C O N T E X T 1 0 7 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8 3 for adequate security for the site. Efforts are underway to resolve structural problems and to find a new owner and a suitable use. St Marys’ Church,Widnes, Cheshire (1864, EW Pugin, Grade II listed) The building would have been demolished in early 2007 but for an eleventh hour decision to list it Grade II.While the move halted the demolition plans, it did nothing to alter the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Liverpool’s resolve to lock the building and walk away, leaving this fine Italian gothic building to take its chances with pigeons and vandals. With the Catholic population ofWidnes on the increase, thanks to the arrival of numerous Eastern Europeans, many groups, including the local council, are anxious for the building to be reopened or given an alternative use. Chapels at Cathays Cemetery, Cardiff, SouthWales (1859, RGThomas, Grade II listed) The chapels at Cathays Cemetery are in a sorry state. Built severally to accommodate dissenters and members of the established church, the chapels closed for services in 1992 and have been derelict ever since. Good news came recently in the shape of a £100,000 grant from Cardiff Council. However, an internal structural survey has since shown the condition of the buildings to be much worse than originally thought and revealed that they are inhabited by a colony of bats.The Cathays Cemetery Friends Group is urging the council to double its grant so that these fascinating records ofWelsh religious history can receive the attention they deserve. Moseley Road Baths, Balsall Heath, Birmingham (1907,William Hale and Son, Grade II* listed) Despite continued pressure from the Friends of Moseley Road Baths, Birmingham City Council appears resolved to push ahead with plans to close the pool, stripping England of the last Grade II*-listed Edwardian baths in which it is still possible to swim. Already, the First Class pool is derelict, leaving only the Second Class pool in use. Holy Trinity, Hove, East Sussex (1863–4, JWoodman, Grade II listed) Total demolition threatens this unusual red-brick building, which has been treated as the poor relation of the many nationally significant churches in Brighton and Hove, despite being the only church in the area to have an external pulpit. Other proposals for the building abound.Yet Chichester Diocese has continued to pursue a scheme which would see the building demolished to make way for a housing development. Palace Theatre, Plymouth, Devon (1898,Wimperis & Arber, Grade II* listed) Last used as a theatre in 1981, the Palace Theatre was run as a nightclub until 2006. Now empty and poorly maintained in an area known for vandalism, this outstanding former music hall, with its coloured tiles depicting scenes of the Spanish Armada, is crying out for attention. Campaigners, including the Theatres Trust, fear that unless action is taken soon to shore up the building and find a viable future for it, Plymouth could lose its only highly graded listed Victorian theatre for good. Fletcher Convalescent Home, Cromer, Norfolk (1893, E Boardman and Son, unlisted) The former Fletcher Convalescent Home was converted into a geriatric unit, then closed and sold for development. Planning permission for its conversion to housing has been granted, but the requirement for some of the accommodation to be affordable has proved a sticking point, which has delayed work on the building for several years. Tackling the skills deficit An initiative to raise design standards has been launched with unprecedented support from design and planning organisations. Capacitycheck, a new method of appraising and developing urban design skills, has been published by the Urban Design Alliance (UDAL), representing the built environment professions. It was developed while the IHBC’s David Lovie was in the chair of UDAL. Capacitycheck’s sponsors include English Heritage, CABE and English Partnerships. The uses of Capacitycheck include benchmarking an organisation’s existing skills; devising training programmes; deciding the coverage of a local authority’s planning policy and guidance; drawing up a job description and person specification; and drawing up the brief for an urban design project. Capacitycheck assesses the present skills, awareness and understanding of an individual or organisation, or determines what capacity a person, project or organisation requires. It supports training, education and learning on the job for councillors, design champions, communities, clients and a wide range of built environment professionals.These are the people on whom higher standards of design depend. In the words of the Capacitycheck guide and website: ‘Capacitycheck can help professionals to free themselves from The architect Biscoe+Stanton has been appointed by St James Garlickhythe in the City of London to carry out significant building and refurbishment works to one of London’s few remaining churches built by Sir ChristopherWren following the Great Fire of London in 1666. Boasting the highest ceiling in the City after St Paul’s Cathedral, the church is often referred to asWren’s Lantern.The work will include creating a new parish room, toilet and kitchen. their silos; politicians to become effective champions of design; communities to be empowered; landowners and developers to discover the value of making places; and students to learn how to work in an urban context.’ Architecture and Design Scotland has announced the first Capacitycheck pilot project.The method will be used in Inverness by the Highland Council. An assessment of the skills available to the council and other agencies will be followed by a capacity-building plan. The aim is to help everyone involved in the planning process to raise design standards of development. Training is being offered to people will become the first Capacitycheck champions. (Applicants for a free one-day training course should email [email protected]). Capacitycheck is available to download free (and order a free printed copy) at www.capacitycheck.co.uk.
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