In order to avoid being listed by Historic England, a developer recently demolished an ornate Jacobean pendant ceiling at one of their sites. Previously a hotel and bar, the owners,  Midas Properties/G&E Baio Ltd, had a planning application to subdivide and convert the building into student flats that was currently under review. 

The property—15 Small Street—is located in Bristol, a town best known for its examples of Georgian and Victorian architecture though having been a medieval and 17th-century city as well, there are fine examples of Jacobean works deserving of preservation. Bristol's Conservation Advisory Panel had applied last week for the building to become spot-listed. 

This incident calls attention to the fact that there is little in place to protect potential historic listings while under review. The failure to provide interim protection for buildings being considered allows property owners the chance to destroy important historical features before being assessed. While the action of tearing down the 17th-century fresco is deplorable, the building's developers acted within their legal rights. Other British counties, like Wales, offer interim protection prior to listing. Unfortunately, in Bristol, this is not yet the case.

Marcus Binney, the Executive President of SAVE Britain's Heritage,  the conservation group campaigning for the site, pleaded "just as Michael Heseltine reacted with fury to the pre-emptive demolition of the Firestone Factory over a bank holiday weekend, so Karen Bradley must respond decisively and ensure that the notice of a potential spotlisting should not allow a prosecution-free window to mutilate of destroy important historic buildings which are being assessed for listing."