The lady's not for turning, and the buildings aren't for listing

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According to Astragal's spies, Margaret Hodge is not going to change her mind about plans to make it harder to list 20th-century buildings.

Last week the architecture minister held a behind-closed-doors conflab with the likes of CABE, English Heritage, the Joint Committee of the National Amenities Society, Urban Splash and the Twentieth Century Society to discuss a twin test when considering listing potential Modern gems. Architectural worth alone, she believes, is not enough. She also wants the future viability and reuse of any building to be taken into account at the point of listing.

However, despite '90 per cent' of those assembled arguing to the contrary, the minister was – Astragal has been told – 'not persuaded' and still remains committed to her unusual stance.

She wants the 'debate to continue' though. Which is nice. And hopefully not pointless…