Listed status for former garage (From Worcester News)

Listed status for former garage

12:10pm Thursday 23rd February 2012 in News By Sarah Davies

A FORMER garage with a tower that features on Worcester’s skyline has been given listed status.

The 1930s H A Saunders building in Castle Street – now occupied by County Furnishings – has been designated grade two-listed by John Penrose, the Minister for Tourism and Heritage, on the advice of English Heritage.

It comes as a result of an English Heritage project to assess the impact of the car on the historic environment.

Worcester City Council has now informed the owners of the listing and is responsible for keeping records of it, advising on any repairs or changes and applying listed building regulations when dealing with any planning applications relating to it in future.

Councillor David Wilkinson, the city council’s historic environment and design champion, said: “This is a welcome development. We do not get new listings in Worcester very often.

“The city has many historic architectural landmarks and we are delighted English Heritage and the minister have recognised a more contemporary design which retains so many of its original and unusual features.”

Originally known as Austin House, built on the site of the county gaol, it was designed by celebrated Scottish architect John Carrick Stuart Soutar.

According to English Heritage, it combines modernism with restrained classical details, such as stone obelisks at each corner, drawing inspiration from contemporary buildings across Europe such as Stockholm City Hall, Hilversum City Hall in the Netherlands and Norwich City Hall.

The tower has a distinctive tapered outline of the tower with its copper roof and large clock face.

Its top is in a similar style to a number of other features in the city such as the top of Worcester College of Technology in Deansway.

Although some elements have been lost over time, including the petrol pumps and their canopy, the building retains many original structural elements and fittings.

It still has an inspection pit, a ramp connecting the garage to the showroom and the steps and decorative balustrade which mark an upper level to the showroom floor, as well as offices within the showroom and a repair shop with glass screens and half-glazed doors.