THE application for the demolition of the Piano Building has been well and truly condemned by CABE, the government-sponsored watchdog responsible for encouraging quality in architecture and building.

They have described the proposed replacement building as having a 'forbidding exterior presence' and of being 'insufficient quality to justify the demolition of the Piano building'.

They argue that the scheme ignores a crucial opportunity to capitalise on the strong relationship between the Piano building and neighbouring Slingfield Mill and the public spaces between them.

This area could form a new hub of activity to the town centre, mixing retail, housing and workspaces instead of yet another warehouse.

If the architecture of recent developments in the town is anything to go by we will soon have a town centre of warehouse buildings more suited to retail parks and wholly inappropriate to a historic town centre.

The town is not being well served by the current proposals.

At a time when every other town and city is revitalising its centre by re-using old industrial buildings to create vibrant mixed-use developments, the Kidderminster grandees seem happy to allow our heritage to be wiped away.

Kidderminster already lacks any buildings of genuine quality - to demolish one of the few is short- sighted at best.

Everyone in the town rightly wants a new cinema but a better alternative exists and should be used.

The zoning issue is a minor problem and can be very easily and quickly solved.

The use of the old B&Q site at Crossley park as a cinema could very easily be argued to follow the principles in all of the current guidelines for town centre redevelopment. It would just take the will of the developers and the planners.

If the criteria for demolishing a building is that the replacement must be of better quality and add to the long-term environment is followed, then CABE's advice must be heeded and the current application rejected.

MARK DORRIL

Pineridge Drive

Kidderminster