Destruction of The Tumbledown Dick by deliberate neglect

The Tumbledown Dick

What do you do when you are a greedy developer and a historical building, a building much valued by the local community, stands in your way of making a fast buck?

You have two options, one fast, one a little slower, but both lead to the same end.

You can torch the building, fast, leads to the desired result, but you may get caught. The second is to deliberately neglect the building, you may hasten this by ripping off the roof.

For The Tumbledown Dick, the second option has been chosen. The roof may not have been ripped off, but it might as well have been. A large number of slates and tiles are missing off the roof, leaving in places gaping holes, leading to ingress of water. This is now way passed needing replacing the odd slate or tile here or there. It needs the various roofs stripped back, and a new roofs laid, and all the damage caused by the ingress of water put right.

Responsible for this neglect is Bride Hall, but equally responsible is the local council for failing to carry out Section 215 enforcement action.

A planning application has been made submitted this week by McDonald’s to demolish most of the building and turn it into a Drive-Thru McDonald’s.

No surprise that of the documents supplied by McDonald’s to support their application to demolish part of the building state it is in poor state of repair, bad water damage and dry rot.

The Tumbledown Dick, as well as being much loved by the local community and a popular live music venue, is an Asset of Community Value and locally listed as a building of local historical importance

The Tumbledown Dick dates from the 16th century and predates Farnborough.

Bride Hall, in addition to doing there best to destroy The Tumbledown Dick, last week sent in tree contractors to cut down trees on Firgove Green.

Tags: The Tumbledown Dick