A charity could face legal action after councillors refused their application to forgive and forget damage to a Grade II listed historical court house.
Harrow Magistrates’ Court, in Rosslyn Crescent, Wealdstone, is now owned by The Jaspar Foundation after being sold by the Ministry of Justice in 2011.
The charity were hoping to convert the building into a day centre but were found to have damaged features of the old courts in the process.
After their planning application to retrospectively be granted permission for the alterations was refused, a further revised application was knocked back on Wednesday last week by Harrow Council’s planning committee.
Anger at damage caused to Grade II listed court building
Keith Ferry, Labour’s cabinet member for business, regenerations and planning and deputy leader of Harrow Council, said: “I don’t understand why they went ahead [with the changes].
“We conducted a site visit and saw how the old two court rooms had been stripped of historical value.
“The sad thing is we are very supportive of what The Jaspar Foundation are trying to do, and if you look at their work elsewhere you can see the quality of it, but obviously we have the responsibility to project the heritage of our borough.”
Harrow Council have now received an appeal from the charity, which should take up to six months to determine.
It is understood that Lucy Hale, a planning officer at the council, made numerous visits to the court house – situated just opposite the Civic Centre – to warn the charity not to proceed with the alterations.
A spokeswoman for the authority said: “Application for a listed building consent was refused for alternations to the court building. An appeal against the refusal of the initial application is with the planning inspectorate currently awaiting a decision.
“If this appeal is refused, the council will take legal action to address the harm caused by unauthorised works.”
The foundation declined to comment.
