Gary's views

Gary's weekly views

Each week an article by Gary has appeared in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here

ENGLISH HERITAGE

If you are a member of English Heritage may I suggest that you write a rude letter to them today and cancel your subscription? Whether you do or you don’t, if you live within the boundaries of Plymouth your council tax is set to go up to pay for the barmy, ridiculous decision they have just made to designate the civic centre in Plymouth as a listed building.
I spoke to the council’s chief executive the day after the news was received. He reckoned it would cost the city between £10 and £20 million, money we simply do not have.

English Heritage exists to “protect and promote England's spectacular historic environment” and ensure that its past is researched and understood. We can all understand that Stonehenge is of great historic interest and you would not want to see it bulldozed to make way for a multi-storey car park, but the Plymouth civic centre? Spectacular historic environment? Do me a favour. It is one of the ugliest buildings on the local skyline, the offices it contains are dismal and inefficient and it suffers from all kinds of structural problems. It was designed and built at a time when British architecture was at a low ebb and the sooner it can be blown up the better. What’s more, the council have just signed anew deal with a major developer to completely reshape this disappointing monument in the heart of our city.

None of that matters to the pointy-heads who staff the upper echelons of English Heritage. I hope the half a dozen local people who asked for this to happen will make themselves known to us all so we know who to blame for future council tax hikes.

I live in a grade I listed house. It was built during the Tudor period and contains many fascinating historic features. I am glad it is protected. I hope it will still be standing in a thousand years. But there is a world of difference between a 500 year old house and a 50 year old wreck of an office block.

The real problem is that English Heritage and many quangos like them have power without responsibility. Will they have to find the funding that flows from their irresponsible decision? Of course not. They will sit in their air-conditioned modern offices and spend the day choosing another victim. The sooner this agency is abolished the better.

posted by Nigel on Monday, July 02, 2007