I’ll be ruined by council demand to give my shop a medieval look
A SHOP owner says she faces losing her livelihood after being financially crippled by council demands to restore the medieval facade of the premises.
Dawn Branigan, 57, says she has been forced to spend £150,000 on renovations to the Grade IIlisted building, which dates back to 1450.
She says she had started doing minor repairs to the store, which is the oldest on Daventry High Street in Northamptonshire, after originally being told it did not have listed status.
But Dawn, who runs First Light Photographic, says she was wrongly informed and was later told her shop was listed, which then sent costs spiralling.
She says Daventry District Council then told her the renovation had to match the Georgian theme of the town, in line with conservation laws.
Punished
The businesswoman claims she was forced to take out a loan to cover costs but the work was delayed as she failed to find a suitable builder and was held up by the conservation officer.
Dawn says as a result of work overrunning through circumstances beyond her control, she has been hit with £17,000 in financial penalties, which could now lead to her business folding.
Photographs taken prior to the work show the building before the renovation to restore it to its medieval glory.
Yesterday Dawn said she feels as if she is being punished as custodian of the 568-year-old building as she tries to preserve it for future generations.
Dawn said: “It’s like being kicked in the stomach. Without the shop, I have no livelihood.
“I’ve been punished for restoring this beautiful building to its former glory due to circumstances beyond my control.”
Dawn started minor repairs to the building, which uncovered more major structural problems, in 2013. She says she doublechecked with the council each time work was done to ensure that the shop had not become listed in the meantime.
Each time, Dawn says she was reassured it had not – until she was later informed it had become listed in 2004.
Daventry Council community manager Maria Taylor said: “The planning applications submitted in September 2013 were refused.
“While the planning committee agreed that repairs to the building were necessary, it did not consider the proposed alterations to be in keeping with the rest of the Daventry town centre conservation area, which is mainly of 18thcentury Georgian design.”
She added a government planning inspector concluded the council had behaved reasonably and properly throughout the application and appeal process.
Dawn has started a GoFundMe page to keep her business afloat and so far £1,800 has been given.
To donate, visit gofundme.com/ mediaevalbuildingrestoration.