46 and 48 The High Street (The Chocolate Shop).
Yes, of course. The applicant got permission to replace the roof, restructure the upper floor and to rebuild AS WAS. And surprise, surprise! Just as we warned in our December '08 newsletter, he bulldozed the lot to the ground.
What now? Oh he'll probably get his knuckles rapped. But we've lost a chunk of our history – and he has stolen it.
It's such a familiar story – we reported the identical trick taking place in Roehampton – that it's difficult to understand why our Council representatives were so trusting.
In future similar cases could they not demand to know the dates of any demolition involved – and be there to watch that the contract is stuck to?
A fatuous suggestion? Replies welcome from our Council officers.
From the Conservation Area Appraisal, November 2006:
"Within the village there are a number of unlisted buildings of individual interest or townscape merit. 46-48 High Street are unlisted examples of early cottages probably early 19th century. They are the last surviving traces of a terrace that formerly ran back toward Woodbine Place. Converted to shop units around 1900 they retain shop fronts which are themselves of interest."
We think the Chocolate Shop at 46 High Street was, in 1901, the Samuel Payne Barber Shop. Can anyone confirm this? It was a shock to learn that it was razed before the Paynes could visit it, within days after I had managed to locate it through years of research.