Show your talons and save ‘the Eagle’

IT WAS alarming to read in the article by Katie Morgan (Post, September 5) that there is the possibility that Eagle House in Port Talbot could be demolished.

The town has lost so many of its historically important buildings in the past few years that this is probably the last remaining example of significance. The background information by Cllr Sean Pursey makes this point specifically and many residents of a certain age will best remember the building as being the offices of local estate agent John D Wood.

Understandably the Glamorgangwent Archaeological Trust has no objection to demolition since this is not really an archaeological issue, but one of architectural merit which would be better answered by Cadw. It is remarkable that there seems to be no ‘listing’ for this building.

There have been other losses of historical buildings along this section of Station Road over time; the Victorian Police Station, General Post Office, Port Talbot Harbour & Railway Offices, Custom House and Alexandria Buildings.

It seems rather strange that only a stone’s throw away the much younger Plaza cinema has had millions of pounds spent on restoration (albeit just the façade) yet the older and more impressive Eagle House is seen as not worthy of such attention.

Developers are all too quick to use the excuse that the building would be difficult to adapt etc, etc. This just shows a lack of imagination and a desire to take the cheaper, more profitable route of total erasure.

In respect to the clearance of Alexandria Buildings the façade could easily have been reworked and retained but it would have cost around £750,000 pounds to do this. I would argue that this was not a considerable sum in the overall cost of the project.

Were Eagle House in a small town in the Cotswolds of other village in rural England then it would be retained and cherished.

All too often the industrial towns and cities of Wales stand blithely by and see the wrecking ball expunge their historical built heritage.

Come on Port Talbot, bare your talons and save ‘the Eagle’.

Keith Tucker via email