Christchurch Mansion chimney repairs
Ipswich Borough Council has given the go ahead
Last updated 4th Jun 2021
Repairs to a Tudor-era Ipswich landmark have been given the go-ahead by Ipswich Borough Council’s planning committee.
Ipswich Borough Council applied for listed building consent permission to repair a chimney on the eastern roof of Christchurch Mansion, after assessments found it to be unstable.
The repairs will see the top 25 courses of brickwork carefully removed and rebuilt to address the eroding bed joints from the inside of the shaft.
The council in its report said that work was carried out in 1994, but only on the external surfaces.
The authority’s planning committee granted listed building consent unanimously on Wednesday morning.
Carole Jones, committee member and portfolio holder for housing and museums, said:
"It’s good to see the council caring for the most beautiful Tudor house in England."
The Grade I Listed mansion was inspected earlier this year by stonemason and surveyor David Adamson, who wrote in his report that it was highly likely the chimney could collapse if work was not carried out.
It is not yet clear how much it is likely to cost, but the authority confirmed it plans to re-use bricks where it can and matching bricks will be utilised where replacements are needed.
The council’s report added:
"The use of matching materials and sympathetic design would mean that the works would represent a high quality and sustainable form of development to repair a public and highly visible asset on the roof of one of the country’s most important heritage assets."
Work is likely to begin soon, although a date for that has not yet been given.