Peter Hunter, the Coventry Society Conservation Area Champion for Hawkesbury Junction, reports on a problem arising in the Hawkesbury Junction Conservation Area. Peter writes….
The canal users service facility building at Sutton Stop closed last year. This was the result of a policy review by the Canal and River Trust which concluded that all non – essential service facilities should be closed to ensure that scarce resources were in future directed towards maintaining vital waterway infrastructure.
This building is at the heart of the Hawkesbury Junction Conservation Area. Before the decision to close the facility was made, the building was already in a poor state of repair. Over the last year or so, with the building now disused, its condition has deteriorated rapidly. The roof in particular is now in a very poor condition.
Best estimates are that the building was built in the late 1950’s / early 1960’s (any more detailed information re this much appreciated) as part of a programme to provide facilities for boatmen. This was a time when recreational use of the canal network was in its infancy. The original building was a utilitarian brick and concrete structure with a flat roof.
Hawkesbury Junction was declared a Conservation Area in 1976. In the early 1980’s discussions took place to identify works to enhance the conservation area. One proposal that emerged was the idea of renovating the service block and giving it a pitched roof more in keeping with other buildings in the conservation area. This initiative was largely funded by the West Midlands County Council, which was subsequently abolished in 1986. The building continued to be used for its original purpose, with little change, until closure last year.
What is needed now is a clear plan of action for this building and the site of the building. If the Canal and Rivers Trust have no further use for it, are there other uses possible and how might those be paid for? Demolition of the building would be unfortunate as the building provides a valuable sense of enclosure to the conservation area’s central canal basin. Any proposal to demolish would require planning permission and this should not be granted without a clear idea of how whatever follows the facilities block would preserve and / or enhance the character of the conservation area. Steps need to be taken to halt the deterioration of the building’s condition.
The Coventry Society is seeking a response from the Canal and River Trust as to their thinking about the future of the building. We are also asking local Councillors to ensure that the City Council’s Planning Department plays a proactive role in seeking answers to questions about the building’s future.