I know its Christmas but I thought I would take the opportunity to let you know how things are getting on and perhaps give you something to ponder upon as an alternative to Turkey and TV repeats.

Following the open day lots of you were good enough to spontaneously write to English Heritage expressing your concerns about the state of the Tower and how important it was that the tower was saved. As I told you in my last letter EH were very surprised! But there is no doubt that as a result PHT crept up the agenda.

In their replies English Heritage talked of a grant offer to the owner, this had been discussed with EH for some time, finally landing on my table at the end of September. The grant offer is for £30,000 (thirty thousand pounds) which is brilliant news and whilst not enough to save the Tower it is a significant and very generous amount in these difficult times.

However it is not all good news, the grant is mainly for paperwork not brickwork. The funding is to allow an, ‘Options Appraisal’ to be carried out. As I understand this, consultants will be asked to look at all the possible options for PHT, these would include for example, leave as a derelict ruin, consolidate as is and leave, put a roof on, week end holiday let (as the Vivat and Landmark Trusts, see links below) add an extension, convert to a dwelling, visitor venue etc. I am assured that, for the first time, my visions for PHT will be considered.

The appraisal will work out how much each option will cost, what is the likely return or income, what would be the resulting market value of PHT. The consultants will also be asked to provide information on likely sources and value of any funding available to each option. The issue of ownership will be considered, which would be the best option, privately owned or form some sort of Trust, how ‘friends’ could help? From these results EH can make a judgement as too the best achievable option for the sustainable long term future of PHT.

PAULL HOLME TOWER - News update:- Christmas Eve 2011.

There is also some money in the grant to provide temporary support to the barrel vaulted ceiling which, as you saw for yourself, is in urgent need of support. Temporarily keeping the weather off the parapet walls at roof level is also included but at this stage the, ‘how’ has not been worked out.

The balance of the funding is too carry out statutory ecology surveys for such things as bats, birdie’s etc. On top of everything is VAT at 20%.

The timing:- There is nothing to stop me approaching the given list of consultants now to determine their interest in undertaking the, Options Appraisal. In the meantime EH are to finely hone their detailed brief for the works. I shall get on with contacting the consultants ASAP in the New Year when all are back at work.

There are two immediate issues which hopefully you may be able to offer me help!

The grant is £30k which includes a 10% funding from another source. i.e. EH are actually only offering £27k with the remaining £3k to be made up from a.n.other source. I need help to find a.n.other source of funding that will make a grant to a private owner; such sources are rare and difficult to find. Support could come from a trust, business, Local authority, Lottery, donations from the public or any other source. Some limited funds are available to preservation Trusts or ‘friends’ groups however until the options appraisal is completed and reports back, the benefits of forming such a group are unknown. Also time is not on our side. It is possible that we could raise the money ourselves by staging fund raising events, any idea’s most welcome.

So the question is, can you spare some time by investigating possible sources of funding? It is not glamorous work but the EH offer is conditional on the extra (3k) funds being found in time. If you have any ideas’s or spare time could you please let me know? Any help would be much appreciated.

PAULL HOLME TOWER - News update:- Christmas Eve 2011.

The other problem…. Water is coming through the barrel vaulted ceiling washing out the mortar. Did you see my piece on Calendar news? (See link below) This excellent piece done by reporter James Webster illustrates the mortar being washed out of the brickwork joints. Once the mortar has gone the ceiling will collapse, once that happens the future for PHT is bleak.

EH have allowed a sum in the grant for protecting the building from the weather, but this won’t be immediate, it could be next summer at the earliest that such protection could be agreed and in place. This means another winter with the water running through the joints. You saw the damage for yourself, I am not confident that the ceiling can remain unprotected for another winter.

I made the suggestion to EH that I could, with the help of ‘friends’ line the upper floor with heavy tarpaulins weighed down with sandbags, with some simple system of taking the water out of the building. EH thought this may have merit. The problem is tarpaulins and sand bags are heavy I can’t do this work on my own, can you help? Perhaps we could find time over the Xmas break, help work off all that turkey! Please let me know if you would welcome the exercise.

Finally we would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and peaceful Xmas. Fingers crossed for the New Year.

Many thanks and best wishes,

Simon + Wyn (Pooh) Taylor
01964 630801