Does anyone know what’s happening to the old Mecca Hall?

It’s so heart breaking to see old buildings oozing with character being left to fall to pieces (e.g. the old Ladywell baths/play tower) or knocked down completely (the Art Deco Adhesive factory in Ladywell). So does anyone know what’s happening to the old building in Lewisham that’s been rotting and now worryingly has had boarding put up all around it…I really hope there aren’t plans afoot to raze it to the ground for yet more apartments that look like Lego.

There was some suggestion of building flats, but it was said to be too close to the railway line, which is a bit odd when you consider the flats in Loampit Vale!

Oh no - so it really is going to be demolished?! What is wrong with this country - we’re losing all our vintage buildings.

I guess the question which must be answered is who’s responsibility would it be to maintain buildings such of this?

I know… it would be nice to have a few more developers that could see past the dollar signs in their eyes and use the building in it’s original form and be imaginative enough to keep it’s integrity. At this rate, Lewisham is going to become the new Croydon concrete jungle (with a few colourful perspex panels to try and break up the grey). It’s sad to see churches and Victorian schools being converted into flats - but I’d rather see that any day than the bulldozers moving in to make way for ‘cram-em-in’ concrete and glass flats, claiming to be affordable. The Capitol in Forest Hill is at least (for now) a pub, that has kept it’s originality…

The building is listed, so there was little change of demolition.

Planning permission was granted in March last year for the building to become a church. Details of the scheme can be found:
http://thetabandcommunity.org/
and

http://planning.lewisham.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=_LEWIS_DCAPR_81405

Sad. I’d sooner see it knocked down.

Its not strictly just a matter of dollar signs. Old buildings, while built to last aren’t often built for performance either with energy or comfort. The cost to retrofit such buildings to current building regulations can be on a scale as to negate profitability, or only maintain profitability by passing on the cost to the customer/homeowner. This can be done by keeping the facade and rebuilding from the inside… but there is a cost to that.

I have to admit, I wasn’t familiar with the Adhesive Specialties building, and now that I’ve seen it I really do wish an effort had been made. Fine examples of art deco architecture are in short supply in London IMHO. I’m not quite so connected to Victorian, Georgian or Edwardian… not that I particularly dislike this archetype, its just there is already a proliferation of great examples in this city and across the Country.

I believe good Heritage planning is maintaining good examples… not securing all.

Though it could be. Even English Heritage acknowledges that listing (particularly Grade 2) is not the final word.

Listed buildings can be altered, extended and sometimes even demolished within government planning guidance.

Shame. There appears to be a lot of good community content to the proposal.

There always is.