Planners 'sorry' but listed treasures lost
Planners have apologised for allowing a housing development which conservationists say destroyed a beautiful and historic setting in Waringstown.
Developers were given the go-ahead to build on the site of an ancient fort, in the process overshadowing a much-loved 17th century listed building.
“It was where people first came to in the early Christian period and that is where Waringstown began,” said resident Paul Thompson.
“It was a man-made defensive hill or rath from where people could keep look-out over the area and guard their sheep.”
The Grange, a two-storey stone dwelling, was built in the late 17th century and has listed building status.
Residents say the building and a surrounding wall and orchard garden should all have been protected by the listed status.
They blame the Planning Service for failing to impose conditions and are angry that almost the entire setting of the house has been lost.
“The date-stone in the wall which was removed said 1698,” said another resident, Harris Jones. “But the developers never did anything wrong. Planners never gave them any conditions to follow before they built.”
The residents fought a long campaign against what they see as excessive development in the town and bemoan the fact they have still not been accorded the protection afforded under designation as an area of townscape conservation – seven years after being told it was forthcoming.
Residents say a principal inspector for the DOE’s Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) wrote to planners in 1994 advising of “concern about development in the immediate environs” of the fort.
“The developers spent some five weeks removing the earthworks with a bulldozer, though archaeologists said there was a reasonable chance of finding ancient artefacts such as pots and pans,” said Mr Jones.
A spokeswoman for Planning Service confirmed that planners failed to attach special conditions to planning permission. She said this made it impossible to know whether any archaeological remains may have been lost.
“It is accurate to say that Planning Service failed to have archaeological conditions requested by EHS in relation to the rath attached to any approvals affecting the site,” she said.
“The Department has acknowledged and apologised for this failure.”
Environment Minister Arlene Foster said in the Assembly recently that local MLA Sam Gardiner had been in “protracted correspondence” with her department on the destruction of the rath since long before she became a minister.
“I am looking for a speedy resolution to this matter,” said Mr Gardiner.
“This is a loss of our ancient heritage which cannot be replaced and which is crucial for the future of our tourism industry.”
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Monday 28 May 2012
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