a disused building where it would not be possible to get planning permission to knock it down and build something new. Even on last night's programme I doubt the planners would have given approval for replacement with a four-storey building so they would not have had quite the views over the Kent countryside that they ended up with.

Andrew

Reply to
Andrew May
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Nor me. I think they'd have had a nicer unusual house if they'd removed the concrete monstrosity first.

I'd missed the start & I'd imagine the reasons were explained then. I'd imagine it was listed, &/or the PP to demolish & rebuild was more problematic than PP to convert &/or the costs to demolish and remove were excessive.

Reply to
Aidan

Sounds quite likely.

I looked on Channel 4's site, but no reasons there.

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said Lutyens designed it, which I think is a slur on the man. Lutyens designed the estate it served and probably got the tank done by some civil engineering consultant. They probably stuck it on the highest ground available to get the most pressure.

Reply to
Aidan

I ended up getting angrier and angrier through that, I'm afraid. The structure was after all designed by Lutyens and what was being done to it seemed butchery. I was particularly miffed when they found remnants of the roof in the tank. I'm astounded that the structure wasn't listed, more astounded that the peopel converting it rattled on about respect and care for the structure then bollocked it up.

FWIW, I put in a bid on a water tower a few decades ago, but didn't want to pay as much as the architect who got her hands on it.

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think she did about the best conversion on a water tower that I've seen, and I'm not sure that what we had planned would be as good. OTOH I think she was mad, paid about £95k for the tower, no land to speak of, then spent the best part of half a million on the conversion.

Reply to
Steve Firth

Ever been to Perthshire and seen the follies scattered along the side of the Tay near Aberfeldy? They're mainly on the front of hills and as a kid I thought it would be nice to cut into the hill and make them real houses.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Iceland is full of them.

They're for the elves.

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

I suppose it would be one way of getting round planning restrictions on ridge height, having an inflatable upper storey.

Possibly such attributes might be better presented by La Beeney, though.

Owain

Reply to
Owain

PP wasn't mentioned. The water tower was one of the first reinforced concrete structures to be built in this country, and was built by Lutyens to supply water to the big house. An early photograph of the tower showed it with its original Lutyens peg-tiled roof; IIRC it was originally designed to have the legs clad with timber similar to other Lutyens buildings locally, and would have looked something like a windmill.

Owain

Reply to
Owain

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember "Aidan" saying something like:

They got an ugly, pretentious piece of shit for their money, imo.

I'd have built up and filled in the base with red brick, with a red brick extension to the side and covered the tower in black shiplap like the windmill shown. The only good thing about the design was the use made of the water tank and the new roof.

Reply to
Grimly Curmudgeon

I know a gasholder that's been converted into a diving practice area.

tim

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Reply to
tim (back at home)

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