Nerve 24 - The Wellington Rooms - Why is this historic building rotting?

The Wellington Rooms - Why is this historic building rotting?

A billion pounds of European objective one funding has been sloshing around over recent decades, and while the city talks of regeneration, the Wellington Rooms, and many others, lay in a state of degeneration.

The Wellington Rooms were built in a bygone age of wigs, crinoline gowns, and candlelit taverns, in a Maritime City of tall masts, sailors, rope-makers and barrow boys. From an era of Liverpool's upward growth from humble beginnings, to Georgian gentrification and part of the city's height and prosperity, in the early 20th century.

Once described as a 'house of mirth and revelry', The Wellington Rooms were erected using funds raised by public subscription in 1815. The building was an adaptation of the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates of Athens, which was illustrated, in the influential publication, by Stuart and Revelt, entitled Antiquities of Athens.

It had a ballroom of some 80ft by 40ft, and card and supper rooms, and was thought to have been frequented by the upper classes, at subscription events, assemblies and occasional fancy dress ball.

I grew up with The "Welly" being known as The Irish Centre in the 70s and 80s, and ignorant of the facts relating to the buildings history, dating back to the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's defeat, by the then axis powers, under the leadership of the Duke of Wellington.

In 2008 I highlighted its plight in a walkabout for the then Daily Post pleading for the Liberal Democrat Council to save it. There were some ghastly plans put forward to develop it, by sticking an, out of keeping, Rubik cube sort of extension at the rear. The plans looked more like a sketch on the back of a jerry-builders ciggy packet than a professionals work; thankfully they were rejected amid controversy.

Nothing has been done to stop the rot, and it's still in peril, the deterioration seems to have been helped by the lead on the roof going missing. What state inside the plasterwork and its Adams style frieze?

Over the road, on Hope Street, they throw a £22 million grant at the demolition of the Everyman, culling it, with history bleeding out of its walls. They then build a replica in its place, whether that will prove successful time will tell. Once you lose your history it's gone forever. This is the city that knocked down the Cavern Club, then called itself Beatle Town.

Next to this historic building, and with European funding, an extension was built on Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral. This Oscar Niemeyer Basilica de Brasilia copy, daubed "Paddy's Wigwam", by the effervescent card carrying communist, Arthur Dooley, now stands proud while the wonderful little Georgian gem, lies there, rotting, a forlorn looking Mausoleum to itself.

The Wellington Rooms have been on the English Heritage 'At Risk Register', for as long, as I can remember and it is Grade II listed. EH should be ashamed of themselves, because Liverpool has a record for not looking after its Georgiana. Though asking English Heritage to protect it, with our planning department, that in my opinion, is a law unto itself, is like asking my mouse to look after my cat. With an ineffectual conservation office we don't stand a chance.

2008 may have turned the nation's perception of my city, but being European Capital of Culture was also a curse, as it turned into a culture of capital feeding frenzy, where property developers were helped to do the ordinary and the more difficult had to wait, almost in line, to fall down.

This great city has areas such as Duke Street, with its swathes of beautiful simple three storey Georgian terraces, that now look alien in their own environment, after modern pastiche, or inferior designed student flats have been thrown up.

What chance of this council, under a Labour administration, of turning the tide of humiliation to our Georgian stock. There may be developers crawling over it now. But beware, look at the mess the council made with St Andrews Church on Rodney Street after, it was reported, it was offloaded by the city council for a quid to a convicted fraudster.

We have to move on but our history is our future. Look to the restoration of Seymour Terrace, they certainly did a good job there; it can be done!

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