KINMEL HALL - THE WELSH VERSAILLES
MEDIA CAMPAIGN 2021
The scheduled launch of the Media Campaign by The Friends of Kinmel Hall was preempted by a 4-page letter from the Executive Director of
SAVE BRITAIN'S HERITAGE - Marcus Binney
to Conwy Council
Mr Iwan Davies CEO
Conwy County Borough Council,
Coed Pella,
Conwy Road,
Colwyn Bay,
LL29 7AZ
By Email to: iwan.davies@conwy.gov.uk
cc Councillor Sam Rowland cllr.sam.rowlands@conwy.gov.uk
Councillor Mark Baker cllr.mark.baker@conwy.gov.uk
Our reference: 21043
16th February 2021
Dear Mr Davies,
KINMEL HALL
Following the successful rescue of Gwrych Castle I am writing to express our concern with another most important historic house in the County of Conwy, Kinmel Hall. This is a building of outstanding architectural quality and was one of a series of major 19th century houses featured by Mark Girouard in a pioneering series of articles in the magazine Country Life on Victorian country houses.
Subsequently it has appeared in several SAVE publications (including Tomorrow’s Ruins (1978) and Up My Street (2017-18)) and is a longstanding entry on our Buildings at Risk Register.
I have visited the house on several occasions over the last 30 years and have been alarmed at its increasingly rapid deterioration.
Kinmel Hall is one of the largest country houses in Wales and is now one of a number of fine country houses left to rot by absentee owners. We have pursued a great number of such cases in the past and have finally succeeded in securing emergency repairs and then full repairs.
There are numerous examples of such houses brought back from the brink.
We have been very alarmed at the state of the roof as documented by drone photography which I understand has been sent to your Council.
In these photographs, almost all the skylights appear broken and there are substantial lengths of hip and ridge flashings missing. The lead valleys are choked in places and the flashings to the dormers and chimneys look suspect. There is a lot of flat roof in the centre of the complex and whole sections of bitumen coverings appear to have been ripped off.
The stables range is also in a bad way, with holes evident in its roof and whole sections of roof missing in the rear ranges. The essential first step as you will be aware is a resolution by the local authority to take initial steps to prompt the owners to carry out specific emergency repairs to the roof, and if they do not do this, for the Council to instruct builders to carry out repairs.
Whilst we welcome the Council’s decision to place an injunction on the site in February 2020, SAVE takes the view that further urgent action is required, and an Urgent Works Notice must be drawn up and served.
Your Council has a legal duty to consider using its urgent repairs powers when a situation arises in which they are intended to be used. We believe that this situation has existed for some considerable time at Kinmel Hall and that given the advanced stage of neglect, there must be overwhelming grounds for not proceeding to serve the notice.
All that appears to be on offer from the owners is further prevarication, on an uncertain timescale. This is unacceptable for a building of such national significance.
The intention of the repairs powers is to bring pressure to bear on the owners to carry out the specified repairs within a specified timescale, thereby bringing about complete certainty that the works will be done, either by the owners (within the specified timescale) or by your authority.
The history of this matter is that again and again the owners have failed to action any repairs, and that what patching has been done has lasted only months.
Your authority can cover itself against financial risk by placing a charge on the property, so that rate payers are not at risk. I set out the legal powers I refer to in the notes following this letter.
You will no doubt be aware of the IHBC’s manual on the use of repairs powers – “Stopping the Rot”, which offer detailed guidance and includes sample letters and urgent works notices if required.
Please note the sections on Untraceable Owners (p30) and the recovery of costs which cites a Welsh Case in Swansea (p34).
We believe your Council has sufficient information to pass a resolution to serve an Urgent Works
Notice. We can also recommend an architect and/or contractors to carry out an inspection, specify urgent works and provide prices.
SAVE knows Conwy Council has an active concern for its many fine listed buildings and we look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Marcus Binney CBE FRIBA
Executive President, SAVE Britain’s Heritage70 Cowcross Street London EC1M 6EJ
T: 020 7253 3500 E: ben.oakley@savebritainsheritage.org www.savebritainsheritage.org
Registered Charity 269129
Notes – Legal Powers at the disposal of the council
The governing legislation for both Wales and England is still the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Various amendments have been made that apply only in Wales, including the power for Welsh local authorities to serve urgent works notices on unoccupied listed buildings – subject to conditions – which English local authorities cannot.
Rights of Entry
Section 88(2) of the 1990 Act says:
“Any person duly authorised in writing by the Secretary of State, a local planning authority or, where the authorisation relates to a building situated in Greater London, the Commission may at any reasonable time enter any land for any of the following purposes—
-
surveying it or any other land in connection with any proposal by the authority or the Secretary of State to make, issue or serve any order or notice under any of the provisions of sections 1 to 26, 38, 40, 46, 54**, 55, 60, 68, 75 or 76 or under any order or regulations made under any of them, or any notice under section 48;
-
ascertaining whether any such order or notice has been complied with in relation to the land or any other land;
-
ascertaining whether an offence has been, or is being, committed with respect to any building on the land or any other land, under section 9, 11, 26J or 43;
-
ascertaining whether any building on the land or any other land is being maintained in a proper state of repair.”
(**Section 54 is the “urgent works notice” procedure).
Warrants to enter land
There is a further provision in case of refusal of entry, under section 88A of the 1990 Act:
-
“If it is shown to the satisfaction of a justice of the peace on sworn information in writing—
-
that there are reasonable grounds for entering any land for any of the purposes mentioned in section 88; and
-
that—
-
admission to the land has been refused, or a refusal is reasonably apprehended; or
-
the case is one of urgency,
-
-
the justice may issue a warrant authorising any person duly authorised in writing by the appropriate authority to enter the land.
-
In subsection (1) “the appropriate authority” means the person who may authorise entry on the land under section 88 for the purpose in question.
-
For the purposes of subsection (1)(b)(i) admission to land shall be regarded as having been refused if no reply is received to a request for admission within a reasonable period.
-
A warrant authorises entry on one occasion only and that entry must be—
-
within one month from the date of the issue of the warrant; and
-
at a reasonable hour, unless the case is one of urgency.”
-
Section 88(B)(2) says:
< >“A person authorised under section 88 to enter any land shall not demand admission as of right to any land which is occupied unless twenty-four hours’ notice of the intended entry has been given to the occupier.A person authorised to enter land in pursuance of a right of entry conferred under or by virtue of section 88 or 88A (referred to in this section as “a right of entry”)—shall, if so required, produce evidence of his authority and state the purpose of his entry before so entering;may take with him such other persons as may be necessary; andon leaving the land shall, if the owner or occupier is not then present, leave it as effectively secured against trespassers as he found it.
Any person who wilfully obstructs a person acting in the exercise of a right of entry shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.”
So:
< >the local planning authority can authorise anyone it likes to enter the land etc in the exercise of its statutory powers in relation to the state of repair of a listed building;if it does so it can also take with it anyone else it likes, who presumably do not have to be individually authorised by name; and there are penalties for obstruction etc.
Campaigners fight to save
'Welsh Versailles'
from further ruin
Friends of Kinmel Hall want Conwy Council to step in to help preserve the historic building
By David Powell
05:00, 25 FEB 2021
NEWS
Campaigners are calling for a property once dubbed the "Welsh Versailles" to be saved from further ruin. Kinmel Hall in St George near Abergele, which was visited by Queen Victoria, has more than 200 rooms but has fallen into disrepair.
Now campaigners at The Friends of Kinmel Hall and pressure group Save Britain's Heritage are calling on Conwy County Borough Council to step in to protect the former home, school, and military hospital.
Save Britain's Heritage members have also called on the local authority "to ensure emergency repairs begin urgently at Kinmel Hall". Rosie Burton, Friends' spokeswoman, told North Wales Live: "We are asking them (the council) to proceed with an Urgent Works Notice, which will at least protect the hall from any further damage and make it secure, and proceed with a compulsory purchase. The Friends believe that there are potential buyers in the market.
Ms. Burton, who is also the chairman of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation for Wales, said: "I understand there are a number of potential purchasers so the council would not be at much risk of funding repairs to the damage as they could do a 'back-to-back' agreement, which means they compulsorily purchase it and sell it on the same day."
The Friends estimate that the price of Kinmel Hall in its present, dilapidated state is still into seven figures. Grade I-listed Kinmel Hall is understood to be owned by Acer Properties which is registered in the British Virgin Islands.
The Daily Post/North Wales Live have been unable to contact Acer Properties.
Today Conwy County Borough Council said the owners do have plans to work on Kinmel Hall. A Conwy CB Council spokesman said: "We are in regular discussions with the owners, and they are in the process of making arrangements to carry out repairs."
But the authority said it will not be pursuing a Compulsory Purchase Order at present.
The Conwy Council spokesman added: "At the moment, the owners are taking positive steps and are in the process of making arrangements to carry out repairs to the property.
"And although the matter is under review, we do not consider that enforcement action is necessary at the present time."
Parts of Kinmel Hall have fallen into disrepair over the years. Marcus Binney, Executive President of Save Britain's Heritage, welcomed news of the works at Kinmel Hall.
He said: "It's an absolutely magnificent building of immense splendour and grandeur.
"We feel that the building is in need of repairs. If the owners are going to do serious repairs which will stop the rot, then we would welcome that."
Six years ago, a Georgian heritage group warned that the future of Kinmel Hall was in great jeopardy without investment
Battle to save crumbling mansion with over 200 rooms
dubbed the 'Welsh Versailles' that was once
visited by Queen Victoria
but has sat empty for 20 years
after hotel plans collapsed
Kinmel Hall was bought for £1.45 million in 2011 in attempt to turn it into a hotel. However, that fell through and campaigners say the mansion has been left to rot. The historic sprawling mansion was dubbed the 'Welsh Versailles' for its design
By DANYAL HUSSAIN FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 11:51, 1 March 2021
UPDATED: 11:51, 1 March 2021
Campaigners are battling to save a crumbling mansion with over 200 rooms dubbed the 'Welsh Versailles' that was once visited by Queen Victoria.
Kinmel Hall, a 500 ft long sprawling estate near Abergele, in Conwy, North Wales, set in 18 acres of walled gardens, has been empty for 20 years after hotel plans fell through.
It was dubbed the Welsh Versailles due to its chateau style exterior with rows of tall windows.
The property was bought for £1.45 million in 2011 by Acer Properties Limited - a firm registered in the British Virgin Islands.
But plans to transform it into a hotel never materialised and campaigners say the Grade I-listed mansion has been 'left to rot.'
Kinmel Hall - set in 18 acres of walled gardens and boasting over 200 rooms once visited by Queen Victoria - has been crumbling for two decades
It was dubbed the Welsh Versailles due to its chateau style exterior with rows of tall windows
The 500 ft long sprawling estate near Abergele, in Conwy, North Wales, has been empty for 20 years after hotel plans fell through
They are now calling for action to carry out works and fear it only has five years before it is beyond repair.
Kinmel Hall was first owned by the Reverend Edward Hughes in 1786.
The present chateau style house, the third on the site, was built for the Hughes copper mining family, designed by W. E. Nesfield in the 1870s.
Nesfield also designed a lodge at Regent's Park, another at Kew Gardens as well as gates to the gardens. Kinmel Hall was last used as a private home in 1929, after which it was converted to a 'Rheuma spa', a health centre for the treatment of people with rheumatism.
The spa remained in place until the outbreak of World War II, when the hall was taken over as a hospital.
After the war, it became Clarendon School for Girls until it was heavily damaged by fire in 1975.
It was then restored by businessman Eddie Vince and used as a Christian conference centre until the house was sold at auction in 2001.
However, a proposed redevelopment by Derbyshire Investments failed to materialise.
After passing through several owners, Acer Properties Ltd BVI bought the mansion for £1.5m in 2011.
The company intended to develop the property into a hotel, but these plans never materialised, and the property lies derelict.
The mansion was identified by the Victorian Society as one of the top ten at-risk Victorian and Edwardian buildings in 2015.
Rosie Burton, of the Friends of Kinmel Hall group, said: 'Action should be taken to save the building as once you have lost the historic fabric you've lost it. You can recreate it but that is not the same.
'This is such a fascinating building and rare survival of that type of building in Wales. The gardens used to be spectacular too.
'It is always better to deal with these things as soon as possible.'
The group have teamed up with Save Britain's Heritage to urge Conwy County Borough Council to step in and take action.
Rosie said: 'We are asking the council to proceed with an Urgent Works Notice, which will at least protect the hall from any further damage and make it secure and proceed with a compulsory purchase.
'I understand there are a number of potential purchasers so the council would not be at much risk of funding repairs to the damage as they could do a 'back-to-back' agreement, which means they compulsorily purchase it and sell it on the same day.'
Conwy County Borough Council say the owners do have plans to work on Kinmel Hall.
A council spokesman said: 'We are in regular discussions with the owners and they are in the process of making arrangements to carry out repairs.
'The owners are taking positive steps and are in the process of making arrangements to carry out repairs to the property.
'And although the matter is under review, we do not consider that enforcement action is necessary at the present time.'
Kinmel Hall was last used as a private home in 1929, after which it was converted to a 'Rheuma spa', a health centre for the treatment of people with rheumatism.
The spa remained in place until the outbreak of World War II, when the hall was taken over as a hospital.
After the war, it became Clarendon School for Girls until it was heavily damaged by fire in 1975.
It was then restored by businessman Eddie Vince and used as a Christian conference centre until the house was sold at auction in 2001.
Campaigners are now calling for action to carry out works and fear it only has five years before it is beyond repair
The mansion was identified by the Victorian Society as one of the top ten at-risk Victorian and Edwardian buildings in 2015
However, a proposed redevelopment by Derbyshire Investments failed to materialise.
After passing through several owners, Acer Properties Ltd BVI bought the mansion for £1.45m in 2011.
The company intended to develop the property into a hotel, but these plans never materialised, and the property lies derelict.
The mansion was identified by the Victorian Society as one of the top ten at-risk Victorian and Edwardian buildings in 2015.
Athena Cultural Crusader
THE NEED TO SAVE A VICTORIAN MASTERPIECE
KINMEL HALL is one of Britain’s great Victorian trophy houses, offering a taste of France in North Wales. Remodelled by W. E. Nesfield in the 1870s, it is faced in the same glowing red brick and creamy stone as Louis XIII’s original hunting lodge at Versailles and the steep roofs and soaring chimneys create a festive silhouette as rich as any châteaux on the Loire.
As such creations languished in critical fashion, it was reassessed in a powerful pair of articles by Mark Girouard (COUNTRY LIFE, September 4 and 11, 1969).
When those pieces were written, Kinmel was a thriving girls’ school, the owning family having sold the house in 1934. Alas, following a fire in 1975, the school decided to move to Haynes Park, Bedfordshire, illustrating a common problem: that school use may for a while save a great house, but either these institutions are successful and need to build over gardens or their fortunes and needs change, whereupon, suddenly, they are gone. The same applies to corporate headquarters.
Kinmel Hall: 'Welsh Versailles' sold at auction for £950k
By Rob Thomas BBC Wales News
13 May 2021
The building has become run down after lying empty for years
Dilapidated Kinmel Hall has been sold at auction for £950,000 after concerns were aired about its future.
The guide price was £850,000, but the new owners will need far more to protect and restore the building.
Auctioneers Allsopp’s said the buyer of the so-called Welsh Versailles, in Conwy, was local.
The Friends of Kinmel Hall, who are dedicated to seeing the Grade I listed building saved, followed the online auction.
They said only three bidders tried to buy the building, near Abergele.
Kinmel Hall: Action needed to save site say campaigners
Queen Victoria's gift stolen from Kinmel Hall, Abergele
Conwy mansion Kinmel Hall sold to mystery buyer
For the last 10 years, Acer Properties Ltd, registered in the British Virgin Islands, has owned the building but done nothing with it.
There had been growing concern its condition was rapidly worsening.
Action is needed "to see the building come back into use"
Conwy council has faced criticism for not taking tougher action against the owners for not protecting the structure. The current building dates from the 1870s.
It was built by the Hughes family using money generated by copper mining on Anglesey. The family only occupied the building for a couple of generations before it was leased out and became a girl’s school.
The building underwent extensive rebuilding work in the 1970s following a fire.