Many readers will remember the case of Couthy Butts, the last remaining Georgian workers cottages on the Isle of Wight, which last year the Isle of Wight Council insisted be demolished.
A great number of you put pen to paper and voiced your objections to the demolition of the buildings. Despite losing their appeal to the Planning Committee in June last year, local farmers Sabrie and Brian Harvey have been fighting the enforcement ever since.
Appeal Withdrawn
Those who lodged their complaints will also have received an ominous letter a couple of weeks ago from the Planning Department stating that the appeal had been withdrawn.
We received many emails from concerned readers afraid that the Harveys had lost the will to continue their fight to save the cottages and had given up.
We got in touch with them and were very pleased to hear that this was far from the case.
In October last year, the conservation officer finally visited the site and agreed that there is in fact an historical value to the cottages.
The Harveys tell us that the LPA have agreed verbally that they don’t want the buildings demolished. They are keen for the Harveys to restore the buildings back to their former glory, but at the moment, are still rejecting the idea that they can be lived in by shepherds working for the farm.
People Power Works
We’re sure that you will all join us in congratulating Sabrie and Brian on saving the historical cottages from demolition. The support they have received from the public has been over-whelming and may well have played a part in the LPA having to reconsider the application.
As soon as negotiations are complete, we’ll be sure to let you know what the outcome is – hopefully it will be for the shepherds to take residence and be able to maintain the buildings as they are lived in.
