Printer Friendly Page.
Former Police HQ ‘has no special architectural interest’
says English Heritage
Lacks special architectural interest, does not have the design flair, quality of materials or intactness required of a 1930’s municipal police building, not designed or detailed to the high standard found elsewhere in neo-Georgian public buildings’. This is the verdict that English Heritage came to when turning down the Aylesbury Society’s application for listing of the former Police HQ in Exchange Street. The Society applied to the Department of Culture, Media & Sport in the middle of last year for listing status of this important 1930’s building, one of the few left in the town.
The buildings at the corner of Exchange Street and Walton Street were erected at a total cost of £14,461 by Messrs Webster & Cannon the well known and reputable Aylesbury based builders and at that time one of the largest in southern England. The design was by C H Riley the County Architect and the buildings provided the police with modern and up to date facilities The Bucks Herald at the time said ‘they provided the police with modern and up to date buildings equipped with all the latest and scientific apparatus where police administration can be conducted in an efficient manner’
English Heritage commented that the building does have a clear local interest as part of a long tradition of civic buildings in Aylesbury and whilst the former police headquarters can be seen as part of a long and important sequence of municipal buildings, the local historic significance is not sufficient given the lack of architectural special interest to merit listing.
Roger King, Honorary Secretary of the Aylesbury Society said ‘they were extremely disappointed that their application failed as it now opens the way for future demolition of the buildings’. He said that Aylesbury has few 1930’s buildings left and it would be a shame if one of the remaining few was to disappear. He said that in the light of English Heritage’s decision, application for listing of the 1929 County Hall would be pointless.
New Civic Square -
a golden opportunity missed
The Society has expressed disappointment at the District Council's plans for the public realm area next to the new Waterside Theatre, an artist's impression of which is shown below.
The Society believes that the Council have missed a golden opportunity to utilise the natural asset of the canal in the heart of the town and incorporate it as part of the new open leisure area next to the theatre.
The inclusion of a commercial aspect, the Waitrose supermarket, negates the idea of public realm. This area should have open access to the canal not cut off from the rest of the town by a large food store. This store is completely alien to the concept of a leisure area/theatreland. The Society envisage increased traffic, litter and noise on the access road to the rear of Highbridge Walk disturbing the peace of the new ‘Square’. They therefore ask the District Council to rethink the inclusion of a supermarket in this area and ask them to look for alternative sites. Chairman of the Society Keith Robinson said 'The argument that a supermarket will regenerate the High Street is completely spurious as we believe shoppers will drive in do their shopping and drive off. They are not going to make the journey on foot to the rest of the town'.
He went onto say however that there are some elements of the plan that are welcomed. These include the design of the open piazza area particularly the form it will take of grass and paved areas, the bus and taxi drop off lay-by and the reintroduction of a central reservation on the south east side of Exchange Street. Mr Robinson said that this will greatly assist access to the Waterside Theatre from the town centre.