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NEWSLETTER No. 331 - November 2003
CHAIRMAN'S REMARKS - Marion Coupe Civic Society AGM 18th September 2003 This was an enjoyable occasion, as ever. We welcome three new members to our committee - Sue Cornah, who already advises on our technical committee, Malcolm Burnett, and Terry Dalton. Members had the opportunity to raise and discuss many issues about the town particularly planning issues. The financial health of the Society was described by Dennis Leyland. An excellent supper of apple pie, cheese, tea and coffee was laid on by Hilda Partington. We met for the first time in the Lytham Bowling Club owing to a double booking at the Assembly Rooms. There was question as to whether the Society subsidises visits, there having been a notable deficit last year. The answer is no, but we are always at risk of a deficit if a coach trip, for example, is not adequately supported. The visit to Chester may have seemed rather ordinary, but, with the members of the Chester Civic Society being guides, all who went found it thoroughly enjoyable. We do aim to arrange interesting visits, and hope that members will support us fully in the future. Promoting the Society We have a set of rather elderly exhibition boards and could do with some new ones. The exhibition itself used to have a 'minder' who would see that it travelled around and was kept up to date. We need someone to take on this job again - any volunteers out there? The display was re-organised this summer and appeared at the anniversary of the White Church (many thanks to Barbara Salter for sitting with it), the anniversary of Lytham Library, and the Heritage Open Days. Heritage Open Days and 'Restoration As many of you will have seen, Heritage Open Days and the contribution of civic societies were given a huge vote of thanks by Prince Charles at the BBC2 Restoration final on September 14. He paid a special tribute to the work of civic societies, and their involvement in opening up "hidden gems of our national heritage" for Heritage Open Days. (Many people did not, however, realise that the Restoration series was deliberately designed to finish on the Heritage Open Days weekend of September 13/14th). Our own contribution in opening the listed and threatened Lytham Magistrates Court was again a great success. 366 people visited over the two days. They were brought in by national publicity, the local press and notices put up around Lytham (by Bill Thompson). Out thanks go to Anne Chatterton for organising a rota of helpers (and providing their tea and coffee). Helpers and stewards included Barbara Salter, Brenda Davey, Christine and David Munro, Hilary McGregor, Nancy White, Mavis Winton, Haini Easy, Jack Wilson, Reta Midgley, Audrey Thompson, Jean Wilding Walsh, Derek Barker and Marion Coupe. Bill Thompson was there most of the time. Our thanks go to them for enabling this important building to be open and also to the magistrates and former magistrates who came along to help interpret the court. They included Mr L. Whiteside, Mrs A Thompson, Mrs K. Wayland, Mrs S. Khan, Mrs M. Kirkbride, Mrs B. Turner, Mr. H. Robinson, and Mr. R. Bracegirdle.
We were visited by numerous people who had known the court when it was operational. The Gazette photographer was interested in taking shots of the graffiti left by former journalists and etched for ever into the press bench. There were no parents this year who tried to lock their children in the cells - a welcome change! We did note some deterioration in the building, however, and a lot of rubbish collecting on the stained glass roof lights. Next year's dates for Heritage Open Days are already confirmed as 10 -13 September 2004. Benches We have had a query recently about commemorative benches. If you are interested in funding one of these in the town the person to contact is Peter Graveson at Fylde Borough Council in St Annes. They have different sorts of benches ranging from £250 to £550. If you are interested in putting a bench in the grounds of Lytham Hall then you can contact the Hall directly or phone Liz Guffogg, chairman of the Friends of Lytham Hall on 727696. Household Waste Thanks very largely to campaigning by Friends of the Earth, the Household Waste Recycling Bill has now officially passed through Parliament and will be attaining Royal Assent over the coming weeks. The Bill will then become the Household Waste Recycling Act. By 2010 every home in England must have doorstep collection of at least two recyclables; and Wales has been given the necessary powers to enact similar legislation. We know that there has been some discussion locally concerning the introduction of green and brown wheelie bins in some areas of the town by Fylde Borough Council. They are felt by some to be awkward and heavy, and they are certainly unsightly if left at the front of properties. We have to recycle more - so it seems that more bright ideas are needed here. Urban Design Week - Who Makes Places? - London, 15 - 21 Sept. Eighty people attended the annual conference, and Wayne Hemingway, designer, gave a refreshing lecture to start the week. One of the keynote speakers, Sir Terry Farrell, emphasised what we all know - it is a struggle to create an excellent public realm! He pointed out that this was largely because development controls are focused on specific sites, rather than the bigger picture. What is needed are new partnerships with a remit to link all the key points in a town with imaginative public realm (and green space) strategies, involving all key landowners and stakeholders. Sir Terry, who was brought up in Lytham St Annes, has written a foreword for our forthcoming book on listed buildings. Open all hours? - A Civic Trust campaign The Civic Trust has launched a practical guidance paper on licensing issues for local authorities, with particular reference to the effect on local residents and non-licensed businesses. This follows on from the work of the Open All Hours? campaign group last year. It is aimed at local authorities, but is of interest to civic societies. Copies are available on the Civic Trust website. The closure notices in Witch Wood have now been taken down, and the public can now enter our wood again. A new path has been laid without any raised edges and we have done our very best to ensure the safety those who walk through. The closure, as members will know, was implemented because of insurance concerns relating to the uneven stone pathway. A number of things have become very clear:
The next step of our strategy for the wood is to apply for funding to try to put these misapprehensions right i.e. to put up new signs explaining that the wood is operated by a charity and the maintenance work is done by volunteers. It costs money to run and we fail to understand how some (mostly dog) walkers can use the wood on a daily basis and contribute not a penny to its upkeep. There will also be new fencing and gates to try to cut down the numbers of cyclists who ruin the paths. Dog fouling has become an issue in recent years and we hope that if people can understand how conscientiously the wood is cared for they will behave better and clean up after their dogs. PLANNING - Marion Coupe It certainly appears that the people of Lytham St Annes are 'up in arms' about the demolitions and redevelopments which surround them. New groups are organising letter campaigns, leaflet drops and publicity. L.A.I.D. (Lytham against inappropriate development) is opposing the demolition of three bungalows on the corner of Seafield Road and the beach road, designed by Tom Mellor. The proposal for their replacement is a very bulky block of flats.  S.A.N.D. (St Annes against new development) is opposing demolition of a number of houses on Inner Promenade (including one which received a conservation award) and their replacement by flats. S.P.A.G. is opposing a large block of flats on the site of the Aegon offices opposite Lytham Station. The Dock Road Action Group is opposing loss of industrial land in that area of Lytham. Kensington has acquired 70 acres of land there on which it wants to build houses. Another group is centred on the Avenues conservation area opposing the redevelopment of the Edenfield site. We support all these groups and have given advice.
 The following is a letter sent regarding the latest Edenfield application: No: 03/0790) Conversion of Edenfield into 14 apartments, conversion of mews cottages into two dwellings and new build apartment block in 2 storeys, 8 apartments. The house and grounds of Edenfield form a very important part of the Avenues Conservation Area. Both have been relatively untouched for 150 years. Their importance was recognised by the English Heritage inspector who felt unable to list the house - largely as we do not have a name for the architect - but nevertheless said: "Although there is no significant new information on which to base a listing recommendation, the excellent documentation provided by the Lytham St Annes Civic Society demonstrates what a significant local asset Edenfield forms, and why its continued presence is so important to the area's future". The plans as submitted do not respect the house or the site, and would destroy the essential character of the area.
It should be quite possible to carry out changes to the house without ruining it in the way proposed. There is also an application to breach the boundary wall for a new entrance. These old walls have already been breached in many places on Clifton Drive, to the detriment of the conservation area. There is already an established access to this site and that should be sufficient. Clifton Hospital This hospital was designed by Keith Hunt of the Tom Mellor partnership and sits unobtrusively in its dune environment off Clifton Drive. We fervently hope that a clutter of buildings will not now be haphazardly added to it as there is pressure for expansion. There are plans for a renal dialysis unit in the corner of the site off Arundel Road with a new access. We have commented that the existing access should be used and the car park contained more within the site. The design of the building itself is very mundane and 'off the peg'. Housing The council has been considering ways of restricting the number of housing units being built. The numbers required are not decided locally, have to be in line with government policy, and need to be reduced. We welcome the opportunity for a pause in the granting of planning permissions as there has been so much development recently that the character and heritage of the town is under threat. We have to be careful, however, as to how the wording is phrased for the exceptions to the ban on development. For example: - That it is:- "solely for the development of affordable or special needs housing to meet an identified problem in the locality." - This is not acceptable. The effect could lead to the granting of permissions for drug rehabilitation hostels and the like, where the local population strongly objects. That it is: "for residential development which can be demonstrated to have a special social, economic, conservation or other benefit which clearly overrides the issue of quantitative over-supply". - This is very vague and would serve to permit huge loopholes to exist, particularly where a developer was prepared to risk the costs of an appeal. It should not be included. We believe that here is an opportunity to strengthen certain aspects of control i.e. development should not be allowed in green belt, public open space, within a conservation area, close to a listed building, any land used for sporting or recreational purposes. Residential development also should not be permitted on land that is zoned and required for industrial use. Lowther Gardens The Gardens have just received a Civic Trust Green Flag Award. The scheme represents the national standard for parks and green spaces across England and Wales. It aims to set standards for management and to promote the value of parks and green spaces as social places as well as places for walking, play, informal sports and for contact with the natural world. Although the Award was set up for public parks it was recognised that a wider range of green spaces needed to be included if the quality of public green spaces across the United Kingdom was to be improved. The Green Flag Award has now become the benchmark against which the quality of public parks and green spaces can be measured. It also recognises the diversity and value of green space to the local community. Last year we contributed to the improvements spearheaded by the Friends of Lowther Gardens by donating money towards new rose beds. The 'shrimper' fountain in the park is being restored at present too. Congratulations to all concerned. That cobble wall again……….. We are very pleased to hear that the appeal by the owners of 12a East Beach against the Council's refusal of consent to demolish the cobble wall in Shepherd Street in Lytham has been refused by the inspector. He concluded that: "The loss of a few metres of walling from Shepherd Street may not seem important to some, but I share the Council's concern that it could contribute to a gradual and undesirable erosion of local character….The proposed works would, in fact, harm the character and appearance of the conservation area." THE LISTED BUILDINGS OF LYTHAM ST ANNES This publication, admittedly long awaited, is our way of marking the millennium. It aims not only to record the buildings (with photographs and text) which are 'officially' valued in the town but to give a general indication of our attitude towards them, and to suggest a good number of other buildings which we feel are undervalued. We have received a Millennium Commission Award to help us fund the publication and it will soon be for sale at just under £10 a copy. It will make an ideal Christmas present. Further details will be available soon.
JIM MELLOR - Graeme Fallows It is with much regret that we record the death of another founder member of the Society. JIM MELLOR died on 6th October at his home near Lancaster after a long illness Jim was our first treasurer for many years until he was transferred to manage a Barclays bank in the Lake District. A Lythamer, he had his finger on the pulse of the town like his brother, John, who was one of our Vice-Presidents until he died tragically some two years ago. They had a sister Ann (Halsall), and their uncle was the doughty Major Joe Entwistle who was renowned for fighting many a battle to secure Lytham's charm. We were delighted that Jim could come to our 40th Anniversary Dinner in November 2000 and remind us of how the Society was successfully launched in the 1960's. He leaves a widow, Irene, and children, Elizabeth and Christopher, to whom we extend our deep sympathy.
COMING EVENTS - Hilda Partington Thursday, 20th November - Assembly Rooms Steve Bennett is a young enthusiastic architect who has recently designed a library with a difference. His talk will be on the subject of the library and its completion plus, possibly, new ideas on modern architecture. It sounds like being a very interesting evening. Do come along and bring your friends so as to provide a good and welcoming group. Friday 19th December - Assembly Rooms Christmas Celebration - Buffet and entertainment Yes, it is Christmas again and once more we look forward to our Christmas Celebration evening The buffet will be up to its usual excellent standard. This year the musical entertainment is being arranged by Ken Daggar. His musical talent and knowledge of Gilbert and Sullivan is well recognised locally. He is bringing along some of his musical friends for what I am sure will be an enjoyable entertainment. I have already received several enquiries about tickets, and, as numbers are restricted, do return your bookings promptly, plus, please, a stamped addressed envelope. Closing date for bookings is Monday, 15th December. Sunday, 11th January - Chadwick Hotel To start our year we are again looking forward to the New Year Luncheon at the Chadwick Hotel. It was a very pleasant event last year, and this year we again hope members will enjoy celebrating the New Year with friends. Closing date for bookings is Monday, 5th January. Saturday 24th April - Coach outing This is advance notice that we are to visit the Victoria Baths in Manchester, winner of the BBC Restoration competition, and Lyme Park (Pemberley in BBC's "Pride and Prejudice" - remember Mr Darcy's dip in the lake?). Details in the next newsletter. For more information, visit the following websites:
St
Annes Community Arts Centre If you would like to comment on a planning application write to: The Manager for the Built Environment, Fylde Borough Council, Derby Road, Wesham, PR4 3AJ |
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