Bid to repair storm damage at Grade II-listed centuries-old 'White House' in Westoe Village, South Shields

South Tyneside Council’s planning department recently registered an application for ‘The White House’ in the heart of Westoe Village.

The building is believed to date back to the late 1700s, and has retained many of its original period features including feature fireplaces, decorative coving, high ceilings and windows with unique ‘lattice’ tracery.

The property was listed for sale in 2021 with a price tag in excess of £600,000.

Following storm damage in early 2022, a planning application for listed building consent was submitted to local authority bosses for a scheme of repairs.

According to a design and heritage statement submitted with the application, the storm damage caused the collapse of the eastern chimney stack which fell onto a single-storey element of the house.

As a result, supporting documents explain, a large number of tiles were damaged “beyond repair” with the roof now covered with a tarpaulin to keep it weathertight.

New plans aim to replace the collapsed chimney and tiles where it fell, as well as new guttering, internal repairs to the ceiling due to chimney damage and works to other areas of the site.

This includes removing vegetation and the repair and replacement of slates to a garden building and remedial repairs to the main house to “prevent further deterioration” of structural elements including some “bowing” lintels and floor structures.

In general, the repairs scheme aims to “stabilise the buildings and structures and ensure that the building is watertight”.

The heritage statement from applicants adds repair works would be “approached with a strong conservation ethos in order to preserve the significance and character of the heritage assets”.

Listing information for The White House on Historic England’s website states it was originally two houses, with number 17 built in circa 1768 and number 18 in circa 1796.

The buildings were believed to have been united in circa 1895 to form one house through the addition of ground and first floor corridors across the rear.

An appraisal of the Westoe Conservation Area by South Tyneside Council states the building is formed from “two of the oldest and most unusual houses in the conservation area”.

The submitted heritage statement adds: “All proposals are to be on a like-for-like basis, therefore the prominence, dominance and conspicuousness of the building and surroundings will remain unchanged.

“In addition to this, the dimensions, scale, massing and proportions will all be retained.

“This will be achieved through works being matched in measurement, form and shape.

“All materials [will] be matched as closely as possible, this will mitigate any change in appearance, and also maintain the architectural style of the area.”

A decision on the listed building consent bid is expected to be made later this year once a period of council consultation has concluded.

For more information on the planning application or to track its progress, visit South Tyneside Council’s online planning portal and search reference:ST/0699/22/LBC