LISTED (or not) BUILDINGS
Kirklees folk turn to the council for many
things, some we have a statutory duty to do, such as Social Care, some things
we have no power to do, others we can choose if we wish to be involved. In
doing things we over the years have acquired buildings, some that we use and
others that we don’t, some are Historic building some listed and some not.
The budget we have to maintain the buildings
we own is less than 10% of what we need for basic maintenance, yet some iconic
buildings can present us with bills into the millions, such as Dewsbury Town
Hall and Huddersfield Railway Station. If buildings are listed, the cost of
repairs can go through the roof as we are restricted to what we can do, for
example we had to replace lead with lead on Huddersfield station, and costing
in the region of £300,000 (I was informed).
So faced with not being able to maintain the
buildings we do own, we simply do not have the money to acquire buildings that
we have no use for that could put us at risk of escalating costs.
BATLEY BUILDING?
The following is an example of things that
appear on Social Media
I don’t
know the building, but assume it is in Batley, I agree with complainant that it
is a shame to loose such buildings, but to be absolutely blunt, the council
does not have the funds to step in.
WHITCLIFFE FOUNDATION BUILDING
The following from Google sets the picture;
Whitcliffe Foundation Building
https://kathpinnock.mycouncillor.org.uk/2015/.../whitcliffe-mount-foundation-buildin...
21 May 2015 - The Whitcliffe
Mount Foundation building was built just over 100 years ago. It is an
imposing building of Yorkshire stone and the Spen Valley Civic Society applied
to the Government for it to be listed. The Government Inspector however decided
that it wasn't of sufficient national value for it to be listed.
The Council has never owned the
building, has no use for the building, no wish to own the building or has no
wish to open itself to risk by becoming involved in the building. As Kath
Pinnock points out, the civic Society tried to get the building listed and
failed. This is a case where the threat to the building has been known for a
long time and where potential saviours of the building manifest themselves (not
their fault) at the eleventh hour. The contract to demolish the building does
not involve the council.
MOUNT PLEASENT CLOCK TOWER
Another attractive building that finds
itself with no user that again has gone through the processes. The Council
offered the building to any group that could come forward to take it over, the
then MP said he would find a group. No one came forward. Another building that
is not Listed.
HISTORIC ENGLAND
Historic England is the QUANGO set up
by the government to decide which buildings should be offered protection and
which should not.
Chaired by Old Etonian, Investment
Banker, Sir Laurie Magnus, who has a controlling interest in Magnus White
Property Development Limited, but gets £40,000 a year for two days a week at Historic
England, the board is collection of Government appointees including Historians,
Architects and Bankers.
They obviously can’t react positively
to every request and some of their decisions are difficult to understand. But
it is clear, their job is not to step in to save every building anyone takes a
shine to, that if protection is to be effective it needs to be selective.
Listing can blight buildings, and can put great financial pressure on to
building owners.
