Grade II listing for building with 'rich history'

Property agent Russell Rigby said the owners' view was the future use of the building had to respect its history and style

An agent representing owners of a disused historical building recently granted Grade II listed status has said it "deserved to be celebrated and protected".

The house - 27-28 Queen Street - dates back hundreds of years and was home of influential science and arts figures of the 17th and 18th centuries, including artist Joseph Wright.

Derby Civic Society put in an application for its listed status, which Historic England confirmed was granted on 14 November.

Rigby & Co, the agent representing a London property developer which owns the building, said the owners were not surprised by its new listed status, and were looking at ideas to enhance and refurbish the building.

"The building should be the biggest tourist attraction for the city, a great asset for international research," said Ashley Waterhouse, chairman of Derby Civic Society

The house was previously occupied by John Flamsteed who, the civic society said, created Greenwich Mean Time inside the building.

It was also home of clockmaker and scientist John Whitehurst.

Russell Rigby, managing director from Rigby & Co, agent for the Dewinter family, said: "The owners are not surprised Historic England have listed the building at the front of the site. It has a tremendously rich history.

"It is a building that does deserve to be celebrated and protected."

Talking about plans announced earlier this year to develop land at the back of the building, he said they were "starting to gather some pace".

The owners entered a joint venture with an unnamed Derby-based property company to develop this land.

Mr Rigby said subject to planning approval - and an application has not yet been put in - they were intending to build a mixture of residential accommodation, possibly geared towards student accommodation, with potentially commercial space too.

Meanwhile, he said landowners were also looking at different ideas to enhance and refurbish the building.

He said: "Clearly, any reuse will have to respect the newly-found listed status.

"So the fact that the building is now listed absolutely accords with the sentiment of how the building should be looked after going forward, and brought back into use.

"Developments at the back of the site will obviously provide some economic funding that can be invested in the front building."

The chairman of the civic society said he hoped they would be able to use the building to pay homage to the three pioneers who lived there

Talking about the new listed status, a Historic England spokesperson said: "The building has particular historic interest as the home of influential science and arts figures of the 17th and 18th centuries, including John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, John Whitehurst, a founding member of the Lunar Society of Birmingham and the internationally-renowned artist Joseph Wright of Derby.

"It is a building that has borne witness to the lives and work of individuals of national and international importance."

Ashley Waterhouse, chairman of the civic society, said: "I would say this property is single-handedly the most important building in local and international history."

This most recent application for Grade II listed status was the fifth to be put in, and the third attempt by the civic society.

He said: "It's an enormous achievement to see a building of historic significance protected and preserved. It's not going to be left to rack and ruin, hopefully."