# / . 4 % 8 4 - ! 2 # ( !24 #/.3%26!4/23 ()34/2)# "5),$).' #/.35,4!.43 #ONSERVATION OF PAINTED AND APPLIED DECORATION ON PLASTER STONE CANVAS WOOD AND METAL SUBSTRATES #LEANING AND STABILISATION OF INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR BUILDING SURFACES (ISTORIC PAINT RESEARCH AND RECREATION OF HISTORIC DECORATIVE SCHEMES 3URVEY SPECIlCATION AND ANALYSIS SERVICES AVAILABLE ,AUGHTON 3LEAFORD ,INCOLNSHIRE .' (% 4ELEPHONE &AX %MAIL HIRST HIRST CONSERVATION COM 7EBSITE WWW HIRST CONSERVATION COM BUILT CLOSE TO A YEAR OLD DROP STAMPING COMPANY WHICH ENDED IN LITIGATION ) HAVE REPRESENTED THE *EWELLERY 1UARTER ON THE CONSERVATION AREAS ADVISORY COMMITTEE SINCE THE EARLY S -EMBERS REPEATEDLY REQUESTED THAT THE CORRIDORS AROUND THE THREE CONSERVATION AREAS BE CLOSED UP BUT NO ACTION WAS TAKEN )N CAME THE URBAN VILLAGE REGENERATION SCHEME WHICH IMPOSED THE BIGGEST THREAT THE *EWELLERY 1UARTER HAD EVER HAD TO FACE )F THE SCHEME HAD PROCEEDED ACCORDING TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN IT WOULD HAVE DESTROYED THE *EWELLERY 1UARTER FOREVER BY DRIVING OUT THE JEWELLERY TRADE 4HERE WOULD HAVE BEEN LARGE SCALE DEMOLITION WITH THE AREA BEING TURNED INTO A HOUSING ESTATE 4HIS TIME THE HERITAGE BUILDINGS THE JEWELLERY TRADE AND EVEN THE VERY SURVIVAL OF THE *EWELLERY 1UARTER WERE IN SERIOUS JEOPARDY 4HE URBAN VILLAGE PLAN WAS ALLEGEDLY FRAMED TO COMPLY WITH CENTRAL GOVERNMENT S SCHEME TO ENCOURAGE CITY LIVING 4HE RESTRICTION ON RESIDENTIAL USE IN THE QUARTER WHICH HAD PROTECTED THE AREA FOR SO MANY YEARS WAS SUDDENLY LIFTED 4HE URBAN VILLAGE PARTNERS WERE %NGLISH 0ARTNERSHIPS WHOSE ROLE WAS LATER TAKEN OVER BY !DVANTAGE 7EST -IDLANDS THE 0RINCE S &OUNDATION AND THE CITY COUNCIL 4HE URBAN VILLAGE WAS LAUNCHED IN A BLAZE OF GLORY WITH PROMISES OF a MILLION TO BE INVESTED IN THE 1UARTER )MMEDIATELY THE AREA WAS BESIEGED BY DEVELOPERS AND THEIR AGENTS WIELDING CHEQUE BOOKS AND SOMETIMES CASH INTIMIDATING COMPANIES WITH THREATS OF COMPULSORY PURCHASE !T FIRST THE VISION OF THE URBAN VILLAGE WAS QUITE APPEALING IF YOU IMAGINED SMALL HOUSES DOTTED AROUND BETWEEN THE WORKSHOPS BUT UNFORTUNATELY DEVELOPERS DO NOT THINK IN TERMS OF SMALL HOUSES !LSO THE EFFECT THAT THE RISE IN LAND VALUES WOULD HAVE ON SMALL BUSINESSES WAS NOT CONSIDERED .EITHER WAS THE VERY NATURE OF THE JEWELLERY TRADES THEIR NEED TO CLUSTER TOGETHER IN A CLOSE COMMUNITY AND THE FACT THAT JEWELLERY MANUFACTURE IS LIGHT ENGINEERING WHICH MEANS SMELLS NOISE AND VIBRATIONS WHICH ARE INCOMPATIBLE WITH RESIDENTIAL USE *EWELLERY MANUFACTURERS AND ALLIED TRADES NEED TO STORE AND USE SUBSTANCES SUCH AS CYANIDE AND AMMONIA %VEN WITH THE BEST PRECAUTIONS IN THE WORLD ACCIDENTS AND SPILLAGES DO OCCUR WHICH OFTEN MEANS SEALING OFF ROADS AND BUILDINGS FOR SEVERAL DAYS $EVELOPERS WERE QUICK TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SITES IN THE WIDE CORRIDORS THAT WERE NOT PROTECTED BY CONSERVATION AREA CONTROLS 0LANNING APPLICATIONS POURED IN "EFORE ANY DEFENSIVE ACTION COULD BE TAKEN LUXURY APARTMENTS WERE BEING BUILT !LTHOUGH THE URBAN VILLAGE SCHEME STATED THAT THERE SHOULD BE AN @EVEN MIX OF TYPES OF RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION WITH FACILITIES TO SUPPORT SUCH USE THIS HAS NEVER MATERIALISED 4HE CITY COUNCIL APPEARED TO HAVE GIVEN UP ON BUILDING DESIGN AND MATERIALS CONTROL AND AS THE SITES WERE ONLY CLASSED AS @ADJACENT TO A CONSERVATION AREA VERY LITTLE CONTROL WAS POSSIBLE 5NFORTUNATELY ONCE BUSINESSES AND JOBS HAVE BEEN LOST THEY ARE RARELY REINSTATED 7HAT WE MUST NEVER FORGET IS THAT BUILDINGS LAST MUCH LONGER THAN THE PEOPLE WHO BUILD THEM SO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY IS LEFT VERY OFTEN WITH INAPPROPRIATE POORLY DESIGNED BUILDINGS BEARING NO RESEMBLANCE AT ALL TO THE BUILDINGS AROUND THEM AND DESTROYING THE CHARACTER OF THE AREA 0ANIC REIGNED IN THE 1UARTER 0EOPLE WERE CONVINCED THAT THEIR BUSINESSES WOULD BE FORCED TO CLOSE DOWN AND EMPLOYEES WERE AFRAID FOR THEIR JOBS !PART FROM THE CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT AND ITS MEMBERS NO ONE WANTED TO LISTEN TO MY PLEAS )N DESPERATION IN *ULY IN MY ROLE AS EDITOR OF THE (OCKLEY &LYER ) WROTE A FEATURE SETTING OUT THE @WORST SCENARIO OF THE URBAN VILLAGE ) SAID THAT THE *EWELLERY 1UARTER WAS HEADING TOWARDS BECOMING JUST A YUPPIE HOUSING ESTATE WITH A BLUE PLAQUE ON THE WALL DECLARING @4HIS WAS "IRMINGHAM S *EWELLERY 1UARTER 4O SAY MY ARTICLE CAUSED A SENSATION WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT ) WAS )NAPPROPRIATE POORLY DESIGNED BUILDINGS UNDERMINE THE CHARACTER THAT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY VALUES
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