| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:89-91 Shakespeare Rd w3 6sb | |
| Posted by: | Richard Grange | |
| Date/Time: | 22/04/12 20:47:00 |
| David. You have encapsulated what I have been thinking for a while about Acton. Even in the short time I have been here, much of Acton’s Victorian and Edwardian infrastructure has either been threatened or demolished. The old tram shed has gone, the swimming baths are about to go and I only recently discovered there was a Victorian Church on the corner of Spencer Road until the early 1980s (now converted into flats). Now 91 Shakespeare Road is under threat and I wonder what will happen to the Magistrates Court currently up for sale. In my view Acton has been guilty of being careless with its heritage and has combined this with a lack of imagination. While in Acton we are about to knock down our historic swimming pool in Kentish Town the Pancras Baths have just under-gone a major restoration and redevelopment. See below. http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/jul/26/kentish-town-baths-restored-open If you start looking at historic photographs it gets really depressing. Look at the attached photo of the Churchfield Road a century ago and ask yourself – is what we have now, progress? http://www.actonw3.com/default.asp?section=community&link=http://appasp.ActonW3.com/server/app/forum/default.asp?site=4 I’m not opposed to demolishing buildings – but operate on the principle that if you knock something down you should be confident you are replacing it with something better. I love modern architecture but lots of what is being built recently comes out of the Legoland school of design. I am going to TRY and be there on Tuesday to oppose the demolition of 91 Shakespeare although work commitments are currently making it difficult. Otherwise I think it is important to think strategically about what is happening. As one councillor put it to me – Chiswick is now full up which now makes Acton the number one destination of choice for speculative developers. So watch this space for future attacks on Acton’s heritage. |