Sadness at demolition of a landmark church Historian and architect condemn loss of St Luke’s to housing scheme
TWO of Birmingham’s leading city experts in history and architecture have criticised the destruction of a landmark church.
Demolition crews are currently tearing down St Luke’s Church next to Bristol Street’s gateway junction with Belgrave Middleway
City historian Carl Chinn said he was “deeply saddened”.
And architect Joe Holyoak, who has campaigned to save local buildings designed by John Madin, as well as Moseley Road Baths, said it was “a fine piece of architecture”.
He also noted that Bristol Street had now been “stripped of its architecture on both sides.”
There has been a church on the site for 176 years since Harvey Eginton’s original Norman-style design was built in 1842.
Condemned in 1899 because of deteriorating stonework, the church was rebuilt in 1903 to a design by Mansell and Mansell of Temple Row, the team behind 44 Waterloo Street, now home to a Caffè Nero overlooking Birmingham Cathedral, and the Fattorini Works in the Jewellery Quarter.
But English Heritage couldn’t get a listing for St Luke’s which is a familiar site to thousands of passing motorists and bus users every day.
With Monaco House having already been demolished earlier this year closer to the city centre, it means another landmark from the city’s pioneering Superprix era (1986-90) has been lost.
The land around St Luke’s was bought by Barratt Homes for a major development project of homes and apartments.
Attempts to save the church by Save Britain’s Heritage, The Victorian Society and others fell on deaf ears.
In March this year we reported that the site had been earmarked for 778 homes.
In May it was confirmed there would be a mixture of 590 flats, 188 houses, 544 car parking spaces, and green spaces will be developed.
This will include almost 150 threebedroom houses in an unusual move for a city centre scheme.
Nine houses will have one bedroom, and 396 two-bedroom houses will be built.
Although 81 trees have or will be cut down, the plans show they would be replaced by 330 new ones.
Councillor Peter Douglas Osborn (Cons, Weoley) said: “This means we can start getting families living back in the city centre.”
And Cllr Keith Linnecor (Lab, Oscott) said: “It is sad to see the church going, we have kept far worse historic buildings.
“But we do need the homes for our residents.”
Cllr Gareth Moore (Cons, Erdington) said the offer of 544 car parking spaces – enough for about 70 per cent of the properties – was “fantastic”.
In May, Waheed Nazir, chief planning officer for the city council, said: “The improved mix of houses, flats, the on-site affordable housing and the additional green space included in the proposals is exactly the type of development that the city needs.”
The demolition of St Luke’s Church follows the loss of St Luke’s Primary School and Matthew Boulton College – which moved into the city centre some nine years ago.
But it’s the recent destruction of the Highgate Centre on St Luke’s Road which has angered Joe Holyoak even more than the loss of the church.
“The Highgate Centre could also have been converted to useful functions for the new residents and the existing residents,” he said.
“It had been the children’s emigration centre, from which hundreds of impoverished and/or orphaned children were sent to new lives in Canada, Australia and elsewhere, a really important part of social history.”