CONTEXT 182 : DECEMBER 2024 3 ‘Great care was spent maintaining the iconic building’s patina,’ the Europa Nostra jury commented, ‘and resulted in a restoration that is imperceptible to the eye.’ Prosecutions data, please Bob Kindred writes: A recent local authority listed building prosecution involving a Grade II building in a world heritage site in the west midlands led to substantial fines, as reported in the media. The case has been added to the online National Database of Listed Building Prosecutions, but the local planning authority did not notify the IHBC, despite the database having been established 26 years ago. Hundreds of case sentences are accessible online at https://www.ihbc.org.uk/resources_ head/index.html and https:// ihbconline.co.uk/prosecutions. If the IHBC is notified directly, it can often obtain some feedback, particularly in cases when the fines imposed were considered low in relation to the seriousness of the offence. We can sometimes establish whether the local planning authority’s legal team and/or the clerks to the courts were aware of the IHBC database, and/or Historic England’s Heritage Crime Guidance for Sentencers (2017), especially as the latter unfortunately does not cross-refer to the former. Councils tell us that when these resources are used, prosecution cases are better served and better placed in context and the penalties may better reflect the seriousness of the offences, compared to when this cumulative data is either not known about or has not been tapped. Please send data of recent cases, or old ones that may have been missed, directly to the IHBC (in the format used online) at government@ihbc.org.uk Skate plans for Bradford The Twentieth Century Society and Ian Chalk Architects have submitted a proposal to Bradford Council and the 2025 City of Culture team to create a new national home for wheel and action sports in Bradford, to be located under the ‘big top’ of the Grade II-listed Richard Dunn Centre. The new facility would be called The Dunn, in honour of the local boxing hero and scaffolder, who fought Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight championship of the world. An indoor/outdoor skating arena, with climbing walls, a cafe and studio suites would be inserted into the spaces currently occupied by the empty leisure pool, flumes and sports hall, creating a new multi-use facility in the existing building. The UK currently has no permanent international and Olympic-level skate arena that combines both street- and park-style courses, with adequate spectator and competitor facilities. Bradford has the potential to provide all of these. The Richard Dunn Sports Centre, built in 1974–78 by the local authority architects department, was a popular amenity for over 40 years. It is distinguished by its structurally pioneering roof, which drew inspiration from Japanese architect Kenzo Tange’s gymnasium venue for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and the cable-stay structures of architect and structural engineer Frei Otto, such as those for the 1972 Munich Olympics. The site was earmarked for redevelopment by landowners Bradford City Council. The Twentieth Century Society submitted a listing application for the building in late 2021, and in April 2022 it was designated at Grade II by DCMS – one of the first leisure centres of its type to be nationally listed. The centre has since remained empty and fallen prey to vandalism and arson attacks. Unusually, the listing designation excludes the internal structures, presenting an opportunity accommodate new uses underneath the pioneering roof. The Richard Dunn Sports Centre rises dramatically over the nearby Sunny Bank Road allotments, glasshouses and cricket pitch in an illustration by architect Trevor Skempton (1976/78). A signed limited edition print is available from the Twentieth Century Society. The south steps to St Stephen’s porch, with the King’s statues to the right (top), and St Stephen’s porch and the Recording Angel memorial (Photos: James Newton)
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