New owners have recently arrived at the White Vine Hotel in the High Street and they want to strip the ivy from the front elevation, which would significantly change the look of this part of the street. The Town Council are concerned about this. The specialist surgeon dealing with it is anxious to ensure that there is no objection to the operation and is therefore approaching the planning authorities before going ahead.
The Government have described ivy as a good insulator, but it can also be a pernicious weed. By digging its roots into both bricks and mortar, it can do considerable damage and incur significant costs in repairs. It is not impossible that a purchaser’s survey may have revealed potential problems of this nature here.
There are, of course, a few buildings, mainly in the big cities, which are quite literally green and have ‘vertical gardens’ covering one or more of their elevations. These are, however on specially designed and prepared surfaces and consist of ‘planting’ – other than ivy –suitable for the purpose.
Photo: Rye News library
