Westmoreland House

Westmoreland House in 2006, with the Carriage Works next door to the right.

Westmoreland House is an abandoned building at Nos. 104–106 Stokes Croft, Bristol, next door to the Carriage Works.

The building was opened in January 1966 by Lady Westmorland (wife of David Fane, 15th Earl of Westmorland) which it was named after. It was built to house the headquarters of the Spastics League Club, a bonus scheme affiliated with the Spastics Society where members could receive weekly gifts.[1] The club and headquarters closed in 1982 after they were unable to pay a £250,000 tax bill, and the building has not been legally occupied since.[2]

Since the closure of the Spastics League Club, Westmoreland House has become increasingly derelict and a popular place for graffiti artists to display artwork.[3] This has led to English Heritage classifying the whole Stokes Croft conservation area "at risk".[4] The premises was bought by Comer Homes for redevelopment in 1989, but plans stalled after they were unable to agree with the city council on how to proceed. The building was planned to be redeveloped by the South West Regional Development Agency, but plans were cancelled in 2009 following budget cuts.[5]

In 2014, the Mayor of Bristol announced Westmoreland House would be demolished, while the neighbouring Carriage Works would be spared and turned into flats as it is a Grade II listed building. Local residents, who enjoy the diversity and anticommercial nature of Stokes Croft were unimpressed with the plans and hoped something more insipring could be designed. Campaign material against the redevelopment was posted to the front of Westmoreland House, including a hand-painted sign on the former main entrance that reads "No to luxury flats – yes to affordable homes"[4]

References

  1. ↑ "League Get A New Home". Bristol Post. 15 January 1966. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  2. ↑ "Bristol eyesore Westmoreland House in Stokes Croft should be demolished, says mayor". Bristol Post. 17 February 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "Tell us your stories of city eyesore Westmoreland House". Bristol Post. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Bristol's Stokes Croft: Battle over 'home' of Banksy". BBC News. 8 April 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  5. ↑ "What next for Westmoreland House?". BBC News. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2016.

External links

Coordinates: 51°27′50″N 2°35′22″W / 51.4639°N 2.5894°W / 51.4639; -2.5894

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