Historic York garage and former aircraft factory set to be demolished
The former Reynards Garage on Piccadilly is set to be demolished, despite its unique role in 20th century York history.
Council officers say the building has degraded to such a point that it is a danger to the public and should be pulled down.
In a report to the City of York Council executive meeting on June 25, Ian Floyd, director of customer and business support, writes:
First premises of Airspeed
Although now forlorn and derelict, the Reynard’s Garage building played an important role in York’s heritage.
Built in 1921 as a bus and trolley shed, it was leased ten years later to Airspeed Ltd.
This was the aircraft manufacturing company founded by Nevil Shute Norway (later the novelist Nevil Shute).
The factory made the Tern glider and Ferry passenger aircraft. The Courier was also designed here before the company moved to Portsmouth in 1933 after York failed to set up a municipal aerodrome.
Reynards Garage is included on the York Local List, the register of buildings that are of importance and interest because of their historic or architectural interest.
The list says it should be preserved
‘Should be retained’
When then council leader James Alexander tweeted out that the building should make way for a hotel in November 2013, York historian and conservationist Alison Sinclair challenged the view in YorkMix.
She wrote
Located in Piccadilly, it also has significance as a structure indicative of the creation of a new street in the medieval city in the early years of the twentieth century.
Most significantly, it has the completely unlikely distinction of being the original factory of the Airspeed aircraft manufacturer, founded by Nevile Shute.
Given these attributes, and in line with good conservation principles, the old garage should be retained and redeveloped.
Air museum plan
Ian Reed of the Yorkshire Air Museum wanted to turn Reynard’s Garage into a new attraction for York.
In December 2013, he wrote on YorkMix:
Airspeed is York story. It is not another generic attraction but a unique York idea and builds upon the strong York brand.
It is a marketing dream.
In a pitiful state
The historic building has been allowed to fall into such a state of disrepair that, the council says, “it would have to be virtually rebuilt if it was ever to be used again”.
The report to the council executive offers these options:
Option 1: Apply for planning permission to demolish the building at an estimated cost of £100,000-£135,000, to remove any health and safety risk.
Option 2: Carry out emergency structural reinforcement to the building, at an estimated minimum cost of £95,000, to prevent a potential collapse of the building. “The cost of these works could escalate significantly as the work commences as new structural issues may be encountered,” the report says.
The old garage is in a Conservation Area.Historic England – the government service for “championing England’s heritage” – says it has been “identified as a building of merit”.
However the building was not listed because, Historic England says,
Lack of physical evidence: the use of the building as the start-up premises of Airspeed, and its association with individuals including Cobham, Tiltman and Shute (significant in the 1930’s development of the British aviation industry) has left no significant identifiable evidence within the building
The council says another report will be submitted later in the year “setting out the work undertaken to assess a future regeneration of the wider area so that an appropriate future use for this site can be identified”.
No doubt the mafia will get some kick back from what ever happens to the site. Barbican swimming pool springs to mind. What happened to that and the chain that was supposed to develop that site. Loss of a great swimming pool
Good ..it’s an eye-sore. Just hope what replaces it looks okay.
I’m not familiar with this building but I really hope a more imaginative solution than demolition can be found. The air museum idea seemed well thought-out and what a venue that would have provided for things like Art Deco fairs. Newcastle managed to save Robert Stephenson’s original works so I really hope York will do the same for Neville Shute’s.
It’s an abomination!
I’ll be sad to see this go, photographed it back in 2002 and always wondered what the history if the place was, as my first thought of ‘tram shed’ was unfounded.
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Should have been kept as a museum.
About time, bloody mess
To make way for more student housing I bet…..
Typical of the council I’m afraid never think about making new good interesting venues only more pubs and bars. Destruction is their creed like putting all those houses over Fulford battle field and now this…
Very sad
Shame! We are loosing pieces of york history bit by bit. One day there will be nothing left, just concrete hotels without soul… it seems to be the way. Leave the building become derelict, then knock it down in the name of safety and sell the land to a hotel company… sad!
They should have gone through with the air museum idea as I like this building and it looks right where it is but they are stupid and do not think about roads but about electrical bins instead and I am 16 and do not even know how to drive…
I work for an Architectural practice just outside York. We have so many old industrial and agricultural buildings just like this that we have saved and continue to breathe new life into. It is not uneconomical, it is not too late and it is not good planning.
This building can and should be retained, not just for its history, not just because it looks pretty to some, but because it will prevent the urban density of Piccadilly and York from increasing significantly yet further, Piccadilly is already a very uncomfortable street space to inhabit, further development and density will only increase that discomfort, and therefore impact on the public health of inhabitants, whether residents, employees or those at leisure.
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Rave warehouse!
Nothing to do with the fact that some developer will want it out of the way, it’s actually a pretty building, it’s just unkept, it’ll be a shame to see it go
Sad
Best when it was megazone, had loads of good times in there
This needs to be a dark and dirty music venue.
What about the fact I OWNED everyone when i played laser quest there? The people need to know.
It was megazone and I was the no1 there! Lol CARNAGE 😉
About time. It’s a eye sore.
About time to. Been an eyesore for years
Sorry, I think it’s pretty ugly. Let’s hope they build something attractive to replace it – though I fear it will be some ugly concrete monstrosity….
I hear they’ve told the hotel no changed there minds and it’s going to be a museum
We tore down all the castle structure & old prison around cliffords tower to build a car park, yet people are bothered about this monstrosity?
Mark Gordon I agree whole heartedly…how about bringing some of the history back rather than knocking it down and most likely turn it into accommodation for more fricking students or a hotel for more hen/stag shit heads!!! I go to so many places in the UK and the creativity with old buildings like this is fantastic. York City Council should open there eyes a little wider and see beyond concrete buildings with no personality. At this rate they’ll be nothing left….
Ah I was so waiting for them to do something awesome with that! Shame, it could have been a decent venue
Seems to be the way now, let a building fall into disrepair, then knock it down, purely out of concern for the safety of the public of course, so the bloke who bunged you all that cash can put his hotel there insteadâ¦dodgy political bastards 🙁