Forum Topic

Piano Museum Church: to be demolished?

Although I must admit that I have only been inside the Piano Museum once...and once attended a church service there in the 1950's (?).. I have always acknowledged that THE CHURCH is positioned in a very prominent spot overlooking the Thames. There is an "elbow" bend in the River at this point..and with ones back to the Church a great view down the Thames can be seen. Is this Classic Brentford Building to be demolished in the near future?  I think that the new developments from the Church towards Kew Bridge are third rate in appearance...including the Travel Inn...so if the Brentford Church is to be demolished and new ugle structure erected in its place..I think its about time this Forums activists got going!

Jim Lawes ● 7689d23 Comments

The Church looks the most solidly built structure on that stretch of road. Everything else looks as if a good gust of wind would knock it down.

Andy Jones ● 7015d

The new building is expected to be handed over circa end May when moving of museum content will begin and expected to finish 2-3 months later. Then the church will be empty.We have not had notification of the Planning Inspectorate (PI) date of appeal - yes folks Barratt have appealed - as yet. We were expecting it before now.So the fight isn't over but it is now in the hands of the PI and we have lodged our request to speak at the appeal, along with a request for the PI to do a site visit to see for themselves whether this piece of history should go.The long and short of it is the Barratt planning application to demolish was based upon the structure being unsafe and unable to sustain redevelopment into apartments using the current shell. HOWEVER their structural survey never included ladders or scaffolding - it was all done by looking up from the floor inside and out - hardly a determined effort.I'll put up some images on our web site later this week so you can see it from the inside as well - only one image but it will give you an idea.

Stephen Browne ● 7023d

Barry;I don't have up to date news about activities at the Church...but I would imagine that the Museum members are still busy making and packing crates to transport the delicate exhibits...along the road.    Photos on their website:http://www.musicalmuseum.co.uk/november2005.html

Jim Lawes ● 7023d

Has there been any restoration of the church or put to good use yet?

Ian Roberts ● 7023d

Congratulations all round Stephen! But there's always a next time ... We have to keep on our toes to preserve heritage, there's always another try at it later. If there was some mechanism whereby the Council could make some sort of preservation order/obligation to maintain, that would help enormously.

Nigel Moore ● 7462d

In what can only be described as a victory for common sense, the SDC rejected the planning application to demolish St George's Church tonight.It appears Brentford will not be deprived of some of it's important history after all.Horay - yippee - bells and much fanfair!Merry Christmas Hounslow Council !

Stephen Browne ● 7462d

"This raises moral and historical issues...some of the families represented there may live in Brentford to this day."Very True! But do Lampton Road really care?

Paul Allen ● 7466d

Here is a link to today's newspaper article in the BC&I Timeshttp://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/newsbct/display.var.553608.0.carpark_plan_for_burial_site.php

Stephen Browne ● 7466d

StephenDid you click on the link in my last post? it was a discussion on this subject back in 2002 on the Chiswick forum.Below is one of my posts from it.Its a crying shame about St Georges Church. Our family has a personal reason for keeping St Georges just were it is, as my Grandmother married my Grandfather in that church on the 25/12/1919, yes Christmas Day and went on to live in Netley Road. It looks like they want to create the same destruction to that area of Brentford as they did in the early sixtys in the name of progress. What Progress! just a fat profit for Barrats, who should be ploughing some of that profit back into restoring St Georges and keeping a part of old Brentford for all to see in the future. 

Paul Allen ● 7467d

Here are the contact details for the council meeting off the Hounslow web site:================================Information about this CommitteeThe Sustainable Development Committee considers policy on planning, development and environmental issues of a boroughwide or regional significance. It determines planning applications for developments involving 10 or more residential dwellings or over 1,000 sq. metres of commercial floorspace. Planning applications below this threshold are considered by the relevant Area Planning Committee.The Chair of the Committee is Mohinder Gill. Other members are Felicity Barwood, Raj Bath, Gopal Dhillon, Colin Driscoll, Genevieve Hibbs, Peter Hills, Digby Jacks, Barbara Reid, Corinna Smart, Peter Thompson, Jiwan Virk and Bob WhatleyIf you would like further information please phone Mike Smith, the Committee Administrator, on 020 8583 2069, e-mail mike.smith@hounslow.gov.ukEmail of the Chair of the meeting: mohinder.gill@hounslow.gov.uk A link to the meeting agenda (see item 7)http://213.210.33.3/ieListDocuments.asp?CommitteeId=212&CF=Sustainable+Development+Committee&MeetingId=2558&DF=14/12/2004&Ver=4

Stephen Browne ● 7467d

Forgive me I didn’t know of this thread when I started up another today – ‘Save St George’s Church’. Having read through I’ve picked some selections from this thread I offer some comments:===Paul Allen 08/05/04 19:01:00Regarding the people buying property in Brentford today, that’s probably the extent there willing to contribute, I doubt they will play a part in the community, but I hope to be prove wrong on that point. ===Not all Paul. I am one of the ‘new’ citizens of Brentford. When I bought into the place it had some historic buildings dotted about, and I for one don’t see the need to demolish buildings like St George’s Church for a paltry 19 apartments, given the scale of new developments around the area. Brownfield sites are OK, but historic, developers stay away! That aside, ask Nigel Moore if we have helped since moving in – we were down on the Thames getting our feet muddy on the day of the clean up 16 October.===Jim Lawes 08/05/04 20:17:00The Travel Lodge building gets 0/10 for beauty in my reckoning...and I can't believe that its appearance was sanctioned. Did it get planning permission? If so who gave it.,,,someone from Feltham? (sorry)===Jim, it was approved by head of planning Paul Draper, who has now recommended the plan to demolish the church goes ahead.===Gerry Tan 09/05/04 10:01:00I often wonder why OUR municipal townplanners and architects get it so wrong.  Surely they must have some qualifications and aesthetic nous when charged with the responsibility of shaping OUR landscapes. What they're giving us these days is architectural tat, which blights our neighbourhoods for decades - long after they've gone.===As for that if you look at http://www.culture.gov.uk/global/publications/archive_2004/govt_resp_hburCm6420.htm you will see new guidelines recommending town planners go on courses to consider heritage properties in a more informed manner than is currently done.===Jim Lawes 12/05/04 00:27:00Oh dear...I've just seen the "partial demolition" announcement on this site's front page!! Bye bye Brentford!===Not if you stand up for keeping Brentford’s history. Go to the meeting or register your protest to the planning committee in writing. PLEASE DO EITHER.

Stephen Browne ● 7467d

2002 Discussion Thread Here

Paul Allen ● 7467d

N/M

Paul Allen ● 7467d