THE stay of execution given to Battenhall Lodge by Worcester city councillors is a rare reason to smile in an unsurprisingly difficult week.

In the hope that it would stem opposition, the architect whose client aims to demolish the turn-of-the-century building had already been told once to think again when the issue reached the Guildhall agenda this week.

We're not surprised that architect Simon Marson was keen to persuade protesters that the detail in his redesign - as well as the more fundamental changes - would make it at home in what is, after all, one of the city's most impressive residential areas.

Despite cutting the number of flats and adding to parking spaces, the changes didn't wash with them any more than the plans which had incurred their wrath in the first place.

If the views of resident Ann Stallard are common, their cynical belief is that he was expecting them to be swayed by "Victorian trimmings".

If so, he couldn't have been further from the truth.

We have no axe to grind with Mr Marson. He's working to a brief.

But we won't hide our joy that protesters have won the day so far, or be slow to applaud development services director Stuart McNidder for insisting that the building's rising damp problem shouldn't also mean a death sentence.

We make no apologies for saying that too many worthy buildings have been wiped from Worcester's streetscape by planners over the years.

It's a subjective issue, we know. But, while some may argue that the post-war instinct to start afresh can explain why so many gems were lost in the 50s and 60s, modern renovation techniques and nostalgic sensitivities mean there's no excuse now.

The Battenhall Lodge decision has come down to proper values - heritage, history, style, content and appeal. That's the way it should be.