“It’s not gone until it’s gone,” said Mary Keating of Brutalist Birmingham
Campaigners trying to save a 1960s office block in Birmingham from being demolished have vowed to continue their fight to save the city’s heritage.
Save Smallbrook wants to stop the Ringway Centre on Smallbrook Queensway from being knocked down and replaced with residential apartments.
The group recently lost a bid for a judicial review of the plans, but wants to continue to build on support for saving the building.
“We don’t want all of our heritage trashed. We want a city that is recognisable and liveable,” said Mary Keating of Brutiful Birmingham. “It’s not gone until it’s gone.”
The distinctive office block is set to be demolished and replaced with three tower blocks
A planning application for total demolition of the distinctive building and the construction of three new towers has been approved, but campaigners had launched three legal challenges in efforts to save the site.
The Save Smallbrook movement, which also consists of organisations including Birmingham Modernist Society and Twentieth Century Society, lodged an application for a judicial review in May, challenging the city council’s backing of the demolition.
But the High Court refused the group’s bid in September, following a previous rejection in June.
Developers said the scheme would provide new public spaces to “revitalise the area” and attract new visitors.
Under the approved plans, a minimum of 15% of homes will be allocated for affordable housing.
Despite the legal challenge being thwarted, the fight to save the building is now seen by the coalition supporting it as a “symbol of the issues” the city is facing.
“Smallbrook is standing, it is still there, we have delayed the planning application by a year,” Ms Keating told the BBC.
“It’s become a whole synthesis about a number of issues that people in Birmingham are feeling really concerned about.”
Save Smallbrook
A celebration event was held by members of the coalition on Tuesday at the Forum nightclub
Campaigners held a event celebrating the successes of the campaign at the Forum nightclub in the city centre on Tuesday, with about 50 supporters in attendance.
Ms Keating said the campaign to save the building had “morphed over the years” and they were in the process of pursuing conversations with city councillors and West Midlands mayor Richard Parker.
The curved, six-storey, Brutalist office block was designed by architect James Roberts, also known for creating The Rotunda on New Street.
Supporters want the city’s many large buildings to be retained, repurposed and retrofitted, and are continuing to coordinate objections to selected planning applications, with one immediate concern being 1 Lancaster Circus.
On Thursday, the group received confirmation they had been successful in an application for grant funding from housing campaign Homes for Us, which Ms Keating said would be “invaluable” in helping them achieve their next objectives.
“What is Birmingham? What are we doing to our carbon footprint?” she said.
“We can’t be knocking buildings down.
“While Smallbrook stands it will remain a focus and symbol for all of the issues we will continue to campaign on.”
Save Smallbrook want the Brutalist building to be retained and repurposed for other uses
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