Does council's festoon lighting proposal put important heritage buildings at risk of damage?

 

As the blooms of summer fade, NELC wants to brighten up Grimsby's Top Town with festoon lighting

 

THE heritage officer at North East Lincolnshire Council has sounded an alert on the authority's proposal to dangle festoon lighting across Victoria Street  in Grimsby's Top Town.

Louise Jennings has reminded colleagues that some  of the buildings  are Listed as being of historical and/or architectural importance.

She says it is important that any holes resulting from fittings and fixtures  are made good if and when the lighting is  removed.

Last week, NELC put out a statement describing - justifiably - how the festoons would brighten up this part of Grimsby, but it it did so  before planning consent had been obtained.

It is next to certain that this permission will be granted, but Ms Jennings has felt it necessary to issue a caution which states: "This application is for festoon lighting which is strung from the buildings using fairly substantial  fixings. 

"Visually this is appropriate for the commercial high street location." 

She continues: "Over the years, the buildings have had a variety of fixings for various banners etcetera which has left many  unsightly holes damaging the brickwork. 

"This application seeks to avoid any building which is Listed or Locally Listed to minimise impact on the historic fabric. 

"The festoons will attach to the  corner of the Nat West Bank which is acknowledged, but also to the former Savoy Cinema (now  Savers and McDonalds).

"The documentation supplied does not show the full extent of the listing for  the Savoy Cinema so it will be attached to the Listed structure."

The officer notes that  the fixings will not be on the more fragile and sensitive of the fiormer cinema but to the brickwork which is more robust. 

In her report, she states: " Where any existing fixings are removed any holes should be made good using materials appropriate to the building - lime putty colour-matched to the  mortar or brick and cement, colour-matched to bricks on post 1940s buildings such as M&S."