Caistor, Lincolnshire 2015 The inspiration for this book comes from seeing the untiring work my wife Shona and a local councillor, Michael Galligan, do behind the scenes to try to get empty properties that have been left to rot brought back into use or at least made presentable. 1
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Index Chapter 1 : Understanding the issue of Caistor’s empty buildings from the residents’
point of view.
Chapter 2 : Using the information in Chapter 1 to define the problem.
Chapter 3 : Selecting one building and considering possible uses for it.
Chapter 4 : Asking local residents for their feedback on potential uses and their validity
Chapter 5 : Reflecting on the findings of this report
©2015 Author Stewart Wall Level 4 Student University Centre Grimsby Design Project 1 Tutor Darren Capp
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“Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future.”
― Robert L. Peters
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Canadian Robert L. Peters is a designer born in the 1950s. In the 1970s he created a design company, focused on designs for the world.
He believes in keeping things simple, to resist the temptation to build mountains in the journey to get the job done.
I suspect he is thinking about the bureaucracy of administration often linked to councils and goverments that can appear to get in the way of progress.
Often we see the change of use of buildings hampered and stopped by disputes during the administrive process which means they are left empty and rapidly fall in disrepair. 5
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Large or small, regardless of size the only building for occupancy that is not normally considered for redevelopment for alternative use is a coffin. Most other things evolve over time waiting for new life that fits in with current trends and needs of the population.
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1 Understanding the issue of Caistor’s empty buildings from the residents’ point of view.
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“We need to understand what stands in the way of some of the most incredible space in the country being used and make things more flexible so that we can fill these buildings with artists, start-ups and other entrepreneurs to restore the buildings’ purpose and appeal. Through my Northern Futures initiative, I’m championing innovative ideas from people in the North to build a stronger economy and fairer society” Nick Clegg MP 2014
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Sometimes buildings that could evolve for new use are simply left empty. In this report I look at empty buildings in my home town of Caistor, Lincolnshire. There are empty buildings that are owned by private individuals, companies and local authorities. For example the buildings on the photograph were once used by West Lindsey District Council. Opened by Cllr JW Cousins JP, the then chairman of the council in 1964, it was abandoned at the turn of the century when the council moved to Gainsborough. The building on the right edge of the photograph previously housed the library. It was abandoned for another empty building in the town. Looking at both buildings from the outside you can see all sorts of potential uses, such as living accomodation. With the central government calling for new homes you could be excused for wondering why they have not evolved into such, yet they lay empty and possibly forgotten about. Caistor is a small community of just 1250 houses. Its history goes back a long way to Roman times and at one point it was a centre of power for a rural district council. This book looks at the issues created by empty buildings in the town.
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RHS Caistor In Bloom Over 50 years ago The Royal Horticultural Society introduced a national competition called “In Bloom� to pursuade communities to look after their environment. Caistor in Bloom is very concerned about the empty buildings locally. The group is very active and has won many awards for its involvement. In 2015, they gained 100% for community involvement. The images on the last page were taken when local residents, young and old, turned up at
the Town Hall to collect free daffodil bulbs so they could plant them locally in their own gardens and also around the town. When the subject of empty buildings was discussed at the event, many showed their concern. Despite their enjoyment of this community activity there was disappointment and frustration that the town had failed to win the recent In Bloom competition due to redundant buildings around the town, according to the judges in their report. 13
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The Deputy Mayor of Caistor (2015/16) Cllr Michael Galligan is heavily involved in both the council and Caistor’s In Bloom organisation. He is keen to see the empty buildings of the town re-energised. In the photograph on the left he is standing next to Westgate House, which dominates the road known as Plough Hill and is visible from the centre of the town, the Market Place. It has stood empty for nearly 40 years. The Caistor in Bloom group has existed for ten years. Every year they have done well in the competition and won overall in 2014. They hoped to do well again in 2015 but all their hard work was undermined by the fact that the empty buildings had not changed since the previous year. The RHS looks for the community to lobby for the development of empty buildings. In addition to planting and looking after the green areas of a community, it looks for an all encompassing approach to the way volunteers and residents look to improve their towns and villages.
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To begin to understand the problem of empty properties in Caistor, I arranged to spend a few hours walking around the small town with councillors Mike Galligan and Martin Sizer. Martin is also the town’s postmaster. They arrived with a list of prominent buildings that are currently standing empty, some of them for many years. As we walked around the area we came across some of the In Bloom volunteers who were working on the environment, weeding flower beds and planting new seeds etc. Phyllis Balmforth, 82, is a fine example of a volunteer. She lives near the doctor’s surgery. She has taken over responsibility for looking after a large flower bed. Visitors to the doctors, who are often stressed for obvious reasons, have reported how nice her work has been and how it helps them to relax a little.
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Despite all of Phyllis’s hard work though, standing in the background are the disused council offices and library, mentioned at the start of the book. As they slowly decay, they spoil to a certain level all of her achievements. 18
This issue is very real and one that demands more attention. To realise the full extent of things I decided to work off the Deputy Mayor’s list and to photograph all the empty buildings on it. I would do this on my own. Looking at signs such as this one in the old council offices, it could be argued that West Lindsey District Council has forgotten how long ago it gave up on the building. I decided that once I had photographed the buildings I would then look at the history of one of them to try to find out why it had been abandoned and what use it previously enjoyed. This might assist in developing plans for its future use. Times change and things go out of fashion, but they do come back in. Maybe some of the old uses could work once again.
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Westgate House Plough Hill The view from the centre of Caistor along Plough Hill is of Westgate House which dates back to the early 18th century. Currently privately owned by a Caistor resident who inherited the property. It has been empty for nearly 40 years and causes many disputes.
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The Former Co op This building was abandoned by Lincolnshire Co-operative five years ago in 2010 when they moved to new premises a few hundred yards away. The design and layout of the building can be seen in images that go back hundreds of years. It takes up 25% of the Market Place and many visitors remark on how it spoils the town centre. In 2015, the Co-op and the town council pooled resources for a ÂŁ25,000 feasibility study to look at possible future uses. 22
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The Former Council Depot Once used to park and maintain council bin lorries and other heavy duty vehicles used to maintain the roads, the next three pages are dedicated to images of this building. Social Housing Group Acis bought the premises for ÂŁ1 with a plan to redevelop the site into affordable housing, but local residents opposed it. The building is now a blot on the landscape.
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To Let To Let signs can be seen on many buidlings around the town. Some are still occupied but many are empty, their previous occupiers unable to make a living from the local residents.
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To Let
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To Let Empty since Caistor’s last butcher closed its doors in May 2015. The town once boasted five independent butchers.
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To Let Empty again The last few years have seen many businesses come and go at this premises including a saddlery and a florist
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Sold The Nat West bank, the last bank in Caistor, closed its doors in 2015. It was purchased at auction but currently stands empty.
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Forgotten The former council offices empty of people
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It’s been mentioned to me that there are a few individuals who have been working on the issue of empty buildings for a while. Roy Schofield MBE has been both a town and district councillor but it’s his work as an individual that has made massive changes in Caistor. In 2012 he was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to the town. Additionally he has received awards from the High Sherrif of Lincolnshire in 2011 and also the Town Council honoured him with a citizen’s award in 2010. He is described as “Working to achieve the long term economic sustainability of Caistor by preserving, restoring and enhancing the historical, architectural and cultural heritage of the town” http://www.roscho.co.uk/royschofield.htm In 2001 he gained initial funding from Heritage Lottery and other funding partners of £1.62 million with an additional funding of £270,000 coming from Lincolnshire County Council to redevelop the town centre. The funding financed a project referred to as Caistor Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) and focused on the most significant buildings in the heart of the town. The scheme proved highly successful and vastly improved many of the empty buildings at that time and many people have looked to Roy Schofield to apply for a THI2. I asked Roy for a comment and he drafted why he thought it was currently vital to get another project organised 42
Why is Caistor’s economy so vulnerable and what should be done about it ?
Caistor’s Economy
Caistor was for many years the administrative centre for the whole North Lincolnshire area and was head of a rural district, a county court district and also a petty sessional division, instituted in 1890. All births, deaths and marriages for the Great Grimsby, Caistor and Market Rasen Districts were registered in Caistor until 1936. Caistor Rural District Council had its offices in Caistor providing employment and supporting a whole range of shops and businesses. It was the biggest employer in the town with a chief executive officer and his staff running a wide range of services for the town and the district. Following local government re-organisation in 1974 Caistor RDC was abolished and the urban districts of Gainsborough and Market Rasen, together with rural districts of Caistor, Gainsborough and Welton were merged to create a new authority called West Lindsey District Council with its headquarters in Gainsborough, 27 miles away from Caistor. This was a devastating blow to Caistor’s economy from which it has never recovered. The growth of ‘out of town’ supermarkets has also contributed to the demise of the town although this situation was ameliorated to a limited extent by Lincolnshire Co-operative Society and its predecessor’s grocery store in the Market Place. The Caistor RDC council offices, council chamber and depot in Mill Lane still remain empty after more than 40 years !!! Surely it is time that situation was rectified and central government should bear its share of responsibility. No thought was given to the effect on 43
Caistor’s economy and had it not been for the Townscape Heritage Initiative, the Multi Use Centre and the Arts and Heritage Centre, the situation would be considerably worse than it is today.
What needs to be done ?
1. The old council offices and council chamber off Southdale and depot in Mill Lane should be demolished. They were built to a standard which is no longer acceptable today. The land occupied by them would become brownfield sites available for development. 2. Some years ago a planning application was approved for the old depot site but that development has never materialised. This site should be re-evaluated and made available for housing or commercial use. 3. The old council offices and council chamber are located next to Caistor Health Centre and that site could be used for extensions to the health centre or preferably build a new Medical Centre which would enable a better and greater range of services to be provided for a rising population. 4.
Another Townscape Heritage Initiative. Phase 1 was very successful but did not go far enough and lacked sufficient funding to complete the process. Phase 2 would enable other property owners within the designated area to apply for grants to help refurbish their properties.
The Project Would need support from the local member of parliament, N.H.S., Lincolnshire County Council, West Lindsey District Council and Caistor Town Council.
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Clear derelict and sub-standard empty buildings created as a consequence of local
government re-organisation in 1974 making it available for new investment in the town. •
Create employment during the design, development and construction phases, bringing money into the town.
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Provide a ‘state of the art’ medical centre which will bring major investment into the town. It will create new jobs, provide new services and reduce the number of hospital visits.
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Provide sites for housing and / or commercial use close to the town centre. A potential boost to the local economy.
• Encourage property owners in the town centre to improve their properties and use local builders / contractors to carry out the work. This will create more jobs and add value to properties in the town. Roy Schofield MBE 2014 In contrast to Roy’s approach to raising funds to deal with the whole town’s issue, another local resident, Rick Merrall, has been contacting local authorities. When I contacted him to ask his view he showed me a letter that he recently sent to local planning :“Dear Mr Gray, You may recall that I contacted you via email in July of this year to register my protest regarding Westgate House and 7 Plough Hill, both long-term empty properties. You kindly responded to the effect that my protest had been registered and, indeed, I am given to believe that WLDC may be moving towards applying a Compulsory Purchase Order with regards to Westgate House. I would be grateful if you could confirm whether 45
or not this is the case and also update me on what steps WLDC are currently taking with regard to returning 7 Plough Hill to use. This, however, brings me on to the topic of two other long-term disused sites within Caistor, one of which would appear to be the direct responsibility of West Lindsey District Council. In the first case, I would draw your attention to the old Council Depot site on Mill Lane. Although I am a relatively new resident of Caistor, I know that this site has been derelict for at least the 20 years in which I have been a visitor to the town and I am told that it is something like 41 years since the site became redundant. My understanding is that the site was sold to Acis some years ago and that they applied for planning permission to build a number of houses but lost interest when WLDC didn’t approve the housing density that they had proposed. The site has stood abandoned ever since with the building becoming increasingly derelict and the yard overgrown with weeds. In recent months, Acis have loaned part of the site to Caistor Town Council for use as a car park but this does not mitigate the unsightly nature of the site or the fact that it could be developed for more meaningful use. The other site to which I would draw your attention is that of the former WLDC offices and Council Chamber off Southdale and adjacent to the A46. I understand that the premises was abandoned some 12 years ago when WLDC relocated to Marshall’s Yard. The former Council Chamber became the Caistor Library and was then taken back by WLDC with a view to redeveloping the site. Since then, I have heard of no definitive plans for immediate redevelopment and the building remains unused. In the circumstance I describe, this site is very much in the purview of West Lindsey District Council and, whilst the buildings are not obviously derelict in appearance, it is, nonetheless, a site with no current utility. The issues here are clear. There is growing concern amongst Caistor residents over 46
unsightly and unused Grade 2 Listed residential properties in the heart of the town; over the disused Grade 2 Co-op building in the Market Place, located in a key position in a town which desperately needs to revive its commercial heart; over planning applications to build houses on greenfield sites which, historically, have been treasured by the people of Caistor as beauty spots, and over local authority plans to build nearly 600 new houses to satisfy supposed housing needs which will further erode the green and pleasant places which characterise Caistor. The Caistor in Bloom Group volunteers spend countless hours each year making the town a lovely place to live and to visit, only to be penalised by East Midlands in Bloom and Britain in Bloom judges for unsightly buildings and areas over which the group have no control. Whilst I wholeheartedly support West Lindsey District Council in its efforts to force the issue of Westgate House and, since my previous correspondence, hopefully that of 7 Plough Hill as well, I am concerned that pressure should also be brought to bear on Acis regarding the old Council Depot site and I am becoming increasingly concerned that WLDC is abandoning its principles regarding its own property, the former council offices. I would be very pleased if you would address these concerns for me and update me on the situation regarding all the issues which I have raised above. I look forward to hearing from you in due course.” Yours sincerely Rick Merrall
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2 Defining the issue of Caistor’s empty buildings from the residents’ point of view.
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Having photographed the buildings and held conversations with local residents it appears that they are concerned about the visual appearance of the area, the lack of housing and also the lack of job prospects. They see an empty factory unit as having potential to create much needed jobs or maybe low cost housing, for example. Most of the empty buildings are in the centre of the town which, whilst in the past was predominently lived in by traders who had their homes and shops there, is now more residential. Whilst the residents would love to see more shops returned, there is a reluctance shown as well in that some are concerned about increased noise which is understandable. Acis, who own the former council depot, wanted to redevelop the area a few years ago into low cost housing, maybe even social housing. The locals objected to this in case it “lowered� the status of their immediate neighbourhood. Large funding has helped redevelop the town previously and local residents are keen to see this done again. Overall local residents are concerned that their locality is slipping beyond repair in certain areas, a problem that might not go away in their lifetime.
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3 Select one building: The former Co-op and consider possible future uses for it.
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The layout of the buildings currently known as the former Co-op has not changed for over 100 years. The internet is full of images showing them over the years and featuring different shops.
As can be seen in the photograph above, they used to be individual shops with aother shop on the far right. This shop still exists but it too is empty. The owner would be quite happy to sell it but he does not 54
expect to sell whilst the rest of the buildings are empty and their future use is not known. Many of the images shown here have been sourced from a Facebook group called
Caistor Past and Present. The images clearly show how the local residents enjoy using the area known as The Market Place.
Alan Dennis is a local historian and is developing a website at www.caistor.co.uk which is still in its infancy but will in the future potentially become a major resource of images and facts.
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This diagram courtesy of Alan Dennis clearly shows how the Market Place was once the centre of trade in Caistor. Sadly in 2015 there are few businesses left. The internet and out of town businesses such as Sainsbury and Asda offering delivery services have played a major part of the decline. However, as can be seen on one of the images, left, there have always been visiting tradesmen to the area; this one from Moortown, a few miles away, in the early 1900s. The lack of local jobs have led to people travelling to work and then shopping in the towns they work in. 57
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The Market Place features as a backdrop to many local events, as seen on the last and this page. The image of the Christmas Tree (2014) proved very popular and was used by the local council as their Christmas Card and Sealord on their website. Sealord have a factory in Caistor and have supported the Christmas tree for the past 11 years with a hefty donation towards its cost. 59
The Former Co-op buildings and the associated buildings either side make up one side of the market place, i.e. 25%. It’s the most prominent side, as it’s at the top of the hill and two major roads look towards it.
Behind the facia, which is listed, there is a mix of buildings and rooms that are spread over three floors. Currently Cleethorpes-based Hodson Architects are undertaking a feasibility study into potential uses and at a recent meeting, Mark Hodson talked to a packed audience of local residents about his initial findings.
He reported on a building that has numerous areas in various states of disrepair but ones that he felt could be returned to use. Others felt that everything behind the facia could be bulldozed and a newbuild constructed.
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After Mark’s talk the attendees split into three groups which tried to think of commercial, community and residential uses for the site. Ideas ranged from a soft play area and community space for young people through to artists’ workshops and small shops. Museums and archive storage, business hub, live/work units, a cinema and health services such as a dentist and an optician were also suggested.
The museum idea was mentioned a number of times, where the frontage might become working heritage shops, a sign how much people value the past. 61
It’s amazing how many business have come and gone from the Market Place over the years. Local historian Alan Dennis thinks the number is well over 100. He has
started to collect some of the advertising material. Often the businesses carried the proprietor’s name and these names can
often be linked to established families from the area. Often the families have strong links to
farmers which probably accounts for the number of butchers, at one time there were five. In the past the farms would
employ a large number of workers who would make their way into the town to shop. 62
It’s from this massive list of various businesses that people felt a selection could be made to develop into a living museum of trade. Caistor already attracts many visitors from neighbouring counties for events like its open gardens but other than looking at the Georgian architecture, there is little more for them to do. Housing was another suggestion. Although there is a need for this in the area the idea of heritage was more welcome. A map showing some of the suggestions is below. The next stage in this process will be to gain feedback from residents not at the meeting.
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4 Feedback The Residents’ View?
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The images here show a feedback form that was created from the comments local residents have made. The forms were then given to a random set of people to complete and an analysis of their responses is on the page opposite.
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16 people filled in the forms over a period of three days. 4 were regular visitors and the other 12 have lived in the area for 275 years between them. The youngest is 10 and the oldest is 83, with ages spread evenly over the range.
The ideas that people liked and suggested include
Butcher, Baker, Haberdashery, Wool shop, Sheltered accommodation, starter homes, Roman finds, crafts, small workshops, small shops, nursery, information centre, exclusive restaurant, dentist, optician, chiropodist, podiatry clinic, solicitor, hardware shop, residential, pool and snooker room, youth hostel, swimming pool, dance and sports centre, soft play area and a cinema.
The forms showed people have some great ideas that are often related to the age group they are in and the things that maybe they need regularly and currently have to travel for.
It could be that with the amount of floor space many of the ideas could be accommodated.
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Running at the same time as this report has been created, the town council and Lincolnshire Co-operative have invested ÂŁ25,000 in a feasibility report from Hodson Architects based in Cleethorpes, run by Mark Hodson.The report has taken three months to complete and was co-ordinated by Heritage Lincolnshire. On December 3, 2015, Mark Hodson held the final of three meetings where the public were invited to come and listen. About 25 turned up. The building was described as a Grade 11 Listed Building which has parts dating back to 1750 and has been empty since the Co-op moved into a purpose built building off the High Street five years ago. Liz Bates, Chief Executive of Heritage Lincolnshire, suggested that the premises should be refered to as its address, thought to be numbers 2-4 Market Place in a move to think past its history.
Mark Hodson introduced his findings, something he described as Option 6. He said that the Co-op had moved as they were fighting constantly against the fabric 72
of the building which, whilst in a pretty poor state, does have much charm. He suggested that the left ground floor frontage be retained as a shop, maybe selling outdoor gear for example. He was keen to retain a section in the middle through which people could access the courtyard, linked to a lounge/meeting room.For the rest of the building, he suggested flexible spaces, maybe artists’ workshops and then three flats, five bed and breakfast rooms and four self catering holiday apartments. He reported that a business adviser had thought the cost of the suggested work to be in the region of £1.5 million.
He also confirmed the project potentially was viable. Liz Bates confirmed that they had approached possible funders, such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the signs were positive. The next step is to apply for a £10,000 start-up grant to draw up a viability appraisal document, which is needed to pursue further grants. She added that not all the funding could come from the Heritage Lottery Funding and there would also be something referred to as a “heritage deficit” which, depending on the valuation of the building, could be £600,000. She thought that the project might take up to four years to complete. 73
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5 Reflection Taking a View
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Chapter 1 of this report proved the most lengthy. I tried to get an understanding of the issue of empty buildings from the Caistor residents’ viewpoint.
I walked around the town with a couple of councillors and spoke to local residents that I saw working to better their environment.
I took photographs of a selection of the pivotal empty buildings, the ones that people had mentioned to me.
Chapter 2 proved quite short as I looked to define the actual issue.
In Chapter 3 I looked at one specific property, The Former Co-op, its history and possible future use for it. I created a mindmap and a feedback form.
In Chapter 4 I took the feedback form out to the community and asked a group of people to fill it in. I then analysed the information in an attempt to gain an understanding of what local residents would prefer to see happen.
In this chapter, I looked at all the information gained and reflected on it.
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Caistor from 200ft up
Images by former Mayor John Burns-Salmond
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As can be seen from the images on page 69, taken by former mayor John Burns-Salmond from 200 feet up as he decorated the town’s christmas tree, Caistor is a lovely sleepy Lincolnshire town set on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds with the Viking way passing through it.
Over the centuries it has not always embraced development and stopped the railway coming through the town. The Caistor Canal finishes three miles away and recently the town reacted negatively towards the building of a wind turbine in a remote field.
The residents do not often leave, with some families going back many generations. One firm Varlows, is reputed to be one of the oldest trading family firms in the country. The stonemasons has worked from the same 12ft square room since 1885.
This commitment to the area develops a strong sense of pride amongst many of the residents. Recently the local council and The Lincolnshire Co-op made available ÂŁ25,000 to pay Hodson Architects to carry out a feasibility study into what could be done with the empty building 78
that was up until five years ago (2010) occupied by The Lincolnshire Co-op.
Residents take great pride in the town and work via organisations such as the Caistor In Bloom Group (CIB).
CIB is part of the national Royal Horticultural Society which for over 50 years has run annual competitions recognising local volunteers. Caistor has had a high level of success. It would appear to be this level of commitment and pride that drives people forward to try to work towards full utilisation of the facilities and buildings around them.
There is a current trend towards volunteer and community activities and many people would like to see this reflected in the future use of buildings.
Despite the commitment, it’s hard to visualise actual change happening due to funds. There are only a few local businesses of size that could invest in the town. One such business is New Zealand owned Sealord, which invests thousands towards the town’s Christmas tree. Other donations towards this project enables the town to have a tree bigger than most other towns and even many cities.
If there were more businesses of Sealord’s size then the picture might be very different. Nearby Immingham, for example, has its port which, with its nearby neighbours Hull and Grimsby, make up one of the biggest ports in the world. 79
The investment from local businesses enables the Immingham In Bloom organisation to do a lot more than its Caistor counterpart.
The process followed in this book has proved interesting. With time and funding it would have been interesting to have delivered the feedback form to the whole town to hopefully gain a wider range of opinions.
Pop-up feedback stations could also have worked, eg a stand at the local Christmas Market. Asking the schools for pupil feedback would have been excellent. With the best will in the world, development projects take time to reach completion and current pupils may well be the ones to benefit from them. The Caistor Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) mentioned earlier took more than ten years to reach fruition for example.
I think the THI proved successful because it had one person heading it. Roy Schofield has had a lifetime of dealing with funding bodies etc, whether he and another person would step forward is unknown.
There is a heritage organisation looking at getting involved but unlike Roy they would possibly have other projects on the go and not be able to dedicate all their time to it.
Only time will tell.
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Š2015 Stewart Wall. The author retains the copyright and moral right to their work email : stewartwall@icloud.com Tel : 0795 512 4000 (uk) Publishers : The Former Fire Station 8 Mill Lane Caistor Lincolnshire LN7 6UA ISBN : N/A All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including recording, photocopying, or otherwise, without prior permission from the publisher.
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