Cannock Ivy House meeting fury as council stays away
Campaigners fighting to save an historic building from demolition dubbed a public meeting over its future a 'farce' after councillors snubbed the summit.
Residents are urging Staffordshire County Council to retain the 143-year-old Ivy House in Cannock, which will be knocked down and replaced with 16 homes under plans.
They turned up at a meeting organised by developers last night armed with a 1,300-name petition against the proposals but were angered as county councillors did not attend.
The authority has agreed to sell the building to developer Wrekin Housing Trust, which wants to pull it down and replace it with 12 affordable homes and four apartments.
Around 20 campaigners turned up at Cannock's Civic Centre to discuss the controversial plans for the former workhouse and maternity hospital – which will be submitted in a planning application next month – at the hour-long meeting.
Addressing the developers, Margaret Price, aged 68, of Wolverhampton Road in Cannock, said: "You are not the people we want to be talking to – we have all been under the impression that our county councillors would be here.
"I am sorry, but at the moment until we can talk to our council representatives I don't have anything to say about your plans for the site.
"This will not go down well with anyone here – we want our councillors here."
Gillian Roden, aged 69, of Clifton Avenue, said: "Where are they? This is a farce."
Elaine Lydall, aged 61, of Wolverhampton Road, said: "We have got over 1,300 signatures to a petition – there are few here, but we are talking on their behalf tonight.
"Our council is not big enough to ignore us, it is making a big mistake. This building means so much to people in this town, we cannot let it be sold off in this way."
Under the housing trust's plan, the building will make way for homes which will be linked to a new health park already under development at nearby Langbourn House.
Tony Bunney, development manager for Galliford Try, which will be working in partnership with Wrekin Housing Trust, said: "The point of tonight was to put these proposals to you and get your comments. Wether Ivy House should remain is an issue to raise with the county council."
Asked if the building could be retained and converted into homes, Wrekin Housing Trust development manager Karen Lloyd said it was not financially viable.
Earlier this year, Staffordshire County Council revealed Ivy House was costing £100,000 a year to maintain.
