By Dave Gudgeon

Published at 13:41, Tuesday, 26 August 2008

CARLISLE’S fire station and a row of houses on Warwick Street that overlook it will not be listed, it can be revealed today.

Warwick Street: Modest in terms of architectural design

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has ruled that the buildings are not of “sufficient special architectural or historic interest to merit listing”.

Listed status protects buildings from the bulldozers and at one time people living and working in the Rickergate area feared they would lose their homes and businesses under Carlisle Renaissance.

One possible scheme envisaged much of that area being demolished and used for commercial purposes, including a luxury hotel.

The initial request to have the fire station, the houses in Warwick Street and others in the vicinity protected came from Liberal Democrat councillor Olwyn Luckley.

She said she was disappointed by the decision – but not altogether surprised.

She said: “I thought the fact that changes had been made to the fire station and the homes on Warwick Street had been modernised would have an effect.”

The decision not to list the fire station and homes in Warwick Street follows assessments by English Heritage’s Historic Buildings adviser Ken Robinson.

The reports state that the fire station is a particularly late example of a station constructed as part of a municipal building civic complex.

The building is functional in style and lacks the decorative quality found in some earlier examples of fire stations. It has undergone alteration and change of use to some of its uses.

It says the former fire station houses on Warwick Street are relatively modest in terms of architectural design and innovative use of materials.

Most have lost original features such as doors, windows, fireplaces and kitchens. They are neither exceptional nor outstanding examples of 20th century houses.

Mrs Luckley said: “I made the application on behalf of Carlisle and the people living in those homes and I don’t regret doing it. “I don’t want to see buildings in Carlisle lost if it is deemed that they have merit – that could be architectural, historical or social.”

Applications to ‘list’ other buildings within the Rickergate area, including the Civic Centre, the former police station and Adrianos’ restaurant, were also ruled against earlier this year.

Listed buildings are buildings of special historic or architectural interest, which have been recorded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Listed buildings: P16-17

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk