Victorian Society and Birmingham Civic Society (Birmingham Anonymous)

Title: Victorian Society and Birmingham Civic Society

spoon - April 7, 2008 12:14 PM (GMT)

Hi everyone, I just had an idea pop into my head and I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. Often when new constructions near to listed buildings or refurbishments of listed buildings are proposed the Birmingham Civic Society and the Birmingham Victorian Society tend to kick up a fuss with the council, and the council often listen to them. In fact, the council often make sure to consult with them over planning applications, so much so that developers in Birmingham go to great lengths to garner as much written support for their projects from their public consultations as possible.

Now, the unethical practices of the Co$ won't be enough in itself to get them to bring up the Moseley Org with Birmingham City Council. However, given that it's a Grade II listed building they'll be quite interested if the Co$ do go ahead and apply for a change of use for the property, and they'll be absolutely furious if they find out about the cult's practice of buying expensive buildings and then allowing much of the interior to fall into disrepair to save on maintenance. There's photographic proof of this that was taken at last month's protest in London looking into the rear of the property; you'd have been forgiven for thinking the place was abandoned, 'derelict' doesn't even begin to cover it. I'm going to try to find those pictures again, if I can remember where I saw them (d'oh!). If anybody knows the ones I'm talking about then please let me know.

Here are the societies hompeages, with contact links easy to find. I suggest that some of us write to them to express our concerns.

http://www.birminghamcivicsociety.org.uk/

http://www.victorian-society-bham.org.uk/

Of course it wouldn't hurt to mention the local opposition either (quotes can be found in the Birmingham Mail Article in the other thread). I'll do my best to find the pictures so I can attach them to my e-mail. It might be too late to stop the cult moving in but hopefully this could give them quite a headache.

anonsrus - April 7, 2008 12:17 PM (GMT)

Fantastic idea. We need a good writefag to draft an email.

Cranon - April 7, 2008 04:00 PM (GMT)

Well. we've got a quote from the Mail stating that they plan to turn the building into a 'church', which is where I think we can stop them. They'll need to get past not only the listed building status but the council itself working against them.

This article is worthy of a read, even though it's just the same as the paper.

http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21031/scientology-66

Again, writefag needed.

Anon76 - April 7, 2008 05:44 PM (GMT)

The way I read the newspaper article, they say that they're going to be using the building as an HQ, which isn't classed as a change of use as the building was offices before and therefore does not require planning permission.

However IF they are going to use it as a "church" then they will need planning permission for a change of use.

If it turns out that they get the green light simply due to saying that it's just a HQ, not a "church". Then we should keep a very close eye on what they're actually up to in there and notify the council if they do anything which can be called "religious activities".

spoon - April 7, 2008 06:01 PM (GMT)

I finally found the picture of the back of the London Org (and almost pulled my hair out in the process). It pretty much backs up the idea that their big property acquisitions are all for show.

Quite a stark contrast to the front, isn't it? The photo was posted at somethingawful.com in response to...

QUOTE

Interestingly enough, while at the Austin protest 3/15 I was talking with some Anons and there was someone there that had a relative that used to go to the org we were in front of. Supposedly only the rooms in the very front are even furnished and that most of the back rooms are completely bare.

...so this has happened elsewhere too. I'll try to find more information and try to find other examples before I send my e-mail.

spoon - April 8, 2008 08:51 PM (GMT)

Okay, here's the first draft of the e-mail(s) I'll send.

QUOTE

Dear [name],

I am writing in order to express my concern over the so-called ‘Church’ of Scientology’s acquisition of the Grade II listed Pitmaston House in Moseley.

Perhaps of great interest to your society will be the Church of Scientology’s overbearing desire to appear to be expanding at an exponential rate; a desire that they try to fulfil by purchasing lavish buildings across the world and converting them into regional headquarters. This alone would not be quite so problematic if it were not for the fact that in order to make these acquisitions they rely almost if not entirely on coercing their members into paying exorbitant donations towards both the purchase and renovation of these properties.

As you may be aware due to recent press coverage of worldwide protests against this organisation, Scientology operates in a way similar to that of a pyramid scheme (L. Ron Hubbard, the cult’s founder, once infamously remarked, "I'd like to start a religion. That's where the money is!"). In order to maximise their profit margins they have been known to limit refurbishment and maintenance mainly to the exterior of their buildings whilst allowing much of the rest to lie empty and neglected.

Examples of this occurring may be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Power_B...Project_history - of particular note is the quote from the mayor of Clearwater stating that “the building had become an eyesore, surrounded by dirt and a chain-link fence” – as well as in the image attached to this e-mail which was taken of the rear of the Church of Scientology’s headquarters in London and shows much of the inside to be nothing more than an empty shell. As I am sure you will agree, it would be an absolute travesty if this were to also happen to Pitmaston House.

To further illustrate the Church of Scientology’s fixation with minimising their expenditure, please view this American news report concerning a builder who the Church deliberately withheld payment from, and note how he and the reporter are quickly harassed by a Scientologist: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q7738aoaPQ0

This sort of behaviour unfortunately brings us onto the other downside of their acquisition of Pitmaston House, namely the negative impact that it will have on the local community as the Church of Scientology has an ongoing history of harassing people who they deem to be SPs or “Suppressive Persons”, which is a catchall term for anybody who opposes them. In a 1967 policy memo L. Ron Hubbard declared that any such person “May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.” Scientology also practices what is referred to as the “disconnection policy”, which puts pressure on members to sever all family ties if family members are considered to be SPs. The impact on families of any future recruits from Moseley and the surrounding areas could therefore be enormous.

Furthermore, the organisation operates many front groups that masquerade as charities as a means of recruiting people into Scientology. A prime example is the ‘Citizens Commission on Human Rights’, which rabidly attacks the psychiatric profession via it’s frankly sickening “Industry of Death” exhibitions, which among other asinine claims asserts that psychiatrists were responsible for the Holocaust. Incidentally, this exhibition was very recently staged in West Bromwich. Also there is ‘Narconon’, which claims to help drug addicts by persuading them to ignore psychiatric and medical help in favour of pseudo-scientific and expensive treatment. Perhaps most worrying of all is ‘Applied Scholastics’, which aims to insidiously get Scientology based learning techniques into classrooms. As you can see, the pattern that emerges demonstrates that the Church of Scientology tries to indoctrinate the more vulnerable members of the community.

Residents of Moseley are already displeased about the acquisition of Pitmaston House (see http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-sto...97319-20713379/ ), perhaps most telling of all is the quote from a member of the Moseley Society who says, "With the reputation of Scientology we would all be very worried that we have got them in our midst." From the very same article, a Council spokesman states that if the Church of Scientology hopes to use Pitmaston House “as a place of worship they will have to apply for change of use. However, if they are going to use it as a headquarters, no application would be necessary”, so it would seem that it may be worthwhile keeping your eyes out for any future applications regarding Pitmaston House. If you share my concerns then I humbly implore you to raise the issue with Birmingham City Council, for both the good of the listed building itself and for the good of the community in Moseley and the surrounding area.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read and consider this matter.

Suggestions?

Also are they definately trying to push Narconon and Applied Scholastics in Britain? And are there any errors in my descriptions of them?

Helmetanon - April 14, 2008 12:53 AM (GMT)

Fantastic letter. Just a shame we can't add multiple signatures to it, really...

EDIT: very interesting...
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21143/scientology-belgium

spoon - April 14, 2008 12:34 PM (GMT)

I've waited a few days as I hoped to have more concrete news to report back with. So far I've not heard from the Civic Society, however the Victorian Society e-mailed me back to confirm that they are very worried about what's going on, however the building itself was actually constructed during the 1920's so it's outside the sphere of their influence. They did however give me the e-mail address of a member of the Twentieth Century Society, so I've written to that address as well as to the main contact address of the society. I'm not sure if I should be worried yet about not hearing from the Civic Society; it may just be that I won't hear anything unless it gets brought up at their next meeting. We'll see.

anonsrus - April 14, 2008 01:42 PM (GMT)

It's good to know that at least one society is definitely worried, even if we haven't heard anything from the rest yet.

anon1812 - April 14, 2008 04:47 PM (GMT)

Oooh... there was some dude who said he was from *insert area here* civic society... He mentioned some other people worth trying, I think, but my shitty memory fails me... someone was with me... Any Halp with memory?

Falco - April 14, 2008 04:49 PM (GMT)

QUOTE (anon1812 @ Apr 14 2008, 05:47 PM)

Was that near the end? I remember a guy recommending a couple of people we should try to contact - one of them was the Civic Society, I can't remember the other one either. Perhaps mousse will be able to?

anon1812 - April 14, 2008 05:34 PM (GMT)

QUOTE (Falco @ Apr 14 2008, 04:49 PM)

QUOTE (anon1812 @ Apr 14 2008, 05:47 PM)

Indeed... t'was yourself and moose!!! Wuzznit?

Falco - April 14, 2008 05:38 PM (GMT)

QUOTE (anon1812 @ Apr 14 2008, 06:34 PM)

QUOTE (Falco @ Apr 14 2008, 04:49 PM)

QUOTE (anon1812 @ Apr 14 2008, 05:47 PM)

Indeed... t'was yourself and moose!!! Wuzznit?

Arr, I think it was us. Speaking of the info we got from them:

davidicke.com

He apparently loves this kind of thing, it was suggested we send him a report of some kind, the member of the public that spoke to us seemed to think he'd do a piece on this.

anon1812 - April 14, 2008 05:49 PM (GMT)

Interesting... what about sending him one of the many press realeases?

Falco - April 14, 2008 05:51 PM (GMT)

The one I had was a pre-protest one, if anyone's found a post protest anywhere, I can send it.

spoon - April 16, 2008 05:31 PM (GMT)

I've had a fairly positive response from the Twentieth Century Society. Emphasis mine.

QUOTE

Dear ******,

As a charity concerned with the preservation of Twentieth Century architecture, we are not at liberty to comment on the nature of any group's lawful activities beyond the realms of their treatment, or indeed proposed treatment of the archtitecture in question.

Whilst I appreciate, therefore, your concerns about Scientology, the Society's focus must be on the building. I have made Birmingham City aware that any application must come to us as a statutory consultee in the LBC process.

Thank you for alerting us to this matter. Please keep in touch, this is an interesting building and one which needs a conservation-led approach.

Yours, ******

So it's on their radar now, and they've made at least some mention of it to the council, which isn't bad at all. :) Now I just need to hear from the Civic Society.

anon1812 - April 16, 2008 07:08 PM (GMT)

Epic Win Spoon.

anonsrus - April 16, 2008 08:23 PM (GMT)

Fantastic news, keep it up.

anonsrus - May 6, 2008 08:37 PM (GMT)

Updates?

spoon - May 8, 2008 06:15 PM (GMT)

I'd like to preface this by saying that I'm not being a tease since I don't actually know anything myself, but I've been told that I may hear something in the next few days. I highly doubt it'll be anything too substantial mind, for all I know I'll just get fobbed off. We'll see.

I've also contacted another society today, although since they're a lot smaller and don't have quite the same clout I won't say who just in case Wrapson and co. read this and decide to get all up in their grill, but I'm hoping they might know of other people that they can complain to about it. I've yet to hear from them though.

spoon - May 16, 2008 03:51 PM (GMT)

Grrrr, still haven't heard back. :angry: Will report here straight away when/if I do.

ScudMuffin - May 16, 2008 08:40 PM (GMT)

give em a ring?

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