Repair works to the Wantage in Kenilworth have been blocked by council planners who criticised a lack of details in the plans.

Warwick District Council also questioned whether works on the grade II Castle Hill building had already started, despite it refusing to grant Turlington International Ltd a lawful development certificate for the project.

An application submitted to the local authority included a variety of work on the historic building, including replacing broken tiles, repairing brickwork and chimney stacks, reseating chimney pots and rebuilding the gables to stop water leaking into the building.

The application was first submitted in 2022, but permission was refused last month, with the conservation officers saying not enough evidence had been provided.

"On consultation with the conservation officer, it is not considered that the information provided is sufficient to assess whether or not the proposed works would have an affect on the character of the listed building as a building of architectural or historic interest," the council's report said. 

"Sufficient clarifying information was not provided by the applicant on request of the local planning authority and conservation officer. 

"It is therefore considered that the assessment of the above cannot be carried out in a complete manner."

The council's report also said it considered "the proposed works have been commenced prior to the determination of this application". 

Planning officers visited the site in July 2022 where there "was scaffolding up and works being undertaken".

"It is considered that if this were the case then the application would not qualify for 'proposed' works and as such should not be considered lawful under the above legislation for proposed works," the report explained.

Built in 1901 to designs by Herbert Buckland of Buckland and Farmer, the Wantage was built for Charlotte, widow of Aaron Lufkin Dennison, an important pioneer of mass-production watchmaking.

See the full application here.

(Header image by AJD via Georgraph.org.uk)