THE OWNER of a dilapidated 15th century cottage believed to be Hounslow’s oldest building has said he wants the ‘damn thing off our backs’.
Gurmit Singh Bhullar bought the Grade II-listed Hermitage, in Upper Sutton Lane, Heston, in 2003, just over a month before it was ravaged by fire.
The building has further decayed since and was in the top priority category in English Heritage’s 2012 Heritage at Risk register.
Mr Bhullar has come up with a number of plans to restore the building, all of which include 'enabling' development, from flats to a nursing home, but none have yet met with the council’s approval. He claims the timber-framed thatched cottage is now beyond repair and his latest proposal is to build an exact replica, along
with up to eight flats on the land.
Although he insists he is happy to walk away from the site without making a profit, he says he is not prepared to spend money drawing up detailed plans until the council outlines what would be acceptable.
“We know the premises are beyond repair and we need enabling development to cover the cost of building a replica. We mean business but we need the council’s cooperation,” he told the Chronicle. "Whatever the council wants we will do it. The ball’s in their court but I need something from them which will give me the confidence to draw up detailed plans. If we don’t make a profit, so be it. We want the damn thing off our backs."
Building a replica of the Hermitage would cost around £350-400,000, according to Mr Bhullar, who says he has employed a former English Heritage architect.
Squatters were evicted from outbuildings on the land just before Christmas but the owner claims he has since spent £12,000 securing the site.
A council spokesman said: "We look forward to seeing the proposals, which we hope are part of a scheme that is appropriate for a listed building, in a historic plot, that is highly regarded by local residents."
