Jerbourg home Dolphins is to remain a listed building
A ‘DISTINCTIVE and characterful’ home at Jerbourg will stay on the protected building register, after the Planning Appeal Tribunal found that the house was a very rare example of its type.
Dolphins at Jerbourg is a large family home, which was built by Harley Street doctor William Byam in about 1937.
The planners added it on to the protected building register last year, arguing that it was a rare building of its type due to its art deco features and divided design for the family and servants.
The house has been in the same family since 1950.
After the death of Anne White in 2016, the property was placed in the Manu Forti Trust. Her family had then looked to sell the property, only to have it listed.
For a property built between 1900 and 1939 to make the protected building list its quality and character have to be significant.
The family argued at the planning appeal that this sort of house was quite common in the south of England.
But appeal presiding member Jonathan King noted that both the family and the Development & Planning Authority were unable to find more than a few similar examples locally.
‘The fact that so few early twentieth century houses of interest were identified – and none directly comparable to Dolphins, suggests strongly that the house is rare, and possibly unique on the island,’ he said in the appeal report.
The panel also noted that the building was still in domestic use and there was still evidence of the house being separated into family and service areas.
‘Dolphins retains most of its original layout and fabric and much of its original architectural detailing both inside and out,’ Mr King said.
‘It rates highly against the authenticity criterion.’
The panel did reject some of the DPA’s arguments.
Mr King said the fact the building was occupied by the Germans during the Second World War was not particularly important and the architects behind the build – Unsworth, Goulder and Bostock – were not leading architects of their era. But overall the panel agreed that the building is architecturally unusual for the island and should be on the list.
‘Dolphins is a relatively unusual house because of its plan layout and the external shapes and forms that this generates,’ Mr King said.
‘We conclude that the building has considerable interest in architectural and historic terms and that its character is such that its preservation is a matter of public importance by reference to the interests identified.’
The family said they did not wish to make a comment at this time, but they did confirm that they have made a planning application relating to the house.
