Landmarks make Newcastle Borough Council's protected list
A TELEPHONE box, a bus shelter and an old-fashioned finger post have been singled out for protection from developers.
They are among 12 'windows to the past' being added to Newcastle Borough Council's Register of Locally Important Buildings and Structures.
Other landmarks making it on to the register include a field, several chapels and a pub.
Officials ran the rule over 46 nominations before whittling them down to 12 for councillors to add to the register, first drawn up in 2010.
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It already includes structures such as the post box at the junction of Chapel Street and Albert Street, in Bignall End, two war shelters at Keele University and the public toilets in Merrial Street, Newcastle.
And from next week, landmarks including the telephone box and post box in Alsagers Bank, the Nook and View Fields in Madeley, Shraley Brook Chapel in Halmerend and an old-fashioned bus shelter and finger post – a pole with arms or 'fingers' pointing to the direction of place names – in Bignall End, will join them on the protected list.
Protection means that any developers seeking to bulldoze them for building projects would need to seek special permission from the authority before the work could go ahead.
Carl Smith, aged 45, landlord of the Gresley Arms pub, in Alsagers Bank, below, which is next to the telephone box and post box, said: "I'm quite surprised about the telephone box.
"It isn't one of the old fashioned ones, it is a modern stainless steel one.
"But there's not much in the village, no shops left and there's a lot of old people who maybe don't use mobile phones. Perhaps that is why it is protected.
"The post box is one of the old red ones."
Kelvin Chell, aged 55, of Bignall End, said: "The brick bus shelter at the bottom of the road on Wood Lane must have been there for donkey's years.
"I don't even think a bus stops there anymore.
"But these sort of things are a window to the past."
In Madeley, as well as the Nook and View Fields, the Old Vicarage in Vicarage Lane, number 1 and 2 Castle Lane, and the School House in Newcastle Road are all being added to the protected register.
Joan Hedley, aged 64, of Cherry Hill, Madeley, said: "There's a path through the fields and people walk their dogs there and children play.
"The Vicarage was made into flats, but it is a nice building."
Newcastle Mayor, Councillor David Becket, who represents Halmerend on the borough council, said: "This is not the first time a telephone box has been protected. There's a telephone box in Betley which is protected, while another in Scot Hay has been taken over by the parish council.
"Having seen the support to retain the ones in Betley and Scot Hay, I'm not surprised the telephone box in Alsagers Bank has been nominated.
"What the council is trying to do is preserve part of the village environment. These type of structures mark living symbols of the past.
"Shraley Brook Chapel is now a private house, but it has been tastefully done.
"Scot Hay Chapel, which is also nominated for inclusion on the register, has been converted to a private house.
"I think these sort of buildings do need protection.
"The register is not in the same class as a listed building, but it does provide some protection."
Comments
by gormhenghast
Friday, October 19 2012, 9:49AM
“If you cant look after and celebrate your heritage why moan about open casts, you want to take a look in Audley Church where the imported twits of Chesterton and Knutton are, how can you put it in easy terms to understand? Disassembling a 1000 years of heritage, its become an obstacle course football pitch, a place to burn those nicked plastic bins in. And these kids are the future custodians of this planet? Obviously the pill condoms and abortions have failed BIG STYLE.
The humorous side is that some may get hurt or maimed whilst on the current locally provided high for said twits "veterinary ketamine", perhaps we have a few that would chance their arm at something higher say the church tower or even the Telecom mast across at the Community Centre. Then and only then will the parents who drop their kids off, the neurotic teenage divas that scream and friends will truly understand what one function of a Church IS.
The other humorous part is that the Police, the Vicar and local Councillors cannot do a thing about it, nor are they being bothered to move them on, which does not suit the only business in the village that purports to be "youth orientated", only if its at a "profit" of course. New term "Corporate NIMBYISM".
Finally back to the heritage, well done for once Newcastle Borough Council, its appreciated, some of us anoraks are well pleased.”
by Snaggletoooth
Thursday, October 18 2012, 6:39PM
“If Newcastle Council really cared about Bignall End they'd find a way to stop the proposed massive opencast coal mining that's going to tear the whole area apart from Deans Lane down to the A500...”
by doubty
Thursday, October 18 2012, 1:56PM
“Kenny 95, the caption says its a phone box.”
by Kenny95
Thursday, October 18 2012, 1:27PM
“@ doubty, the second picture is of a post box”
by Notanumber
Thursday, October 18 2012, 1:12PM
“Joan Hedley, aged 64, of Cherry Hill, Madeley, said: "There's a path through the fields and people walk their dogs there and children play............ What?
Anyway, there is also a grade 2 listed boathouse on Madeley's 'other pool' that has been vandalised by some of the idiots in the village and when I say vandalised I should say wrecked! Where and how was the grade listing on this structure able to prevent this? It was reported some years ago by myself followed by no action whatsoever.
Just another tick, just another box, just another wasted day. Pointless job creationism if you ask me.”
by camband
Thursday, October 18 2012, 12:12PM
“Where's the Editor? -you ask. He's at the Sixth Form College and has the Headmaster by the throat.”
by doubty
Thursday, October 18 2012, 11:25AM
“I take it the reporter has never used a phone box or post box, and therefore cannot tell the difference. Jeez, it's every story now. Wheres the editor?”