Schiffer barred from changing ugly plug sockets at Tudor mansion
CLAUDIA SCHIFFER has been prevented from installing new plug sockets in her centuries-old mansion because they could damage the antique oak panelling.
The model, 53, and her movie producer husband Matthew Vaughn, 53, wanted to hide “unsightly” plug sockets at their Tudor residence at Coldham Hall in Suffolk by replacing them with new sockets that could be concealed behind furniture.
However, local planning officials said that installing new sockets would require holes to be bored into historic oak panelling, which Historic England said potentially dates as far back as the 16th century.
The celebrity couple were ultimately forced to withdraw the request for planning permission to alter the house, which was built in the 1570s.
A submission from the couple argued that “the sockets on the floor are unsightly within the room and restrict the positioning of furniture, and they are potentially vulnerable to anything spilled on the floor”.
It added: “Relocating the sockets on the walls so that they are hidden behind furniture and fittings means they will not be seen, and makes the room safer to use.”
But a conservation specialist with Historic England warned that the panelling in the living room “could be as early as the 16th century and it tends to be popular until the late part of the 17th century where larger panels begin to become more common”.
“Given the date of the house and the early characteristics of the panelling, it could be in its historic location and there has been no evidence produced to the contrary.”
West Suffolk council’s own specialists also warned that new plug sockets would damage the historic character of the house, with one writing: “I believe the works would cause harm to significance but the degree of harm is a little difficult to identify in the absence of a true understanding of the panelling’s significance.
“In the absence of any public benefits, I do not believe there would be any benefits to outweigh the harm caused.”
The application for planning permission to alter plugs at the property close to Bury St Edmunds was later withdrawn, meaning the council did not have to make a decision on the case.
‘I do not believe there would be any benefits to outweigh the harm caused’