| |
Church of the future
• ONE of the jewels in the lovely residential ward of Cantelowes is undoubtedly Camden Square.
St Paul’s church, which occupied the top of the square with a very large “footprint”, was bombed in World War II.
Currently, there is a modest and run-down prefab housing a community meeting space and chapel, serving a tiny congregation. The Church of England appears to have identified an attractive commercial opportunity to build on this site with a property developer a couple of dozen or more new apartments, as well as another community facility and tiny chapel. Variations on a speculative design done by one of the church’s congregation, an architect, have recently been on display and have caused considerable local concerns. What I’m hearing from the residents is a consensus view (though not universal) that such a trophy site could benefit from alternative design ideas and what’s proposed is, frankly, Lego-like. I observe that the CofE retains another church nearby, St Lukes in Oseney Crescent (built in 1909), less than half a kilometre to the west. Regrettably, while still as I understand it consecrated, it remains very firmly padlocked at all times, denied to the local community despite preservation orders on both its floor and stained glass window. Would it not be more sensible for the Church to do something to reopen that for worshipers and free up the Camden Square site for a truly inspirational building without limitations?
Isn’t this a fantastic opportunity for a creative competition, not least for the dozens of architects who live in the immediate environs?
CLLR Paul Braithwaite
Lib Dem, Cantelowes ward
|
 |
|
| |
