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Guildhall is now on the verge of demolition
GAINSBOROUGH's old Guildhall is facing demolition after planners gave the go-ahead to tear it down.
The building has been empty since West Lindsey District Council moved into a new 4.3m Guildhall in Marshall’s Yard 15 months ago.
Councillors accepted an application to demolish the building on Caskgate Street, and build a temporary car park on the site at a public planning meeting last week. Coun Chris Underwood-Frost said: “Tear it down, and tear it down quickly. What a carbuncle on the town. We have got some lovely old buildings like the doctors’ surgery, and then we have got that thing sticking in the middle.”
“The town needs to go forward. If we had this attitude then Marshall’s Yards might never have happened.”
Council leader Bernard Theobald said: “As a piece of architecture it has little merit.”
“A lot of towns were ruined in the 1960s by architects showing what they could do. “It’s alright being part of the space race, but not if all we can do is build poorly made buildings.”
Maynel Vessey, who lives in Walkeringham, tried to persuade councillors to refuse the proposal.
“I read it has to come down because it’s costing council taxpayers over 44,000 a year,” she said. “But in the analysis, nearly 35,000 is to pay the council business rates so in actual fact, the real cost is only 9,300 a year for insurance, utilities, repairs, maintenance and security alarms.”
Coun Theobald replied that the 35,000 tax goes to the Government rather than the council, and they have no power over where it is spent.
Mrs Vessey asked: “Do we really need car parking space for another 30 cars? Instead, we lose an impressive, iconic, useful building, the gardens in front where Neunkirchen (Gainsborough’s German twin town) visitors planted their trees, the Guildhall car parks, the Ship Court car park and the visual opening out to the river.”
“And last but not least, we’ll lose forever the view of beautiful Elswitha House – the Georgian Grade II listed town house, next door.
“As for more shops and flats, there are vacant ones all over the town. People want to park close to shops, preferably for nothing. But this scheme involves losing all the car parks on the western side of town. Pedestrianisation has contributed to the decline of the old town centre, and yet this plan involves more.
“There are some dreadful flaws in the plan. Visually, Gainsborough will be turning its back on the river, and turning the clocks back.”
Coun Judy Rainsforth was the only member of the committee to vote against the application.
“I think we are being a bit premature; it has only been empty just over a year,” she said.
“I love it. Maybe because the 60s were my era, but I love it and there is nothing remotely like this anywhere in Gainsborough. The banks are saved, things are looking up hopefully, and maybe one day a developer will be interested coming in.”
Demolishing the building will cost about 65,000, but Coun Owen Bierley said that granting planning permission did not mean the Guildhall would be knocked down immediately.
“It is only permission. All we are asked to do is remove the impediment,” he said.
Coun Malcolm Leaning said: “I should be sorry to see the old building go. There may be ways to preserve it in the next few months and if so, I look forward to hearing them.”
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Weather for Gainsborough
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
