Stanley Dock-Lets Hope This New Scheme Is Not Hot Air.

The Stanley Dock Tobacco Warehouse has lay rotting for over 50 years.
It can be restored, I recall playing as a child in the open space that was the Albert Dock. Fishing for Flatties. Strolling amongst the grand ruins wondering why.
How many false dawns have we heard to get this historic landmark, a listed building.
Wasn't it Urban Splash that were about to do a scheme, our heritage saviours who really did cock up Park Hill along with English Heritage and their Chief Exec Dr Simon Thurley.

The Tobacco Warehouse Standing 125 foot (38m) high, the building was at the time of its construction, in 1901, also claimed to be the world's largest building in terms of area. Its construction used 27m bricks, 30,000 panes of glass and 8,000 tons of steel. It was designed by AG Lyster, the Dock Engineer, but Arthur Berrington almost certainly played a part.
The distinctive tobacco warehouse at Stanley Dock is the world’s largest brick warehouse.


English Heritage call it a travesty and keep it snug on the EH "At Risk" Register.
Even Dr Simon Thurley comes out of his Ivory Tower to say how important the Industrial Heritage is to the country.
Despite allowing Manchester Dock to be destroyed that predated the Albert Dock by 60 years.
English Heritage said that listed industrial buildings were more at risk than almost any other kind of historic site. This was said, In a general comment press pack, Alan Weston slots it into a story he did on October 19th 2011 http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/10/19/liverpool-s-stanley-dock-included-in-english-heritage-at-risk-list-92534-29619805/
He writes: Chief executive Simon Thurley said action was needed to save what he called the “world’s most important industrial heritage”.
The decision to focus on industrial heritage is backed by a poll of public attitudes, which revealed that 86% believed it was important to value and appreciate buildings such as mills and collieries, and 80% thought they were as important as country houses and castles.
Dr Thurley said there were many reasons for people to be passionate about industrial heritage. He added: “Part of it is family ties, there are so many people whose families have been involved in these industries.
“Many of the buildings are extremely prominent in their locations, such as big chimneys or big buildings, and people acquire affection for things around them.”


So two weeks later after it was announced as a "At Risk" building a  fresh press pack from Malcolm (let's regenerate my political career) Kennedy hits the local press.
In which a plan is announced to renovate it and its area.
But there is controversy last nights BBC Northwest News said there was a problem that need more explaining. http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b016p50v/ They said 10 minutes 42 into the article that the Regional Growth Fund Members had recieved millions.
In Parliament questions were asked about the RG fund which decides were the cash goes.
The BBC alleges one of the recipients that was co-owned by a panel member that decides were the the fund goes and that it is said is, RedX Pharma.
The Government said that a panel member has declared an interest but played no part..............apparently.
The Eldonian village will get a new power station so they are to remain silent to any of the new developments.  http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/11/02/eldonians-rose-like-a-phoenix-from-flames-92534-29703573/ The first two projects for immediate delivery are the mixed use redevelopment of the landmark former tobacco warehouse at Stanley Dock and a low carbon combined heat and energy plant and work space by the Eldonians. David Bartlett says.Far more delving into this scheme needs to be done and it looks like the local papers will not do that.



http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/11/01/stanley-dock-rebirth-at-heart-of-130m-cash-boost-for-north-liverpool-92534-29695756/
Instead they anounce another dawn for the derelict area........in a recession, that apparantly has funding?
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/11/02/stanley-dock-plan-developer-revealed-as-harcourt-developments-builder-of-new-titanic-attraction-in-belfast-92534-29703575/
It is now announced that a Titanic Theme Park Developer is to transorm the redundant warehouse.

Cllr Malcolm Kennedy, cabinet member for regeneration and tourism, said it was great news that would act as a catalyst for further development.


“It will give a major impetus to the regeneration of the area and to the green energy agenda which will benefit the city as a whole. This approval provides the bridge between the transformed city centre and the tremendous investment opportunities in North Liverpool.”

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/views/liverpool-daily-post/2011/11/01/stanley-dock-scheme-the-key-to-north-s-revival-92534-29695673/ Lets hope they dont have

The City Fringe Programme for north Liverpool is intended to provide an investment strategy for the area between Liverpool city centre and the Liverpool Waters Enterprise Zone to ensure future employment growth while the regeneration of this area proceeds.


It includes plans to revamp the junction of Leeds Street and Great Howard Street to breakdown the physical barrier between the city centre and the more industrial area to the north.

Urban Splash....Are They Drowning in Debt?

Our Architectural Saviours Urban Splash are now in talks with their bankers to ensure that it does not breach its banking covenants. They have promoted themselves as the darling boys of trendy heritage.....milking the public grant system.... in my opinion. I personally put a lot of time into saving the Littlewoods Building from demolition when I picked up a planning application to demolish it. They were supposed to have acquired it but it seems they have now abandoned the project. The same seems to be happening at the derelict Cinema in Lime Street used as a hoarding for 2008. What a mess they helped create along with those English Heretics at Park Hill in Sheffield. http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2009/05/dr-simon-thurley-and-restoration-of.html They also have just recently completed the Midland Hotel in Morecambe. I had a private tour round the building with Bill Maynard and suggested I place an advertisment, in the Antique trade gazzette after the theft of a balustrade section with a seahorse upon it designed by Eric Gill. It was some months later at a live Radio Merseyside debate that Bill told me someone had walked on the site with it..no questions asked and gave it back. I was pleased "Right you can pay me for the advert now" I said, "Oh did we not pay you" he said sheepishly. "we will send you a cheque". There may be a few other schemes of theirs on hold while Tom Bloxham can well ride it out in his mad looking futuristic 1960s pile in the south of France.

Johnathan Falkingham who along with Tom Floxham founded the company. Falkingham is a trustee of National Museums Liverpool. Urban Splash did a competition scheme for the original museum competion for our Pier Head marketed by October Communications. The competition was for a Fourth (sic) Grace that architect madman of "Cloud" Cuckoo-land, Alsop won in a council stitch up, with the glass pie in the sky. They both then went on to do a sheme called "Cheep as Chips" together. Someone from Urban Spash said about Alsop. "He should be in an institution he is as mad as a hatter". http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/buildings/residential/chips-new-islington-manchester-by-alsop-architects/5202419.article

So Falkingham, eventually as part of NML along with the then Chairman of English Heritage, who turned a blind eye, managed to destroy the World Heritage Site anyhow with the museum that is funded by building those three black granite grotesques next to it, that Doreen Jones cast her vote as chair of planning committee to rubber stamp.

Splosh!!. Big Belly Flop!! Tools are now well and truly downed “The directors believe that based, upon dialogue with these lenders, it is unlikely that the banks would demand facilities to be repaid in the next 12 months and that those due for renewal will be satisfactorily renegotiated" Falkingham said. In the year to 31 March 2008, pre-tax profits ballooned 58% to £4.9 million on turnover up 9% to £62.1 million.

Yes and most of that was because they had learnt how to milk more money from the public purse.

When the going gets tough Urban Splash get going.

Dr Simon Thurley and the Restoration of Faulty Towers

I have just watched last Fridays BBC 2 programme about English Heretics and the god-damn awful block of flats that no-one in Sheffield wanted to keep, there were major campaigns to have it demolished, only the out of touch ministry of funny walks at English Heretics listed it against all the wishes of the people who live there.

It was hilarious, well good entertainment but in the realms of a load of "out of touch twassers" at the ministry of funny walks, wasting millions of pounds of public money. It was like watching a disaster movie. image coutosy of BBC see link below for a gallery of images

http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/content/image_galleries/park_hill_gallery.shtml?10

PARK HILL is a Le Corbusier inspired monolithic block of misery that never functioned and never will because people hate it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Hill,_Sheffield

The Heretics said it should be preserved as the largest listed building in Europe ( I think the honour used to lay with the Albert Dock, in England, at least as Grade I). It looks like a huge decaying beached Whale.The nutters from the ministry go Thurdling into one disaster after another.

Now I can see the theories behind the motives but what people doing up Faulty Towers don't seem to understand is that concrete is the biggest disaster to hit England, it just rots and never really looks good and once the structural metal reinforceing bars cast inside the concrete rust, it goes balloon and its bladdered.

In Marsailles they don't have the rain and driving winds like we do so its a mistake to compare.

They knocked Bell Vale flats in Liverpool down and they had a party to celebrate the event.

Tom Floxham from Urban Splash was rolled in, as the darling boy, who lives off the public purse saving buildings for the nation, what a good egg...and making a fortune out of the Heretics grant system.

50,000 signatures against its renovation were collected now there's democracy for you.

Did Basil Thurley listen no he saw a TV camera beckoning and went for it. Only this has backfired big time. My opinion is that he is a posing little twit with no talent. Could he put a shelf up? So why is he in charge of a fortune of our money, with no practical experience.

I would not let this character loose on renovating my shed as it would have an estimate of £120,000 or some telephone number. The builders see him coming and throw a couple of noughts on. You have heard the saying Lions led by Donkeys well this looks like a case of Donkey's led by Donkey's.

The architects go off on a "jollie" to Marseilles and ponce about the bit of hockey stick used for a door handle on one of the rooms that they cant get into because the bloke renovating Park Hill cant work out how the lock works. God help us, its evident that an architect in a tangerine orange shirt matched with red trousers has no design skill. But he had the requisite trendy gigs on so he fitted the bill and got the job.

Why do most architects look like something from the Village of the Damned?

They were bemused how the Corbusier block cost 7 million to renovate when their budget was three.

Well can you guess what happened next the budget goes to 51 million they rip the innards out of it, and the credit crunch hits. Basil sweats a bit and says lots of stuff like "as it were". The builders down tools because they are almost bust and the beached Whale is now open to the elements in places that should not be, and there is now a estimate of £150,000,000 to put it right.

The Councillor who led the campaign to demolish it is now Sheffield City Council leader.

Basil Thurley what a disaster , he should be renovated. A petition to demolish him me thinks would easily get 50,000 signatures. This bungling idiot thinks he is on Grand Designs with my money this nonsense should stop now the DCMS should take action.

Wayne Colquhoun