OLD buildings give Bromsgrove a special character. We need to fight to keep those that are left and one of the most important is the threatened Parkside Middle School, a landmark building at the entrance to the town.

There is no legal protection for Parkside, and its owners, the county council, could knock it down tomorrow. But they and Bromsgrove District Council should learn from mistakes - and successes - of the recent past.

During the past twenty years Bromsgrove has lost many of its most important, characterful and much loved public buildings: the Institute & School of Art and the Cottage Hospital in New Road (demolished, now flats), the Barnsley Hall water tower (demolished, now houses), the boot factory in Worcester Road (demolished, now flats) – all of which could have been converted for a continuing useful life.

In the same period we lost many of the large Victorian houses in New Road, replaced by blocks of flats. In the 1960s many attractive timber framed buildings and Georgian houses in the High Street were replaced by characterless modern blocks.

A few have been successfully refurbished for a new use: the old workhouse is now the smart Bartleet House, the old vicarage is now a nursing home, some Barnsley Hall buildings have been successfully converted, and the Mitre buildings were restored, as was Strand House for Thomas Horton’s. There is no reason why Parkside could not have new build behind its splendid façade to provide starter homes, smart apartments or offices.

We are told that there is a grand scheme for the revitalisation of Bromsgrove which depends upon Parkside being bulldozed.

We have not, in this age of consultation, been consulted about this part of the scheme, which apparently is to be imposed upon us without discussion, despite considerable opposition from townspeople. It might be convenient to use that site for fire engines, but is it right to take down a still useful and important building?

Jennie McGregor-Smith Caseworker, The Victorian Society