During the 2001 general election campaign, as a junior member of the newsroom, I had to attend a press conference given by the Marxist Party at Birmingham’s Grand Hotel.

It was hosted by Vanessa Redgrave in a large function room but attracted about three reporters.

By this stage the surroundings were a little shabby and the hotel largely empty. It had the feel of a seaside hotel during off-season, with a lingering impression that this was a once great hotel and deserved to be busier.

It came as little surprise that the Grand Hotel closed a year later.

Incidentally, the Marxist Party was wound up shortly after that.

With the feeling that restoration was too costly, a plan emerged to demolish parts of the hotel, including its impressive facade.

That was when Birmingham’s conservation lobby sprung into action and within a relatively short space of time the Colmore Row building was protected under a Grade II listing.

The Victorian Society, the Civic Society and many individuals combined efforts to save the building. It is a credit to owner Hortons Estates that they listened and now the city has the prospect of seeing one of its landmark buildings restored for the purpose it was originally intended.

If all goes according to plan, the Victorian hotel could take its place alongside the Town Hall and Moor Street Station as great historic assets to Birmingham, proving that older buildings can be relevant in the 21st century.

One of the largest postbags I have received in recent years was in response to an article on Birmingham’s lost Victorian heritage – fine buildings such as the Woodman Pub and the Great Western Hotel were sacrificed in the name of progress during the 1950s and 60s.

And as long as restoration and sensitive upgrades remain more costly than bulldozers and new-builds there will continue to be threats to the city’s heritage, which is why the conservation lobby is so vital.

To be fair to the city council, it pays more than lip service to conservation, allowing representatives from the Victorian Society, Civic Society and other groups to be integral to the planning process through the conservation and heritage panel.

They work closely with conservation officers. Their views are not always followed, but they are always heard.

Next week will see two sets of architects appear before the panel having revised their plans in the wake of stinging criticism.

First up is the new tower block proposal above the old Central Fire Station next to the University of Aston, which was earlier described as “ridiculous” and would turn Birmingham into a “second-rate Chicago”.

With added pressure from the national architectural watchdog CABE, the developers headed back to the drawing board. Architects will unveil their revised set of plans, which include moving the tower.

Whether this will be enough to convince the conservation panel to tone down their objection is another matter.

The Royal Mail is also scheduled to appear with revised plans for the historic Sutton Coldfield depot. Again, after much consultation, there appear to be some changes to the plan. Parts of the 1942 sorting office could now be saved.