Fears for Birmingham's historic buildings if Conservation Group is disbanded
Fears have been raised over the future of Birmingham’s historic buildings as the city council cuts its Conservation Group. Neil Elkes looks at the consequences.
When the phrase “disband Conservation Group” appeared in the council’s 2010 budget it sent a wave of fear through Birmingham’s heritage groups.
The saving of £350,000 from a recession-hit planning department budget could not be worth more than the prospect of Birmingham giving up its control of historic buildings, they screamed.
The group, a team of specialist planning officials, work closely with a committee of expert volunteers on the local authority’s Conservation and Heritage Panel to ensure that the bulldozers of developers do not ride roughshod over the city’s rich architectural heritage.
The volunteers are drawn from a range of interest groups including the Victorian Society, Civic Society, Jewellery Quarter Association, Moseley Society, 20th Century Society and Sutton Coldfield Civic Society.
The advice from both the group and the panel has shaped many major projects in recent years such as the restoration of the Town Hall, Fort Dunlop and Baskerville House.
Recently their advice ensured that internal pillars were retained in a redevelopment proposal for the Central Methodist Hall in Corporation Street.
Their views have also been made clear on the varied developments in the Jewellery Quarter, as many former and much loved factories are finding new uses as offices and apartments.
But they have also proved influential on hundreds of smaller developments including extensions and alterations to historic homes, revamps of industrial buildings, looked after the city’s conservation areas and their lobbying secured legal protection for many buildings under threat.
Many an architect has gone away with their criticism ringing in their ears, among them renowned designer Trevor Horne, who was told his proposed Beorma Tower was: “Abominable. Like a punch in the face by an architectural fist”.
The panel’s Liberal Democrat chairman Coun Paula Smith felt so strongly over the threatened cuts that she refused to back the budget, the only member of the ruling Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition to abstain.
She said: “They have such a passion for what they do. It’s unbelievable. Each member brings a specific knowledge to it. However many conservation officers we have, we can’t match their depth of knowledge.
“They will go above and beyond on research, visiting sites and talking to people about buildings.
“In the Jewellery Quarter we have guidelines about what is allowed and what is not. But, where the apartment blocks are concerned, the guidelines are quite muddy and they have helped cut through that.
