The increasingly bitter dispute between Herefordshire Council and the Stronger Hereford Board over the £8.4 million Shire Hall funding risks becoming Hereford’s own Great Schism.
So why not step back from the entrenched positions and ask a simple question: what is actually best for Hereford?
A friend suggested that Shire Hall’s great redeeming feature is its magnificent 1815 hexastyle Doric portico, designed by Robert Smirke.
A bold modernistic style for its time.
If that is the architectural treasure we most need to preserve, why not challenge the architectural profession to show us what can be achieved?
Invite competing proposals for two options:
- Preserve the portico but replace the failing building behind it, a cost-effective 21C solution blending heritage with modernity, designed around modern needs, technology, accessibility and sustainability.
- Retain and adapt the existing building, preserving the portico while upgrading the structure and accommodation to modern standards.
Both proposals should be independently costed and assessed against the same criteria: construction and maintenance costs, energy efficiency, accessibility, functionality and the ability to meet future needs.
The real question is not whether we value Shire Hall’s heritage. We clearly do.
The question is whether preserving the entire existing building is the best way to preserve that heritage.
Why not let architects demonstrate the possibilities, let the public see the evidence, and let taxpayers have a say?
Preserve what is exceptional. Compare the alternatives.
Then let evidence—and the people of Hereford—decide.
Brian Organ
Sutton St Nicholas
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