THE owners of the home immortalised in Laurie Lee’s famous memoir Cider with Rosie have been ordered to undo “visually obtrusive” changes made to the historic cottage.
The current proprietors of 2 Rosebank Cottages in the Slad Valley made significant renovation works to the inside of the author’s family home without securing planning permission.
Changes to the listed building include the opening up of the original fireplace, the creation of a partition wall in the attic to form another room and the replacement of two old staircases with modern flight of steps.
These major alterations were all carried out without prior Listed Building Consent.
Stroud District Council (SDC) says the owners have broken planning laws has now ordered them to undo the refurbishment and return Rosebank to its original state.
The current owner Iain Collins bought the property back in 2006, having grown up and lived in the village, which lies two miles east of Stroud.
He said the cottage had been in a poor condition when he purchased it and was in need of major changes to turn it back into a “family home”, maintaining that he had always “endeavoured to do the right thing for the house”.
After the issue had been discovered he had asked for permission to be granted retrospectively.
But the council dismissed the plea and later refused permission for several of the key changes, saying the modifications had were “visually obtrusive” and “harmed the character” of building.
The refurbishment was also deemed to cause the “loss of important historic fabric that added to the character and special interest of the listed building”.
A spokesman for SDC said: “Listed buildings are protected for both their historic architectural interest and cultural interest.
“The entire building is listed, not just the outside or what is mentioned in the list description,” he said.
“The interior of the building adds much to its historic significance and the preservation of the internal features of interest is important to the preservation of its integrity.
“Therefore any alterations to the interior which includes not only structural fabric but also the layout of the rooms, will be subject to listed building consent.
“Whilst listed buildings have positive cultural benefits and kudos, ownership is also about being a custodian and brings with it the responsibility to ensure that their valued character is preserved for future generations.”
The council is demanding the owner now rectifies the staircase on both ground floor and first floor level to be returned to its original state.
A partition created in the attic will also need to be removed and the bottom of the staircase enclosed with a door as an entrance.
Cider with Rosie was written in 1959 and is a picturesque and pastoral account of Lee's childhood in the village of Slad. He grew up in the cottage with his mother and six siblings.
It is the first book of a trilogy that continues with As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning (1969) and A Moment of War (1991) and has sold over six million copies worldwide.
To view the full proposal go to Stroud District Council’s planning website and search S.15/2449/LBC.
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