Villagers are up in arms after the new owner of a £585,000 historic cottage applied to bulldoze it to make way for new-build homes.
Eric Abbott has also hit out at new owners of the property he lived in for more than 60 years after claiming they only sold it on the condition that it would be lived in by a family.
Almost a thousand people have now signed a petition to stop the development in Swanmore, Hampshire, and 200 objections were written during the public consultation period for the plans.
New owner Simon Smith has submitted an application to Winchester City Council to demolish the house and build two two-storey modern houses with four bedrooms each, parking for three cars and gardens.
Neighbours think that the new build won’t fit in well with the character of the village, and will cause traffic problems on an already busy street which is around the corner from a primary school.
Houses on the street cost an average of £800,000, and some buildings in Swanmore – which is mentioned in the Domesday Book – date back to the 16th or early 17th centuries.
Villagers received flyers about the petition against the redevelopment, which has 931 signatures, through their letterboxes.
The flyers said that the cottage, known as Hiawatha, is being ‘flattened’ and replaced with ‘two modern, bland new-builds’.
A historic cottage whose elderly former owners claim they only sold it on the condition that it would be lived in by a family faces being demolished to make way for new houses
Almost a thousand people have signed a petition to stop the development in Swanmore, Hants, and 200 objections were written during the public consultation period for the plans
New owner Simon Smith has submitted an application to Winchester City Council to demolish the house and build two two-storey modern houses with four bedrooms each, parking for three cars and gardens
Former company director Mr Abbott, 94, raised his family in the property with his wife Peggy. It was sold after being put on the market last year for £585,000.
In an objection he wrote against the planning application, Mr Abbott said: ‘As the previous owner of Hiawatha I was totally dismayed to see the change of heart of the new owners attempting to destroy Hiawatha and replace with totally unsuitable houses.
‘I instructed the estate agent to ensure my wonderful house was only sold to a family who would love it like I did and not destroy it.
‘The estate agent assured me that he had made this clear to the new owners and that they had agreed it to be their forever home which is all I ever wanted for another family to love it like I had for the last 64 years.
‘It seems they lied and were buying Hiawatha for financial gain.
‘I had been offered to sell to many builders and I declined as this house is part of history, it was there before Chapel Road was even made.
‘I would never have sold it had I known this was their intention and they knew that.
‘There is an ancient well that in the deeds demands that it should be operable for future water shortages in the village and this was a legal requirement.
‘I believe Hiawatha was built in the 15th century it is a beautiful flint cottage which should not be replaced with two identical new builds.
‘I feel it should remain standing and let the slow worms, birds, bats and many other species carry on living as they have been for many years.
‘I strongly object and do hope that this does not go ahead it would be a great shame to the wonderful village of Swanmore.’
David Hughes, 63, lives nearby and hopes he’s not a ‘nimby’ for wanting the house to keep its character.
Eric Abbott has hit out after the new owners of the property he and his family lived in for more than 60 years applied to have it torn down
Former company director Mr Abbott, 94, raised his family in the property with his wife Peggy
The scientist said: ‘I put in [an objection] saying I wasn’t very keen on it, hopefully not from a nimby point of view.
‘If we’re not careful, we’ll have a lot of new houses here.
‘It’s an unusual-looking house, it breaks up some of the monotony of the architecture.’
The villager admitted that he was surprised ‘how many other people were that bothered about it’.
Swanmore local John Allen thinks that the council like the idea of the demolition because replacing the house with two houses will bring in more council tax.
The 79 year old retiree said: ‘The council like it, wouldn’t it, more council tax, more money, that sort of thing.’
Paraphrasing film producer Samuel Goldwyn in reference to Mr Abbott’s agreement with the new owners, he said ‘a verbal agreement isn’t worth the paper it’s written on’.
‘He should’ve got it done legally,’ he said.
A middle-aged female neighbour who wanted to remain anonymous said she had signed the petition against the redevelopment.
She said: ‘I don’t think it’s the prettiest building in the village, but my main concern for it is if they put two properties in it.
‘The road is already abused enough with traffic, I know there’s three bedrooms [in each house].’
‘As we all know, if you’ve got three teenagers moved in all of a sudden you haven’t got enough parking.’
The property was sold after being put on the market last year for £585,000
Ash Bennett, Mr Abbott’s former neighbour, a 54 year old air traffic controller said: ‘I’ve lived here 18, 19 years. Personally speaking, I would rather they wouldn’t knock it down.’
An elderly female neighbour who also didn’t want to be named said that it’s ‘bad’ that the new owners didn’t honour the agreement not to demolish the house.
‘That’s pretty poor, actually, I think,’ she said.
‘I mean, they knew what they were going to be doing with it – that doesn’t seem very honest.’
Ash Bennett, Mr Abbott’s former neighbour, a 54 year old air traffic controller said: ‘I’ve lived here 18, 19 years.
‘I was aware when they sold the house, I didn’t know until more recently about what was going to happen to it.
‘I didn’t follow it closely, but my understanding was that there was an agreement it wasn’t going to be knocked down and developed, it would be renovated which isn’t what they wanted to do.
‘Personally speaking, I would rather they wouldn’t knock it down.’
The father of three added that the house needs ‘a lot of work’.
He said: ‘I went in it 18 years ago, nothing much has been done to it since.
‘My understanding is it would require a lot of work to it.’
On the planning application, Historic England said that there is no evidence to indicate that the building predates the 19th century – it is believed to have been built between 1840 and 1868.
It said: ‘The building does not illustrate an important aspect of the nation’s history, nor does it have the historic associations with nationally important individuals, groups, or events, which might give it historic special interest.’
A decision is due to be made about the planning application on July 18.
