The old Bishop's Palace in Chester - a green light for a wedding venue

Great news! We have helped to secure listed building consent and planning permission for the change of use of the old Bishop's Palace in Chester from offices to a Wedding Venue.  Really looking forward to seeing the wonderful interiors come to life with a sensitive scheme.

Our involvement with the building started early in 2016 when we were commissioned to undertake an appraisal to inform potential alterations.  Our detailed Statement of Significance at the start of the process has informed the current scheme and we have gone on to prepare a detailed Heritage Impact Assessment and work closely with the new owners (Sanguine), the architects (Edge), Historic England and the local authority to secure the most sensitive scheme - a great new use for this Grade II* gem, which has been vacant for some time.
See article below:
http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/chesters-old-palace-gets-green-13572086

"The dog seeing its reflection" - one of Aesop's fables in the exquisite 1754 Drawing Room plasterwork

The initials of Bishop Peploe's daughter (Mary Peploe) and the family crest on a lead rainwater hopper of c.1741 - note the 'human eye shedding drops of tears' on the stag's head 

News - latest developments

Work is now complete on the refurbishment of Sir Charles Reilly's Guild of Students building in Liverpool. MMC provided the Statement of Significance and Impact Assessment for various alterations, and we provided detailed specifications for the repair and restoration for the project architects.  Ornate Interiors of Leeds carried out the decorative plasterwork repair and Crick Smith carried out the APA, with GS Decorating carrying out the specialist re-painting.
If you are in the area, check it out, as the foyer and former Debating Chamber (The Gilmour Hall) is open to the public and is a spectacular interior of 1911-13, well worth seeing. It is now approached from University Square - see link;
http://www.lgos.org/news/index.php?page=article&news_id=357013

Work is due to start on site at Victoria Park, St. Helens, having secured HLF funding under the Parks for People grant scheme. Work includes the restoration of the grade II listed gate lodge, the Italianate sunken garden and walls, terracotta statuary and the addition of a new conservatory on the footprint of the original Messenger conservatory.  MMC have provided the specialist conservation advice to the project team, carrying out research on the buildings and producing repair specifications.

The Albert Hall (not that one!)

This week I am trying out a new method for a Heritage Impact Assessment on a fabulous building called the Albert Hall in Manchester.  My photos don't do it justice and there are plenty of blogs out there which do (see this link - http://theskyliner.org/post/31389360454/albert-hall-manchester-skyliner )


This is the second Edwardian Baroque building I have worked on this year, and mighty interesting they are too, with lavish theatrical interiors.  If you want to get a flavour of these visit some of the music halls of the first decades of the twentieth century, such as Buxton Opera House, originally built as a music hall, but now raised in status to an opera house.

Tea and Tobacco in Liverpool

Liverpool - the City was unusual in having dual-purpose offices and warehouses. Once the main offices of Tetley and Company Tea Merchants, it also served as the offices of a tobacco importer and later a sugar refining company.

This week planning permission was granted for the change of use of a grade II listed former tea and tobacco office & warehouse within the heart of Liverpool's World Heritage Site to a boutique hotel. I was really pleased to be working with a new architect (new to me that is) for this project and produced a Heritage Impact Assessment for the architect along with a detailed Supporting Statement. Can't wait for the opening. One of the benefits of this change of use will be that more people will be able to see the amazing interior decorative plasterwork, with its scenes of tobacco harvesting, tea importing and orange harvesting.