Old Express and Star building to be demolished

[Confused]

There's a renewed planning application for the new cinema gone in. Contrary to what we were told way back when during the consultation the old Express and Star building is to be completely demolished.

https://www12.staffordbc.gov.uk/onl...iveTab=externalDocuments&keyVal=OHPFRHPSK3T00

What does everyone think?

 

[Wormella]

I did always think keeping it was going to make it look a little bit odd

 

[alphagamma]

Compared to what's already been knocked down the loss won't be great.

 

[wildwood]

Finally......

Will the cinema ever get started though??

 

[markpa12003]

I did always think keeping it was going to make it look a little bit odd

Agreed. A better scheme can be created by demolishing the building.

 

[alphagamma]

When the E&S building is gone the obvious next step is to demolish the boro council block nearby, as it's ugly, shabby and serves no useful purpose.

 

[proactive]

When the E&S building is gone the obvious next step is to demolish the boro council block nearby, as it's ugly, shabby and serves no useful purpose.

We can but hope.

 

[JTL85]

As a stand alone building it looks nice but combining the facade with the new cinema complex was always strange.

 

[HopesDad]

Most towns would be proud of their heritage and merge the old Witt the new.

In Stafford it will just get demolished like everything else.

The star office building is hardly a world heritage site, but it is vaguely attractive and is a small part of what is left of Stafford's 'heritage' now that most of the decent buildings have been demolished or sold.

It is inevitable, however, that it will be flattened and replaced by yet another bland beige box.

 

[proactive]

It's not a building that will be greatly missed and hardly an integral, or indeed any significant part of the town's history. If it helps make the new facilities better then get rid.

 

[BobClay]

As a cynic I'd say that was the plan all along. They just did it in stages. It's not a particularly interesting building but once the precedent is set, they can suck out the history of town piece by piece. I suspect the old Library Building is already targeted. (Pleas don't talk to me about 'listings.' We've all seen that been skirted.)

 

[Gareth]

Ironically the plans to replace the current old E&S are almost a like for like.

The new build will be part red brick part stone brick. Very similar in design and lay out,but will be double the size in width stretching across to where chicago rock was.

Good move to be honest.

 

[Gramaisc]

I often prefer 'modern' stuff to pretend old stuff.

 

[PhoneyGeek]

I find old, old stuff, like the ancient high house, to be appealing, the same with new, new builds like the Stafford Place and the shopping. I don't really like the old but not that stuff, like the train station and borough council buildings. I get that the building is "historic" but if you let your self get held down by history, you never get the chance to make more.

 

[HopesDad]

As a cynic I'd say that was the plan all along. They just did it in stages. It's not a particularly interesting building but once the precedent is set, they can suck out the history of town piece by piece. I suspect the old Library Building is already targeted. (Pleas don't talk to me about 'listings.' We've all seen that been skirted.)

I am quite sure they never had any intention whatsoever of keeping it. They just kept it in the original plans so they wouldn't appear so brutal, knowing it is easy enough to change the plans later.

I will also gamble that both the old library and the old cinema will have been demolished by this time next year. Knocking those two down together would make a good big space.

 

[proactive]

I find old, old stuff, like the ancient high house, to be appealing, the same with new, new builds like the Stafford Place and the shopping. I don't really like the old but not that stuff, like the train station and borough council buildings. I get that the building is "historic" but if you let your self get held down by history, you never get the chance to make more.

The Borough Council building is NOT historic.

Except in the sense that it is historically fugly.

 

[PhoneyGeek]

The Borough Council building is NOT historic.

Except in the sense that it is historically fugly.

Fair point!

 

[alphagamma]

Falling down or not, Stafford Place would look quite attractive without the Riverside filing cabinet.

 

[JTL85]

The 'older' aspects of the library would probably be retained, but the rear of that building and the cinema could both go for me. The current cinema building isn't exactly pleasing to look at, and it's hardly historically significant, much like the E&S building.

Some of the buildings I like for their architecture;
Ancient High House, Pizza Express (and most of the rest of the square), Shire Hall, the old council buildings, The Swan, the old Post Office (insert current ventures name here), The Sun and The Market Vaults.

 

[BobClay]

The Odeon does have a little bit of history. Thing is the Odeon, the Picture House and the Sandonia were the three places I saw films as a kid, which makes it the 'Last Man Standing' and when it's gone, regardless of it's current state I will miss it (albeit from a distance.) I'm assuming here The San is pretty much finished, judging by the state it's in, although the Picture House in all fairness to Wetherspoons does retain some of it's former heritage.

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/22874