Former Methodist School, Farnley
Demolition of former snooker club, Farnley
Quite a nice building that provides some nice high street active frontage. Not historical in the sense of The Royal Cresent or Saltaire, this building was erected in 1905 as a Methodist School and plays a part in the history of Leeds, which is a relatively modern city.
Maybe not the greatest loss, but my worry is that it will be replaced with a design that does not contribute to an active streetscape. Old building are very good at this.
Old Westgate Redoubt building, Snapethorpe
Plans by the council to demolish an outbuilding of Snapethorpe Primary School:
Forgive the terrible photo from Google Earth’s Streetview archives circa 2012.
Some local objection to this proposal that coherently cites the councils own policy:
http://savelupsetgreenfields.homeip.net/node/544
Death, Taxes, and local authorities not adhering to their own policies are the only certainties in life.
A handsome building that will be a loss to the visual fabric of the area. Not worthy of listing, never the less it is the kind of building I dream of inheriting from a long lost uncle and spending the rest of my life as custodian.
Incidentally, the argument that a building has to be demolished because it has been “regularly targeted by vandals and trespasser’s” is an old and hackneyed cliche in the planning consultant’s armory. Misdemeanors do not necessitate flattening the site and starting over.
Cellars Clough Mill, Marsden
Application to demolish, and develop 55 houses on a site in rural Huddersfield:
This mill found its way into the local press last year through a fantastic redevelopment that would have seen the building incorporated into an innovative mixed use scheme albeit with the sad loss of the chimney. Sadly this developer withdrew:
http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/developer-who-said-marsden-residents-6776181
The new scheme includes plans for 55 dwellings and 143 spaces for vehicles, all of which will have to journey into Huddersfield or Manchester each day to keep the intended residents in employment.
The location is not sustainable by the councils own reckoning and my own predilection for saving heritage assets notwithstanding, there is surely a huge risk of flooding on what is effectively an island on a waterway at the foot of the Pennines (and it really does rain up on those hills).
The planning consultant argues the development will bring much needed ‘diversity’ to the area. What a sacred cow that word is. Diversity is actually the exact opposite of throngs of white flighters looking for rural detached housing.
It is another anachronistic building in an awkward location. But it is also our heritage, and believe me Kirklees, if you hang on, something amazing will happen with this building.
Christ Church Primary Academy
Demolition of a school building in Shipley:
Demolition does not require full planning permission, but rather a demolition notice, so this has been progressed with alacrity.
A nice looking building that looks to be in good condition, but as the officers report suggests, way off English Heritage’s radar.
The centralized position on the site would make any redevelopment difficult should someone want to capitalise on the full footprint, and as such there was no chance conservation would have been contemplated.
The rest of the school will presumably stay open.
At this point, as the people tell me I am an overly zealous heritage obsessive, I remind them that this type of building can NEVER be built again.
Couple of pubs in Brownfield Bradford
Two more pubs are to be demolished in the industrial fringes of Bradford.
Royal Oak, Sticker Lane:
New Inn, Manchester Road:
It always amazes me that pubs in the middle of nowhere, in the middle class hinterlands and along the traditional MAMEL routes are thriving at the moment. Their fate did not look so rosy a few years ago, but something cultural changed, and people suddenly were intrigued by pubs (and the fare they offer) in the middle of nowhere. They provide pilgrimage for weekends.
Wouldn’t it be great if these superannuated urban pubs could find such a resurgence, perhaps from intrepid urban explorers, or those seeking something different. Over to you Camra.
Crown Hotel, Chickenly
Pub to be demolished just outside of Dewsbury in Chickenley:
There is literally nothing else in Chickenley aside from housing estates. This is all they had to give Chickenley a sense of place, but no one went and now more houses will be built once it has been leveled. Another pub outmoded by suburban life.
Amidst such streets as Short Street and Mill Lane that hint at an erstwhile quaint industrial settlement, another name on the map has slowly become completely meaningless.
The Beulah Pub, Tong Road, Leeds
Another pub going down:
Something of a mock Tudor effort in the middle of nowhere, apparently dating from 1830, although the facade looks a lot more recent
Sadly shut now, although it was part of the CAMRA circuit in recent years.
The name ‘Beulah’ crops up around Leeds a lot and is a type of sheep. The name certainly stands out from your White Harts and Old Bridges.
Diamond Jubilee Club, South Kirkby
The Diamond Jubilee Club in South Kirkby, Pontefract set for demolition:
Not a particularly beautiful or historic building, or in a scenic area, but the demise of an old drinking establishment is never too welcome here.
There is also a glimmer of social history in these clubs, that is as of yet under-recognised, but the bittersweet working class culture of Pheonix Nights was born out of these function halls, which always demonstrate the austere approach to celebration this generation of Brits had.
In the land of Nandos and Wagamamas, it can be nice to see these fragments of an authentic and mercurial culture that can never be emulated elsewhere.
Flockton Working Mens Club
Demolition of Flockton Woking Mens Club and the development of 87 houses:
Fine example of a mining community’s social hub. Sadly villages like Flockton have become places to sleep and park your car rather than somewhere to cohabit as a rural community. Thus a club like this is an anachronism.
Strange ho in pursuit of ‘sustainable development’ we are willing to destroy rural social infrastructure to develop swathes of houses in villages.
Its just bad planning, no excuses. We are letting the market make planning decisions for us.
Former Mechanics Institute, Keighley
Another loss to the town centre fabric of Keighley:
Currently used as part of Leeds College, the building is to be levelled to form a car park.
Mechanics institutes are a mysterious thing of the past. You see the words embossed in stone on a building now occupied by Weatherspoons, somewhere in most industrial northern towns.
Nothing embodies the civic aspiration of the Victorians more than these institutions, and for that reason alone they are culturally indispensable. Rome had the agora, the Victorians had mechanics institutes.
We simply can not knock these temples down. Even the heritage statement (which was commissioned to support the demolition of this building) agrees.
Keighley loses beautiful buildings often. Warehouse shaped piles of rubble are found throughout. It is a town that struggles with identity, but until now has somehow retained a town centre that is a lot grander than its contemporary economic situation would attest.
The fact that at some point we were willing to develop diminutive small towns to the aesthetic standards of classical cities says a lot about our erstwhile civic pride.
We can’t let the last vestiges of local history in towns like Keighley be torn down for car parking space. Half of the original building was lost to fire some time ago. It was lucky the other half survived until now. Bradford council, please intercede.
