Enforcement action vow at ‘endangered’ Market Hall

A local authority is considering enforcement measures against a landmark building’s ‘absentee’ landlord, after it was included in a list of threatened structures by a campaign group.

The Victorian Society named Bridgnorth’s semi-derelict Market Hall alongside Derby’s gothic-style School of Art building as Midlands entries in its top-ten endangered buildings shortlist for 2026.

The society campaigns to preserve built architecture from the Victorian and Edwardian period.

It described the Market Hall in Bridgnorth, built in 1855, as a “striking polychromatic Italianate building” which was a “rare survival of a high-status Victorian commercial structure”.

Part of the ground floor of the building is currently occupied by a Costa Coffee outlet, but the upper floors remain derelict and in decline.

A scheme approved by Shropshire Council in 2014 which would have seen the building converted into a hotel was never implemented, and emergency scaffolding installed eight years ago to protect the public from falling masonry remains in place.

The local authority welcomed the building’s inclusion on the list, accusing the building’s owner of neglecting repair work after their intervention in 2018.

“Whilst remaining very mindful of the need to limit any further public expenditure, Shropshire Council is therefore once again having to actively consider using its discretionary statutory powers to pursue enforcement action, and is working with Historic England, councillors and local stakeholders to find a resolution for this building,” they said in a statement.

“As the Society points out, responsibility for the care and maintenance remains with the absentee private owner, who unfortunately has a demonstrated record of failing to do so.”

Derby School of Art. Credit: David Hallam-Jones (cc-by-sa/2.0)

In Derby, the city’s School of Art building also faces an uncertain future. The Victorian Society says the building, built in 1876, is one of the city’s “most striking Victorian buildings”, describing it as an “ambitious and architecturally confident statement” of the cultural importance placed on art and design.

Previously used as a rehearsal space for Derby Theatre, the building was sold to Tbilisi-based New Vision University, who said it would become their “new campus in Great Britain”. However, the property has never been brought back into active use.

Victorian Society president Griff Rhys Jones said he was ‘devastated’ at the building’s plight.

“The vision and foresight that created the Victorian legislation to put Art and Design as a national priority in 1855 is exemplified in this glorious building. What is the matter with us that we let it rot and remain unused?” he said.

“In the name of recycling, in the name of heritage and art and all that we see as the future somebody must step in and conserve this vital part of Derby’s Civic story, before the inevitable neglect and decay starts to make it more and more difficult to ‘save’. It’s a proper cause and it needs local supporters and action. Lets get going.”

In response to an enquiry from Place Midlands, New Vision University confirmed it was still the owner of the Derby School of Art, and said it was still considering the future of the building.

“At present, we are exploring various options to ensure it is effectively utilized in a way that supports both the educational needs of our students and the interests of the local community,” they said.

“Any refurbishment works will be carried out with great care and responsibility, preserving the building’s architectural and cultural value, as well as its external appearance.”

James Hughes, Victorian Society Director, said the list demonstrated the “ongoing challenge” of preserving buildings from the Victorian and Edwardian eras, despite the fact that all the buildings on the list are Grade II or Grade II* listed.

“These buildings were created with foresight, ambition and a strong sense of civic purpose. Too often today they are left without clear ownership, investment or direction,” he said.

“With the right commitment, every one of them could have a viable future; what is needed now is the will to act.”

The full list of endangered buildings on the society’s 2026 list is:

• Hackney Borough Disinfecting Station, London.
• Tees Transporter Bridge, Stockton-on-Tees/Middlesbrough.
• New Market Hall, Bridgnorth.
• Former Strand Railway Station and Railway Men’s Club, Barrow in Furness.
• Faenol (Vaynol) Mausoleum, Pentir, Nr Bangor.
• Oakes School, Huddersfield.
• Parndon Hall, Harlow.
• St Michael’s RC Cemetery Chapel, Sheffield.
• Derby School of Art, Derby.
• Former Library and Mechanics Institute, Devonport.