Photo by Ell Brown
This is sad news. It seems Island House at the top of Fazeley Street, built in 1912, is likely to be demolished. Its current owners Quintain Estates and Development published an assessment of the building in December 2011 (below), concluding that the best way forward would be the building’s demolition ’to provide a temporary landscaped area’.
The old building recently enjoyed a new lease of life in 2007 as home to Birmingham City Council’s Urban Fusion programme and in 2008 Quintain proposed to make it part of their City Park Gate masterplan, an ambitious development that fell foul of the credit crunch and stopped before it started.
Birmingham City Council are currently holding a public consultation on the future of the building which ends on 22nd January 2012. You can submit your response online.
There is an insightful article in the Birmingham Post on the uncertain future of Island House, which describes the proposed demolition as ‘another devastating blow to the area’. There is also a discussion thread on the Skyscraper City forum.
This got my goat, so I thought I’d leave the comment I left on BCC’s public consultation:
Many of Birmingham’s beautiful buildings have been demolished to make way for dull buildings with a short life expectancy. As this is a reversal on Quintain’s original 2008 proposal, this obviously is not an ideal solution. To flatten a previously considered proud asset to the Eastside’s gateway instead of investing some time in it is reckless at best. The Jewellery Quarter has been a thriving example of invigoration and pride in an area through renovation. A building doesn’t have to be listed in order for it to be appreciated.
Got my goat as well, as you can probably tell from the post! It seems such a needless waste of a lovely building. I’ve registered my objection to the proposal online.
Nicky
I’ve registered an objection too:
“As Secretary of Digbeth Residents Association (mydigbeth.co.uk), I really feel that demolishing Island House is a short-sighted action that will reduce another Birmingham building into the pages of history.
The building could enrich the area if only the expense of demolition was invested in its preservation.
For the sake of Digbeth, Eastside and Birmingham please reconsider.”
And me:
“Unbelievably inept of BCC for the power of the developers’ money (in whatever form) to be continuing to dictate what is left of Birmingham’s heritage. No doubt this will be temporarily ‘landscaped’ in a manner similar to the rest of the ‘bomb-sites’ in Digbeth and Camp Hill. What have we done in our past lives to deserve the likes of BCC Planning Department?”
The “Free State of Digbeth Party” will insist that all planners and planning cttee members make their bank accounts available for perusal by the public. As well as publishing all meeting minutes in Latin.
Agree that this is further needless and short term vandalism. I have often wondered at the rationale of some decisions which destroy heritage, listed or not, and replace with crappy, cheap buildings … I guess lining the pockets of developers and ‘so called’ architects! Some of these people should be ashamed of themselves.
Thanks Dave – be sure to register your objection with Birmingham City Council and feed into their public consultation on this proposal: http://is.gd/HZOLwg
I’m hoping if local residents are vocal about this, the building might be saved!
*rolls eyes*
I’ve commented, although obviously I’m not a resident. I also pointed out that the “landscaped area proposals”, are not feasible (see below).
http://bit.ly/w9S39O
No, no, no. This city will become one without any real visible heritage, comprising of half-arsed, cheap-sourced, short-sighted developments, poorly planned, poorly executed and are dated and irrelevant before they have been erected.
A city hell bent on obliterating it’s own historical culture.
I don’t understand the ‘temporary’ part. Is the lovely building which was in full use only a few years ago to be demolished to make way for the proposed parkland or not?
Hamstead Heath has Kenwood House in it’s grounds. Is it not possible to use the building as a feature to enhance the arts? Art Gallery or such? That would tie in with a visit to the Think Tank. I admire the idea of a second park in Birmingham Centre but surely this could incorporate such a lovely old building?
Thanks to all have voiced their outrage. Please help the campaign to save this beautiful building. Search #saveislandhouse on Twitter. More to follow
Pingback: Save Island House, Digbeth | | Occupy Birmingham UKOccupy Birmingham UK
The determination of the Demolition of Island House is on the agenda at the next Planning Committee Meeting on the 26/01/2012 with officers recommending approve.
Discussion on Restirred Forum http://tinyurl.com/6u3mvl3
Link to Planning Committee Report http://tinyurl.com/7y3bpen
It seems that the only way to stop this demolition now is to lobby the planning committee who meet this Thursday (26/01/2012). The members’ email addresses are below, lobby away!
Bob.Beauchamp@birmingham.gov.uk
James.Hutchings@birmingham.gov.uk
Maureen.Cornish@birmingham.gov.uk
Adrian.Delaney@birmingham.gov.uk
Peter.DouglasOsborn@birmingham.gov.uk
Carol.Jones@birmingham.gov.uk
David.Willis@birmingham.gov.uk
Paula.D.Smith@birmingham.gov.uk
Mohammed.Fazal@birmingham.gov.uk
Peter.Griffiths@birmingham.gov.uk
Keith.Linnecor@birmingham.gov.uk
Barry.Henley@birmingham.gov.uk
Mike.Sharpe@birmingham.gov.uk
John.Clancy@birmingham.gov.uk
Waseem.Zaffar@birmingham.gov.uk
If anyone wants to speak at the committee they need to register their desire to do so tomorrow (23/01/2012).
http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite/speakplanningcommittee?packedargs=website%3D4&rendermode=live