Malvern St James (continued)
The College has also applied to demolish the Dome on the land adjacent to Imperial Road - the Society is concerned and is supporting the investigation by English Heritage and the 20th Century Society to see if it qualifies for listing. The College has applied for planning permission for a new Sports Hall on the playing fields between Barnards Green Road and Madresfield Road and, at the time of writing, this is being considered by the Planning Committee.
All these developments are part of a plan by the College to improve its facilities and make it more attractive to potential parents and it is vital that they have our full support as education is one of Malvern's most important industries. However, the College is embedded in the fabric of the town, most of it is in a conservation area; many people are suspicious of development as they fear that it will change the character of the town. Pre application consultation is now a well-established part of the planning process - developers are expected to consult widely within the community to assess reaction and allay fears. We feel sure that if the College follows these procedures that support will be forthcoming.
FACELIFT COMMENTS: The Facelift Project is the process of improving the appearance of historic towns by repainting buildings and removing unsightly wires and pipes; writes Dudley Brook. We feel gratified at the number of leaseholders who have accepted advice on colour and general appearance of their buildings. The project began two years ago and a trend seems to have taken hold. Many of you will have noticed an increase in the scaffolding that has appeared and the refreshing coats of paint revealed when the bandages have been removed. There is much more to be done, some work is already in hand, and we look forward to continuing to help in the promotion of Malvern's 'Facelift'. Facelift, writes Roger Sutton, involves a steady amount of work and we would like to acknowledge the part played by Dudley Brook and Peter Clement.
Under the new planning legislation - the Local Development Framework - local councils are able to write Special Planning Documents (SPD) to offer guidance to Planning Officers on local issues. In discussions with the Conservation Officer, it appears that the MHDC might approve an SPD to establish a Local List of buildings in Malvern that are not eligible for full listing but have local importance.
Over the past year, much work has been done by the Society in conjunction with the Conservation Officer. The list includes Malvern House, the Dome and Malvernbury in Abbey Road. We are working on a number of other buildings for inclusion in the list - including Woolworths in Church Street, the Cinema in Hampden Road and an Edwardian house in Graham Road that is typical of its period, with many of its original fittings - fireplaces, tiles and stained glass.
The Society has also carried out a census of the gas lamps in Malvern - some of which are already fully listed - with a view to getting them all listed.
None of the spring and well heads around the Hills has any protection at all and Cora Weaver of our Committee has prepared a list of fifty of the most important for submission to the Local List.
Much work has also been done on documenting the Clerkenwell Markers - the Victorian marker posts on the 17th century Strode Cockshute Farm Estate - some of these are already listed and the Conservation Officer has submitted the remainder for full listing - a Walk leaflet has also been printed which is on sale at Society meetings or in the Tourist Information Centre.
Katharine Barber.TUDOR HOTEL: This historic grade II listed building, at one time home to Dr. Gully's water cure, has been falling into an altogether shabby state following years of neglect. The last planning application failed because of over-development. The latest project is to turn the hotel into 14 luxury apartments. As a Civic Society we are concerned about this important building but will support regeneration provided that the exterior is saved and it is not over developed. We look forward to seeing it restored.