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Historic cottage threatened again
A HISTORIC cottage which was saved from demolition two years ago is being threatened by bulldozers once again.
Vine Cottage in High Street, Corby Old Village, could be flattened along with the Mitsubishi garage next door to make way for 45 flats.
The proposal, which has been put forward by a company called Apex, has angered residents of Corby's oldest area, who two years ago got together a petition of more than 700 signatures against a proposal to knock down the cottage to make parking space for the car dealership.
The garage owners withdrew the planning application in November, 2005, but now a separate application has been put before Corby Council by prospective purchasers of the site, which still belongs to Mitsubishi.
The derelict cottage, which is 160 years old, is one of the last remaining historic houses in the area after many properties were pulled down in in the 1950s and 1960s during the steelworks boom.
The proposal for it to be flattened to make way for modern flats has outraged residents.
Historian Dr Peter Hill said: "Vine Cottage is one of just three symbols of old Corby left in the village together with the church and the building in High Street which will become a heritage centre in the new year.
"It used to belong to a lovely row of thatched cottages which were joined to the former White Hart pub, and now it is a nice entrance to the village.
"It would destroy the village if it was knocked down. It lost a lot of its soul during the 1960s and cannot afford to lose anymore."
Corby Old Village was designated a conservation area last year so development is scrutinised more than usual.
The developer is proposing to build the 45 flats in three, three-storey blocks and also create 25 car parking spaces.
Corby village resident John Cousins, who is also chairman of the community centre, which sits next to the garage said: "Any of the existing stone buildings in the village are iconic and should not be lost."
Jenny Dixon-Nugent, of Tunwell Lane, said: "I have got photos of the High Street as it was in 1910.
There was such terrible devastation in the village so there is not really much left. It would alter the whole character of the area if it was lost."
The partnership dealer at the Mitsubishi garage Simon Close said the company was looking to move to a bigger site outside of Corby village.
He said: "We are looking to relocate within the Corby area but nothing has been finalised as yet.
"We feel there are a lot of people in the village who would like us to relocate and we feel we have outgrown the site."
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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