Eyesore of little use to anyone

I HAVE heard the debate about the "famed" Piano Building in Kidderm-inster, and the ongoing argument for a cinema.

Although I have lived in Kidderminster for 18 years, I had no idea where this building was, and I imagined an imposing structure.

This week I discovered where it is, and it's the eyesore next to the Tesco car park!

I have wondered why Tesco did not demolish the building when the site was developed and now I know why.

The Piano Building is an ugly, tatty and dilapidated mess. If the powers-that-be cause this building to survive, then it will remain an ugly, tatty and dilapidated mess because no-one will develop it at all.

Knock it down and let the people of Kidderminster have what they have waited too long for. This nonsense is pampering to a minority who are out of touch with the public.

STUART ARCH

Cardinal Drive

Kidderminster

AT the moment there is very little in Kiddermin-ster for the youth to do.

Surely a cinema would get them out of the pubs and off the streets.

The Piano Building is of little use to anyone, and it is an ugly building anyway.

Let us have some common sense.

A BURTON

Pineridge Drive

Kidderminster

WE can see the Piano Building from the back of our house and we would rather see an old structure than another new one.

MRS J SMITH

Park Lane

Kidderminster

I AM a student in Kidderminster, and am finishing my A-levels.

Although the Piano Building is part of Kidderminster's history I feel that like most buildings in this town, it is old, unused, dirty and ugly.

The Piano Building gives the people of Kiddermin-ster no use or promises.

Building a cinema in its place would be far more welcome and rewarding.

At the moment there is very little for the young to do in this town, and the expensive trek up to Merry Hill cannot be made every week.

A cinema would also provide employment.

The question for Kidderminster people is whether the Piano Building is really worth saving and I feel their answer will be to vote for the cinema, instead of letting historians dictate what is needed in our town.

For too long Kidderminster has been neglected. Why not do something positive to bring it back to life?

REBECCA MILLWARD

Dunnington Avenue

Kidderminster

I AM enclosing my voting form concerning the Piano Building, and am hoping that the vast majority will vote for its demolition.

Until the issue of the lack of a cinema arose once again most of the population had never heard of the Piano Building, or had forgotten it existed.

Also, despite its claimed value, it has, apparently, remained unoccupied for a long time.

I do not understand why it is continually called "historic".

Simply because it is over 100 years old does not automatically make it historic.

Again, just because the building was associated with the carpet industry does not make it "historic".

Nor because the powers-that-be decided to make it Grade II does this make it automatically "historic".

My late mother's house in Birmingham was made Grade II, we discovered in later years. On inquiry we found that it was not because the house was built in 1832, but because of some simple ornamental plastering on a couple of pillars on one wall.

MISS P COOPER

Neville Avenue

Kidderminster

PLEASE give us the cinema which is so desperately needed.

I believe the demolition of the Piano Building would be doing the residents of Kidderminster a great favour because, architecturally, it gives us nothing.

It appears to have obtained its heritage status on age alone, with no thought being given to its lack of aesthetic quality.

It certainly does not resemble a piano from the ground, and if people have to fly over it to admire its shape , then perhaps someone should organise helicopter trips.

As the town has sufficient residents for the upkeep of seven supermarkets, I am sure there would be ample support for one cinema

All I would ask is that if and when a cinema is finally built, it is more architecturally pleasing than the new college.

D BIRD

Shenstone

Kidderminster

OF course our heritage must be protected. Every penny spent on preserving Slingfield Mill for the future is well worth the time and effort. It is a beautiful building with a real and assured future.

However, in campaigning to preserve the so-called Piano Building the civic society is campaigning to preserve utterly useless rubbish.

A town is about its future as well as its past and the future of Kidderminster demands a new cinema and the Piano Building site is our best hope.

MIKE OBORSKI

Wyre Forest district councillor,

Osborne Close

Kidderminster