 | Royal Leamington Spa Building Conservation Trust |
| This page is part of the archive of community profiles and was written in August 2003.
The featured community group for August is the Royal Leamington Spa Building Conservation Trust. Established in 1996, the Trust now has about 80 members and a managing committee of trustees and non-trustee advisors.
Jane Thompson, the chairman for 2003/4 outlined the main purpose of the group as a trust for the conservation and restoration of local historic buildings at risk from neglect or redundancy.
"We are one of over 230 Building Preservation Trusts that have been established in the UK since 1929 as “restorers of last resort”. The Trust operates a revolving fund to cover the cost of buying and repairing a building with the aid of grants and low interest loans from the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Heritage Lottery Fund and other national charities. The building is then re-sold and surplus funds are put towards the next project."
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|  A recent achievement of the Trust was the restoration and conversion of 4 & 6 Clemens Street over two years. Nos 4 & 6 Clemens Street were part of one of the original bath houses of Leamington. They were built c 1817: No 6 was an assembly room, called the Apollo Rooms & No 4 was ancillary accommodation. After the baths closed the buildings were converted to other uses and were latterly shops.
 Nos 4 & 6 were bought in a derelict and run-down condition by RLSBCT in September 2000 and restoration work was started in March 2001.
The façade and original roof lights of No 6 were restored and the buildings were converted into offices and meeting rooms. The restoration work was completed in February 2002 and in July 2002 Nos 4 & 6 were sold to Regensis. |
| "Having completed and sold Nos 4 & 6 Clemens Street, the Trust is currently working to identify a second building to restore," says Jane. "It must be in or around Leamington Spa; of architectural and historical interest; and in poor repair or facing an uncertain future.
"A number of potential candidates have been identified but we always welcome suggestions about buildings from members of the public."
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|  Membership of the Trust includes a programme of events. "We recently visited Guys Cliffe and in the autumn will be going to the Avoncroft Museum of Buildings near Bromsgrove," said Jane. "Over the winter we will be making a private visit to the newly-refurbished County Record Office in Warwick and in the spring will be having a guided tour of Leamington, looking at the architectural heritage of the town."
When the Trust's next project is underway, members will be able to visit the building before work starts and after completion. Members of the RLSBCT are kept in touch with the Trust’s schemes by Newsletter. |
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To find out more about the work of the Trust and how to join visit their website at warkcom.net/rlsbct
or contact Jane Thompson on 01926 335626, email rlsbct@btopenworld.com
More information about preservation trusts can be found on the Association of Preservation Trusts website www.heritage.co.uk/apt
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