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Civic Centre Craziness
I could hardly believe it when I heard that English Heritage had awarded Listed Building status to the ugly, ineffective and structurally imperfect Civic Centre in Plymouth. It's estimated it is going to cost £40 million to sort it out- and who will be paying? Local tax payers of course!
I completely agree that buildings of historical importance need protecting and we have a rich and beautiful history which has provided many valid receivers of listed status. But 50 year old buildings which are already complained about and detested? Honestly!
And now that the news the status was awarded on the back of one person's opinion has been revealed, I am even more angry, as I suspect many local people are. I have certainly heard a lot of frustration and disbelief being vented by those I have spoken to about it so far.
The council and MPs are going to fight this decision on behalf of our constituents and I'd be grateful to hear your opinions on the matter.
I'm going to try and calm down now!
Gary
posted by Gary Streeter M.P. on Friday, June 29, 2007
3 Comments:
I totally agree with your comments concerning Plymouth Civic Centre. I to believe that historic and interesting buildings should be preserved. But I have lived in Plymouth for 20 Years and have not heard anyone say a good word about the Civic Centre, as a matter of fact quite the opposite.I can see the building from my rear windows and it is a blot on the Landscape. Has anyone checked to verify the sanity of the people who made the decision, and doesn't the opinion of the locals count.
Do you know anything at all about why the Civic Centre has been listed? Maybe you should try to understand why, in fact, many people think the Civic Centre is worthy of listed status, before condemning and bemoaning them. It really is an important building that has proper significance in the context of Post ww2 art and architecture. This is a case where Plymouth has something over most other towns and cities in the UK. And before you question my sanity, I have done my research and am not just somebody 'stuck in the past'.
I am a Plymouth man through and through, however I despair at the general lack of forward thinking for this great city, with planning in general a total lottery, and the listing of the eastern european looking civic centre is no different. It was ugly when it was built in the 60's and is even more unacceptable now. Get your finger out the leaders of this city and give the people with half a brain what they really want, a smart, contempory yet historic city with little or no 'tat'.
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