Ottoway House on Baxter Row in Dereham was destroyed by fire last night. Picture: Ian Burt

A Dereham couple who spent 21 years renovating their home are seeking planning consent to correct the devastating damage caused by a fire.

To send a link to this page to a friend, simply enter their email address below.

The message will include the name and email address you gave us when you signed up.

Email address

  Send link

To send a link to this page to a friend, you must be logged in.

Paul Gunton was forced to jump from a first-floor window when fire broke out at the family home in Baxter Row last October.

He and his wife Dawn lost all their possessions, and the entire grade II-listed property suffered heat or smoke damage when the blaze spread from a downstairs cupboard to the lounge, bedrooms, landing, stairs, loft and dining room.

Parts of Ottaway House, which is boarded-up, are up to 200 years old; it is one of the original properties still remaining in Baxter Row.

Now, Mrs Gunton is seeking listed building consent for 25 repair works, including replacement windows, ceilings and fittings, a new bathroom and a new staircase. The entire house will also need to be redecorated, a report supporting the application states.

Unable to get downstairs, Mr Gunton threw his six-year-old bearded collie, called Cooper, out of the window to a passer-by before leaping to safety himself.

The proposed project may take between six months and a year. Breckland Council is expected to make a decision on the application by mid-March.