Burnham Overy Staithe cottage to be demolished for new modern eco-home despite conservation fears

A unique cottage built by a famed local fisherman has caused a fracture at West Norfolk Council.

The home in Burnham Overy Staithe is one of nearly a dozen houses built using shingles collected from the nearby harbour by Welcome Thompson in the 1920s, with conservationists praising its architectural merits while others say it is not wanted in the coastal village.

Welcome Thompson is a well-known local character who turned his hand to property development.

Some of these homes on Gong Lane, a conservation area, are considered important unlisted buildings and help form the distinct character of the area.

Homeowner Dominic Edmonds, who resides in Navenby, one of these eight cottages, wants to demolish the property to make way for a new modern eco-home, claiming it is poorly made and ridden with dampness.

At a West Norfolk Council planning committee yesterday, in which his proposals were granted approval, he said: “I live in a cold, damp, concrete block that is falling apart and unhealthy to live in.

“All I want is a warm, comfortable eco-friendly home to grow old in so I can remain an active member of the village community.”

However, conservationists at the council have attempted to block the project, calling the home a “non-designated heritage asset” as it forms part of a group of similar homes.

They were built in the 1930s and all share a distinctive style due to the beach shingle used in their construction. However, they were also made quickly and cheaply.

Some have called for Mr Edmonds to make renovations to the property to bring it up to standard, to save it from being lost.

But Mr Edmonds, who is part of the village hall committee, has railed against officers, saying: “No one should be condemned to live in substandard buildings.”

He believes a newspaper article published in Norfolk 20 years ago, which described Welcome Thompson as a “loveable rogue”, created a romanticised view of the character and his contributions to the village architecture.

During the debate on Monday, councillors were split on the merits of the property.

Cllr Vivienne Spikings believed Mr Edmonds should retain the existing structure, calling the design of the proposed replacement “like a fire station”.

She said: “It looks neglected but anyone with any money could make the property better.”

She added that the council needed to think of the “cumulative impact of what is going on along our coast” in regard to the proliferation of new-build homes, which have greatly changed the character of some villages.

Other councillors had starkly different views of Welcome Thompson’s architectural style.

Cllr Tom De Winton, who represents neighbouring Brancaster, said: “To romanticise Welcome Thompson is a mistake - this is not a beautiful house and is very basic.”

Cllr Terry Parish, chairman of the planning committee, called the cottage “pretty hideous”, adding that it had been badly built and that it was not visible from the street.

He commended the design of the rebuild, saying the bungalow design was much better than the “three-storey monstrosities that are often built on the coast”.

The proposed replacement would be heated by ground source heat pumps, fitted with solar panels and use harvested rainwater.

Councillors also praised the fact that the homeowner lives permanently in the village.

This is a sensitive topic in Burnham Overy Staithe as it has become a second home hotspot, with about half of its properties used as summer homes.

When it came to the vote, Mr Edmonds’ new dream home was narrowly granted approval, with seven councillors voting for the proposal, six voting against and one abstaining.

WHO WAS WELCOME THOMPSON?

Welcome Thompson made money from building houses between the World Wars in Burnham Overy.

The land was cheap and materials were cheaper still for the entrepreneur, who set out on his boat to collect shingles from the harbour to mix with concrete.

He used the resulting beige-coloured blocks to build houses with steep, tiled roofs.

Most are on Gong Lane, which leads up a gentle hill away from The Hero pub on the A149.

The properties include Navenby, which was constructed for Mr Maples, a retired solicitor from Lincolnshire, in the 1930s.

Mr Maples liked his new property so much he commissioned Welcome to build three more as a business proposition.

Welcome Thompson also worked for the Holkham Estate, reinforcing the sea defences with an old railway track, before he died in 1967.