00:01Across the West Midlands, Victorian buildings are slipping into disrepair while repair bills climb.
00:07These places once anchored local life, yet many now sit behind fences as councils, charities and owners struggle to decide what to save.
00:16The Victorian society is asking the public to nominate endangered Victorian and Edwardian sites for its 2026 list.
00:23It wants buildings in Wales and England that still matter to face loss through decay.
00:28Stalled plans or rising costs.
00:31Chances glassworks in Smevik shows the scale of that choice.
00:35The factory once made glass for lighthouses and landmark buildings.
00:39Today, the surviving workshops are listed fragile and part of a £25m regeneration bid backed by heritage and lottery funding.
00:48Burslum's indoor market in Stoke-on-Trent shows what attention can unlock.
00:52It's shut after seeding failures, then kind-listed status and a £1m grant for urgent roofworks after years of campaigning.
01:01St Andrew's Church in Temple Grafton has no heating, a leaking roof and only a fraction of the money needed for repairs.
01:08Winter services are limited and the longer the delay, the higher the cost.
01:12In Birmingham, Methodist Central Hall remains stuck between stalled redevelopment and worsening structural concerns.
01:19The Grade 2-star landmark risks further damage each season.
01:23It sits empty.
01:24Heritage campaigners argue that reuse supports local economies, while ministers point to national funds spent on dozens of at-risk sites.
01:33Between those positions sit the buildings themselves and communities deciding whether these landmarks will see a second life or slide further into neglect.
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