Dudley townscape heritage initiative
This article describes a tour by The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) in 2016.
[Image: Dudley Fountain Arcade. Copyright Sara Crofts.]
Visitors to Dudley Zoo could be forgiven for overlooking the architectural delights of this fine Black Country town: the poor physical links between the two were made clear when conservation officer Jayne Pilkington led us out of a hidden back gate to gather at the statue of the first Earl of Dudley at the foot of the Broadway. From this location we were able to admire the high-quality public realm works funded through European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grants at the beginning of our tour of the recent townscape heritage project. The work included new stone paving to the Market Place and Castle Street, and the refurbishment of the 150-year-old fountain in the Market Place.
It has to be asked what the future could hold for Dudley with Brexit and the subsequent loss of EU funding for projects such as this in areas that have suffered from deindustrialisation. Fortunately, Pilkington was able to tell us about the heritage lottery funding Dudley has been awarded for further regeneration of the town centre.
Pilkington was an excellent guide, and her determined efforts to deliver heritage-led regeneration should be heartily commended. Getting the community and its politicians to appreciate the quality and potential of the town’s historic buildings has not been easy. Some bold ideas were needed – punching through a solid brick facade to create a light modern restaurant space in the Old Glasshouse, and accepting facade retention to facilitate the conversion of the fire station, are examples. Key strategic moves are paying dividends: relocating the college to the town centre has brought increased footfall there, and gap sites have been successfully filled with sensitively scaled responses to context.
The much-needed repairs to listed buildings are well judged, but decisions have been pragmatic – accepting that it is not always possible to implement a goldstandard conservation solution, but making sure that works do not jeopardise the potential for a better solution in the future. It was a delight to see such a wealth of high-quality civic buildings and to know that they are in safe conservation hands.
[Image: The Glass House. Copyright Sara Crofts.]
Dudley coverage was compiled from reports by Sara Crofts, Claire Gayle and Rosamund Worrall.
--user:Institute of Historic Building Conservation
Find out more.
Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.
IHBC NewsBlog
IHBC Virtual School 19 June: Heritage Reflections & Speculations from a Pandemic
How the current pandemic will shape historic urban areas and their surrounding communities across the globe is impossible to tell. Join us to reflect on the implications for our current approaches to caring for valued places, and even speculate on future strategies and responses.
RTPI calls on government to issue planning guidance to prevent development delays
The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has called on the government to urgently issue planning guidance to prevent unnecessary delays to development from the pandemic.
How to Enjoy Heritage from Home, from the Heritage Fund
The Heritage Fund has put together a list of heritage-inspired activities to be done from home.
Listed Property Owners Club’s Spring Checklist for Buildings
Spring is a good time to stand back and consider any building repairs that are required over the next 12 months, notes the LPOC, and regular inspection and maintenance is the key to keeping homes in good repair, as per its accessible step-by-step guidance.
Firefighters tackle blaze at converted Grade II listed former mill
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said “rapid and effective firefighting” had saved three quarters of the mill – which is now apartments.
Thieves take advantage of lockdown to steal lead from church roof in Halsham
Police have appealed for witnesses after thieves stole lead from the roof of All Saints Church in Halsham near Hedon during the coronavirus lockdown.
IHBC's CPD Circular provides info on digital CPD opportunities
The regular newsletter showcases the IHBC’s own Continuing Professional Development (CPD) content as well as online opportunities from ‘IHBC Recognised CPD Providers’ and other conservation related training and events.
Frank Lloyd Wright houses offer virtual tours
To make sure the public still has access to twelve of those famous works, #WrightVirtualVisits has been launched, which offers virtual tours of 12 iconic houses.
CIC’s Coronavirus Digest review and survey
The Construction Industry Council’s (CIC’s) ‘CIC Coronavirus Digest – Issue 8’ surveys the latest government advice with updates from the construction industry.
COVID-19: Advice and Updates collated from the Heritage Sector
Organisations with conservation links have been collating resources on COVID-19 impacts, including Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS), Historic Environment Forum, The Heritage Alliance (THA), and Historic England, on cleaning surfaces.
Councils considering ‘executive powers’ as measures to avoid planning gridlock
Councils are reported to be considering taking up rarely-used executive powers to keep the planning and development system moving during the coronavirus pandemic.
Historic England provides updated flood recovery advice
Historic England's 'After a Flood' provides timely advice on how to dry walls properly and avoid further damage to the building fabric.
Conservation of Timber Buildings: an example of evolving conservation techniques
Context Issue 162 offers a peek into an archive of timber conservation history through the records of the practice of FWB and Mary Charles Chartered Architects.
Call for VAT rates for Refurbishment to be Reduced
To meet the government’s target of being carbon neutral by 2050, we must recycle, reuse and responsibly adapt our existing historic buildings, according to this year’s Heritage Counts report, so Historic England and partners are calling for a reduction in VAT rates to incentivise this more sustainable option.