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Buildings at risk

No - the Birmingham Post & Mail never pay you when they use your photos! Even when used in the Flickr page! On this occasion they used it without letting me know beforehand.
 
The Golden Lion in Cannon Hill Park didn't get a mention. Such a pity. If only Brum could set up a museum like the Weald & Downland one in W Sussex. It's the most amazing collection of buildings, spanning all the ages, but each historically interesting in their own right. The Goldn Lion would make a great addition to a Midlands museum along the Weald lines. The Weald museum differs from the Black Country museum in the sense that it has a wider range of building ages, dating much further back and lots more older working buildings included. Viv
 
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ellbrown said:
They do look like derelict (I think). Similar to Google Street Maps view. (referring to the buildings near Highgate Fire Station)

I have already taken the houses opposite Highgate Park (a few years ago).

This was 3 years ago

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I can report that these houses on Moseley Road in Highgate are now restored (more or less)

 
Got home from my holiday around Lake Como (Northern Italy close to Switzerland), to find in the post a copy of the book Great Expectations Buildings at Risk from Save Britain's Heritage. Compiled by Liz Fuller.

She used one of my photos of 61-64 Ludgate Hill.

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New article from the Birmingham Post https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/crisis-future-birminghams-history-11733036

The council's failure to support its own conservation policies has led to a heritage crisis in Birmingham, claim critics.

The historic fabric of some areas is now 'in crisis' as the authority has been forced to scrap several conservation areas because it cannot enforce regulations within them anymore.

A further six areas are also deemed to be "at risk" as buildings are modified or left to fall into disrepair, a report to the council's Conservation and Heritage Panel has revealed.

The three century-old conservation areas affected are the Ideal Village in Bordesley Green, the Austin Village in Longbridge, and the Hagley Road/Barnsley Road area in Edgbaston.

Two of them have already seen serious downgrading in the last decade, with so many residents in the Ideal Village installing UPVC windows that a rule demanding timber frames had to be scrapped.
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thanks for that link ell...to those of us who go around with our cameras and witness first hand our heritage buildings falling further into disrepair this story comes as no surprise what so ever..for years now i for one have been banging on about the lack of support from bcc to protect and save them...they did not care in the 50s never learnt any lessons by the 70s and most certainly could not give a dam now...

lyn
 
Not quite sure exactly what they mean by scarpping conservation areas, for example installation of UPVC windows. The cost of proper windows would not be born by the council surely, but by the owner. Or is it the cost of taking them to court?
 
Morning Everyone
Did they mean scrapping. Wait for the bombing raids of the HS2 and see what that takes out.
Best wishes...Gerald
Garden Gerald.
 
Mike

When we worked on the Urban Renewal & Envelope Schemes in the 70's & 80's most of the work consisted of 95% grants and in some circumstances 100% all windows and doors that were replaced were single glazed wooden units and were made to look like sash cord windows even if they were top opening. If windows were metal or UVPC double glazed then in most cases they were left in situ.
 
Astoness said:
thanks for that link ell...to those of us who go around with our cameras and witness first hand our heritage buildings falling further into disrepair this story comes as no surprise what so ever..for years now i for one have been banging on about the lack of support from bcc to protect and save them...they did not care in the 50s never learnt any lessons by the 70s and most certainly could not give a dam now...

lyn
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No problem Lyn.

The conservation area I'm in, most of the houses now have UPVC window frames with double glazing. Most front gardens have been replaced with bricked drives. I thought we would get heritage style lamppost from Amey, but they just installed the standard LED lampposts round here (a few years ago now). The council are investing in having new tarmaced footpaths on some pavements.
 
I think those were particular schemes Phil, which had special funding. My info is probably a bit out of date (like 20 years) but on the grade 2 Georgian terrace in Chichester, where I was brought up, there were no grants for windows, only for very basic things like inside toilets andnbathrooms, and I think this was still so up till about 2000 at least
 
Hello Everyone
I think a lot of this boils down to who you are, what you are and where you live. Lots of different schemes in different areas. It is rather a mess that could do with sorting out and some grant aid should be available. It is my belief that when we hear something is going to be destroyed we should all work together. I know Astoness and myself have been to meetings and the officials have no interest in what anyone has got to say, its all a done deal. We need to get some younger sensible people who are prepared to ask for meetings with government ministers and put facts and figures in writing on the table.
I am so sad that in my later years I see so much being destroyed. Hope I have not bored anyone.
Gerald
Garden Gerald.
 
hi gerald not boring me at all..i am totally with you on this...i gave up going to the meetings as it was becoming painfully obvious that i was getting knowhere and was looked upon as some sort of idiot..i am not one to give in easily but i do know when i am beaten...very sad..

lyn
 
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Recently noticed that scaffolding has gone up on the former School of Art building on the Moseley Road in Balsall Heath. Would assume that it is being restored?

 
Sign on the Moseley School of Art re it's restoration.



Moseley School of Art is an Arts & Crafts style Grade II* listed building, designed by WH Bidlake. It was the first purpose built branch school of art in Birmingham, and became one of the leading art schools of the time.

The School was closed in 1981 and suffered a period of decay until the MMCA bought the building in 1984 from Birmingham City Council. Since that time, the building has funcitoned as a centre for community activities.

This remarkable building will be restored and renovated to improve and expand facilities that are accessible to all members of the community. The works will reveal and interpret the building's history from the past to the present day, and reconnect the building to it's heritage as a centre for creativity and inclusitivity. The project is due for completion in July 2018.
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Hi Badpenny. From the description on the hoarding, looks like it might be fully renovated, hopefully including the interior. Fingers crossed. Viv.
 
Well that's good news anyway, perhaps local authorities should make retention of certain facades, where appropriate,
a condition of their planning approval process.

Maybe some already do that i don't know..
 
The façade of the Kingsway in Kings Heath will be restored, but the fire damaged building to the back will be demolished and replaced.

This was earlier this month.



 
From the BBC site...

“The red brick, neo-gothic mortuary chapels stand at the highest point of Brandwood cemetery grounds.

The society said they provided a "dramatic central focus" for the cemetery but were in a "terrible state".

The chapels have been closed for more than 30 years and an arson attack in 1995 gutted the north-east one.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-45485245

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Derelict building on the Stratford-on-Avon Canal near the site of the Kings Norton Swing Bridge. Close to Tunnel Lane.







Near Specialty Minerals.
 
The building is not marked on the c1890 map, but appears on the 1904 map as being the Lifford chemical works. Much later this was Sturges, but not clear if it was them in the early days.
 
If only Birmingham could learn from the work of the Black Country Museum (photo of re-building the Bottle and Glass at the Museum in the 1970s). Maybe more valuable historical and interesting buildings could be saved.

Perhaps it needs better foresight to bring together an effective combination of factors like sensible relocation, finding a viable future use and thoroughly researching the value communities have for a building. By ‘communities’ I mean, not just the local community - although obviously important - but historical, archaeological, genealogical etc communities.

But I suppose this cost would usually outweigh any proper consideration and, in the end, it’s more expedient to ‘accidently’ make the building unusable so as to develop the land for a more profitable means.

We live in hope though. Viv.

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