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Fight to save iconic newspaper building will go to Westminster

Campaigners are to take the fight to save an iconic former newspaper office from demolition to Westminster.

English Heritage is preparing to send a report to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport about the ship-shaped former headquarters of the Western Morning News and Plymouth Herald, which has been threatened with demolition by owners Daily Mail and General Trust.

The Twentieth Century Society has applied to English Heritage to get listed status for the award-winning building, known as the Big Glass Ship,which housed the sister dailies between 1993 and 2013.

A final decision on the matter will be made by Culture Minister Sajid Javid.

Save the ship

DMGT plans to knock down the structure in May due to it being “unviable” and in a “poor state of repair”.

Plymouth City Council, which has received 50 letters of objection against the proposal, could only step in to stop the demolition if the building was given listed status.

A spokesman for English Heritage said: “English Heritage is in touch with the owners of the former Western Morning News building and interested parties regarding our assessment of the building and we are working as quickly as possible to give clarity on its status

“We have undertaken a full inspection of the building and aim to send our recommendation to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as soon as possible. They are aware and expecting our report.”

The building was designed by architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, who was also responsible for Cornwall’s Eden Project and London’s Waterloo Station.

DMGT retained the ownership of the building after the papers that formerly occupied it were sold to Local World.

On Monday a group of 13, pictured above, led a protest against DMGT’s plans.

Hilary Kolinsky, secretary and treasurer at Plymouth Architectural Trust, told The Herald: “We were pleased with the turnout, which was a good showing for a drizzly Monday afternoon, and we were delighted that the group included two local councillors as well as Plymouth’s well-known historian Chris Robinson.

“This small gathering of concerned citizens represented the tip of the iceberg of public feeling locally.”

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  • March 12, 2015 at 11:07 am
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    Will Plymouth Architectural Society be pushing for compensation for the owners for the extra costs of maintaining a listed building? Or arguing for council tax increases so that the local council can help the owners maintain the building?

    It’s easy to ask for a building to be listed. It’s harder to come up with a long term package which is fair to the owners. Or don’t they have rights too?

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  • March 12, 2015 at 12:03 pm
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    Mow it down. Best get a some flats on there or a supermarket….

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