LEICESTER CITIZEN THE JOURNAL OF LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY www.leicestercivicsociety.org.uk The splendid interior of the Silver Arcade, the only surviving Victorian shopping arcade in the City of Leicester. Built by Amos Hall in 1899, it has stood empty since 2000 and its owners failed to gain planning permission for conversion to a single store. This landmark historic building should be in use for the myriad of small shops it was designed for. The arcade remains fit for purpose in the Leicester Lanes of the 21 st Century and Leicester Civic Society is committed to working with all interested parties to achieve reopening. No.13 August 2007 Photo: Ben Ravilious STONEYGATE. VICTORIAN LEICESTER. AN EVENING WITH OLWEN HUGHES. HISTORY FAIR. ANNUAL DINNER. PICASSO EXHIBITION. REGENERATION DEBATE. NEWARKE HOUSES MUSEUM. SOCIAL FUND. HOW YOU CAN HELP. HADDON HALL. SILVER ARCADE. RESTORATION OF ST. NICHOLAS. MARKET UNDER THREAT. BATH LANE REDEVELOPMENT. TEMPERANCE HOTEL. THE POST OFFICE. QUESTIONS FOR COUNCILLORS. DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY. PLUS REGULAR FEATURES AND MUCH MORE.
LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY Founded 1971 President J.B. JOSEPHS MA (Oxon.) Vice-President The Very Reverend Alan Warren MA Provost Emeritus of Leicester REGISTERED WITH THE CIVIC TRUST REGISTERED CHARITY No. 502932 MEMBER OF THE EAST MIDLANDS ASSOCIATION OF CIVIC SOCIETIES CHAIRMAN: STUART BAILEY, 48 Meadow Avenue, Loughborough LE11 1JT. 01509-520904. chairman@leicestercivicsociety.org.uk VICE-CHAIRMAN & CONSERVATION OFFICER (LEICESTER CENTRAL, NORTH & WEST): DEREK HOLLINGWORTH, Arbroath Cottage, 21 The Newarke, Castle Park, Leicester LE2 7BY. vicechairman@leicestercivicsociety.org.uk HON. SECRETARY & CONSERVATION OFFICER (LEICESTER SOUTH & EAST - Aylestone Village, Stoneygate, Knighton Village, South Highfields, Evington Footpath, Evington Village, New Walk, Spinney Hill Park and Old Humberstone Conservation Areas): JENNY WESTMORELAND, 358 Victoria Park Road, Leicester LE2 1XF. 0116-270-5828. secretary@leicestercivicsociety.org.uk HON. TREASURER & MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY: GORDON GOODE. 53 Cort Crescent. Leicester, LE3 1QJ. 0116-285-6620. treasurer@leicestercivicsociety.org.uk WEBMASTER: BEN RAVILIOUS. webmaster@leicestercivicsociety.org.uk EVENTS DIARY Tuesday 4 th September 7.30pm: General Meeting. Secular Hall. Members welcome. Saturday 8th September: COACH TOUR: BAKEWELL & HADDON HALL. Discounts for members. See the advertisement and the bookings page for full details Saturday 22nd September. Guided Walk: VICTORIAN LEICESTER. 11.00am start. See the advertisement and the bookings page for full details. Tuesday 2nd October 7.30pm: General Meeting. Secular Hall. Members welcome. Saturday 21st October: EAST MIDLANDS ASSOCIATION OF CIVIC SOCIETIES meeting at Oakham. Members welcome. Contact Stuart Bailey if you want to join us Saturday 27 th October: Leicestershire Archaeological & Historical Society HISTORY FAIR at the Vaughan College. Visit the new Civic Society exhibition stand. Events at the Jewry Wall Museum to coincide. Tuesday 6th November 7.30pm: General Meeting. Secular Hall. Members welcome. Tuesday 20 th November: AN EVENING WITH OLWEN HUGHES. Come and meet the famous Leicester artist. Secular Hall at 7.30PM. Free admission for members. Tuesday 4th December 7.30pm: General Meeting. Secular Hall. Members welcome. Friday 7 th December: 7.45pm: ANNUAL DINNER, La Tosca, London Road. See the advertisement and the bookings page for full details.
The Chairman s Page Stoneygate is the largest conservation area in the City. As members living in Stoneygate will know, it is an important and almost unique neighbourhood of fine Victorian houses and gardens. However, in looking back over past copies of Leicester Citizen I have often been worried that many issues hardly give Stoneygate a mention, due to the lack of information available to us about its concerns. All this is now changed. I was very pleased to report at this year s AGM on the success of moves to have Leicester Civic Society and Stoneygate Conservation Area Society working closer together. Nick Knight of SCAS now submits a monthly report on planning matters in time for our meetings and this relieves our own conservation officers, Jenny Westmoreland and Derek Hollingworth, of much work - Stoneygate accounting for just under a quarter of all planning applications in Leicester s conservation areas. Taking things a step further we now introduce a Stoneygate page as a regular feature in Leicester Citizen. This will be written by SCAS and will guarantee that Stoneygate assumes its rightful place in future editions of this journal. One of the nice things about being your Chairman is that it is possible occasionally to hob-knob with the famous. So on 15 th June Liz Murphy and I were proud to represent the Civic Society at the launch of the Attenborough Collection of Picasso Ceramics at New Walk Museum, where we were able to meet and talk with Society member Lord Attenborough in person. By the way, if you haven t been to the exhibition yet - and like me thought that you might not care for Picasso - please go. The combination of this artist s eccentric genius with shapes and the blaze of Mediterranean colour is quite an eye-opener. An eye-opener of a different kind came with the Radio Leicester & Royal Institute of British Architects Big Debate on Regeneration a week later at Leicester University. Five of us went and we all submitted questions centred on Society concerns for the historic built environment. Victorian Society members also attended and they too submitted questions. With a total audience of only about one hundred - so far so good. However the panel chose none of these questions and decided to concentrate on social regeneration. This was no bad thing in itself but rather missed the point of the preceding BBC documentary that was about the successes and problems of physical regeneration in Leicester. Two quotes worthy of attention came from panel members. The Bishop of Leicester, The Right Rev. Tim Stevens, commented that highrise, commercial regeneration was threatening to leave the heritage of historic buildings in the City behind. And Carol Leeming of the Mainstream Partnership and the Peepul Centre said that real streetscape development couldn t occur without creating spaces for people within the context of the City s historic buildings. At the moment Leicester is not doing enough to make use of it s historic built environment in this regard. It was depressing that other panel members chose to ignore these leads and most of the rest of the audience who were actually asked to speak clearly weren t that interested in these issues either. Your editorial team are extremely grateful to Nick Knight for more on Stoneygate, to John Burrows on the subject of history, to English Heritage for the 2007 Buildings at Risk Register, to Roger Hutchinson on Kings Lock Aylestone and to the Vaughan Society for their winter events. None of these submissions were technically too late but Citizen was already full and they will have to wait until December. Maybe you would like to join me in persuading our Treasurer that it s time to go for a twenty-page journal! Stuart Bailey ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THERE S A LOT HAPPENING IN LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY - IT PAYS TO BE A MEMBER TELL YOUR FRIENDS! CREDITS: Ben Ravilious, Phil Taylor, Leicester Mercury, Simon Harris, Haddon Hall Website. LEICESTER CITIZEN: Editorial Team: Stuart Bailey, Simon Harris, Gordon Goode. The opinions expressed in LEICESTER CITIZEN are not necessarily those of the editors or Leicester Civic Society
EVENTS PAST & FUTURE AWARDS CEREMONY 13 th April: Our 2006 Awards, culminated in a prestigious ceremony and dinner at the Belmont Hotel in April, where Nick Cooper as our special guest presented awards to the Very Reverend Vivienne Faull, Dean of Leicester Cathedral for the restoration of the Cathedral tower and spire and to Nick Carter, Editor of the Leicester Mercury, for the refurbishment of the Mercury building. The 2007 Awards will be launched in December. We are looking at providing facilities for those members who may wish to attend the ceremony only, at a nominal cost to cover the drinks. LEAFY LEICESTER 9 th May: A mystery walk no longer. Leafy Leicester took us from De Montfort Square, up New Walk to the grounds of De Montfort Hall. Thence through Victoria Park and Welford Road Cemetery, returning to London Road via University Road, Lancaster Road and De Montfort Street. Enjoyed by all fourteen who turned out, this walk will be repeated in the future and joins the corpus of our walks now available for private parties. Contact Stuart Bailey for details. CHEPSTOW TOUR 19 th May: Twenty-three booked for what turned into one of the best tours of recent years. We loved Chepstow with its ancient port walls and massive castle ruins. Even the coach driver s over reliance on a Sat. Nav. System that lost us in the centre of Cheltenham during the return journey, only added to the enjoyment. BUXTON AWAYDAY 16 th June: We had a fantastic day out in Buxton with guided tours of the Opera House and the famous Dome and a visit to the Museum and Art Gallery. Many thanks to Buxton Civic Association for their faultless organisation. MEDIEVAL STREETS 7 th July: Enthusiastic walkers joined us for yet another new guided walk. Despite dire predictions the weather was fine. The walk was fully booked and all twenty-four of us were surprised by how much ancient infrastructure survives in the South East quarter of the old town. This walk too will be repeated in the future and joins the corpus of our walks now available for private parties. Contact Stuart Bailey for details. HADDON HALL TOUR 8th September: Much closer than Chepstow, there will be plenty of time for lunch in Bakewell (for those who want to enjoy a tart!) and then spend the afternoon at Haddon. Simon Jenkins in England s Thousand Best Houses, describes Haddon Hall as, the most perfect English house to survive from the Middle Ages. There will be plenty of time to explore this huge medieval house and its lovely gardens. Bookings were made on the return journey from Chepstow and following our June mail drop even more have been received. See the advertisement and use the bookings page now to avoid disappointment. VICTORIAN LEICESTER 22nd September: A welcome return after three years for one of our most popular walks. Victorian Leicester features some of our most striking buildings and most eminent Victorians. The walk starts at the Guildhall at 11.00am and finishes at Welford Place. We shall then have lunch at the Slug & Lettuce, Pocklington s Walk, for those who want to relax and socialise. Once again see the advertisement and use the bookings page. THE HISTORY FAIR 27 th October: Organised by Leicestershire Archaeological & Historical Society. Vaughan College and the Jewry Wall Museum will be open all day. Visit the new Civic Society exhibition stand. Lots to see and do. AN EVENING WITH OLWEN HUGHES 20 th November: This promises to be something rather special. Olwen Hughes is a renowned entertaining speaker and there will be the opportunity to ask her questions about her remarkable life and work afterwards. ANNUAL DINNER. 7 th December: We promise an unashamed Christmas feel for this year s annual dinner. La Tosca is once again the venue for some fabulous Italian food at a reasonable price. See the advertisement and the bookings page.
NEWARKE HOUSES MUSEUM Derek Hollingworth Numbers 9 and 11 The Newarke, known as East House and Skeffington House date from 1560. Number 13, The Chantry House, dates from 1512. During their 450+ years they have been in use as residencies, religious buildings and as a girls' school. On Tuesday 26th May 1953 the three buildings opened as Newarke Houses Museum. Daniel Lambert was its famous resident. In June 2004 it closed for refurbishment and to form the new Tiger's museum. Newarke Houses Museum re-opened to the public on Saturday 23rd June 2007. I was invited to the informal opening, as was Leicester's Lord Mayor, Councillor Gary Hunt, Col Richard Wilkes, chairman of the trustees of the regiment, Nick Carter, editor of the Leicester Mercury, Daniel Lambert and about 100 other dignitaries. The sun shone for most of the event that was held in the garden. Champagne, strawberries and cream and scones were served. The flag of the Royal Leicestershire Regiment was raised and the speeches were made. The Magazine had been home to the Tigers museum until 1997. Unlike its previous location, the new facilities at the Newarke Houses make all rooms accessible for all. The old cobbled street is now 'Wharf Street' with a pub and shops. There is a trip back in time to remind us how sitting rooms looked in the 1950s and how the new settlers of the 1970s adapted to their new surroundings. And of course Daniel Lambert is still there. Well Newarke Houses without him would be unthinkable. Over 500 members of the public visited the museum on its first day with nearly as many on the Sunday. The people of Leicester had missed the museum during the past three years. The young ones had probably never seen it, so they all arrived full of enthusiasm that first weekend to welcome a new chapter in the history of these fine buildings. It s at times like this Leicester City Council does us proud. Photo: Phil Taylor CIVIC SOCIETY SOCIAL FUND We are pleased to announce the launch of the Civic Society Social Fund. This will enable members to deposit money in advance and at any time with our treasurer. This money will be held under your name and can then be drawn upon to pay for events. As an extreme example 7.45 per month deposited with the Social Fund would pay for every event for a year including all guided walks, both coach tours, the annual dinner and the awards dinner. You can however pay as much or as little as you like into the fund whenever you wish. Simply write to our treasurer, Gordon Goode, 53 Cort Crescent Leicester LE3 1QJ. Cheques should be made payable to Leicester Civic Society.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP? After this year s AGM in May members asked the simple question, What can I do to help? It is wonderful - but quite daunting - to be asked this question for the first time in years but here goes with some answers. 1. Join the members Google Group. It s easy, simply contact our Webmaster Ben Ravilious on webmaster@leicestercivicsociety.org.uk It will help keep you in touch with your committee and other members and it will achieve two other things. Firstly it will be of great assistance to you in thinking of doing more things to help - see below. Secondly we will need your assistance when it comes to objecting to planning applications. The City Council follows a ridiculous procedure whereby less than six objections guarantees an application is decided on by the delegated powers of planning officers and does not go to the Development Control Committee. This is regardless of how important it is. Demolition of the Temperance Hotel did not go to committee as only the Council s own Conservation Area Panel, The Civic Society, The Victorian Society and one other person objected. Of course a decision at committee level may not have been very different but at least our elected representatives would have decided the potential loss of this historically important building, and we would all know whom to blame. The Society has decided that this will not be allowed to happen again and we shall use the members group to ensure that objections easily pass this artificially imposed barrier. Objecting is easy. All you have to do is email the City Council saying, I object. Of course it helps if you then want to go on and say why in your own words - but remember this is not a necessity. 2. Help to increase membership. Ask for copies of our membership leaflets and put them in your local libraries, clubs and community centres. Committee members alone circulate twenty sites - but we can t get everywhere. Collectively you all can get everywhere. Talk to friends, neighbours and colleagues persuade them to join. Circulate publicity on our events in your local libraries, clubs and community centres. Our events attract new LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY & LEICESTERSHIRE RURAL COMMUNITY COUNCIL SATURDAY 22 nd SEPTEMBER 2007 VIICTORIIAN LEIICESTER Or the Architect, the Eccentric and the Travel Agent A Guided Walk by Stuart Bailey From the GUILDHALL at 11.00am Cost: 2.50 (Followed by Lunch in the Slug & Lettuce, Pocklington s Walk) SEE THE BOOKINGS PAGE Other guided walks in the series include, Ancient Leicester Part 1, Ancient Leicester Part 2 Medieval Streets, New Walk and the Georgian New Town, Roman Leicester, Old London Road, Around the Walls of Leicester and Civil War. All walks can be booked for private parties of from six to twenty-four. Telephone 01509-520904. Email equanimity@simurg.co.uk
LEIICESTER CIIVIIC SOCIIETY IIS PROUD TO PRESENT MY LIFE AS AN ARTIST AN EVENIING WIITH OLWEN HUGHES MBE.. M..PHIIL.. THE LEIICESTER MERCURY SKETCHBOOK ARTIIST TUESDAY 20 TH NOVEMBER 2007 THE SECULAR HALL, HUMBERSTONE GATE, LEICESTER 7.30-9.00PM - WITH TIME FOR QUESTIONS ADMISSION 2.50 MEMBERS FREE BRING YOUR FRIENDS members. Give a membership by gift voucher as a Christmas or birthday present. Once we gain new members by this method then it s your committee s job to keep them. 3. Keep us alive by supporting our events yourselves. July s guided walk was fully booked but May s was ten down. The Stafford tour was fully booked but Witley Court was fifteen down and Chepstow five down on a full coach. The evening events are often poorly attended. Many older members say they do not like to go out at night if it s dark. Whatever the wisdom of this decision the answer is to find a car driver and gather a group of four or five together. 4. Join the committee. We have vacancies and can easily co-opt you, so you then have until the next AGM to decide whether or not to carry on. If you have a particular skill to contribute this could be a real bonus. At the moment we are looking for: a) An assistant for our hard pressed conservation officers. We want someone keen and computer literate to compile reports, view plans, make site visits and provide any help Derek and Jenny might need. And: b) An Outreach Officer who would establish contacts with the business community, the minority ethnic communities, organisations such as Voluntary Action Leicester, schools and colleges. And who could visit these people to talk about our work. And: c) Someone to help with the Society archives. 5. Volunteer for one of these jobs without joining the committee. Committee membership would help but provided you re computer literate enough to use email to submit reports, ask opinion and advice and stay in touch, it isn t compulsory. 6. If you re on the committee of any other organisation with similar or supportive aims to the Civic Society, talk them into a corporate membership. Our Treasurer will be only too pleased to come to a special deal with you. 7. If you work for, or have any contact with companies or individuals planning building or development, ask the question, Have you spoken to the Civic Society? Consultation before can be miraculous in avoiding tantrums afterwards. So there you have it. This is your Society. To paraphrase John Kennedy, ask not what it can do for you - but what you can do for it.
WATERSIDE REGENERATION AND THE BATH LANE REDEVELOPMENT Stuart Bailey Artist s impression of the imaginative proposals for Bath Lane. But will they come to anything? Leicester s historic riverside badly needs a healthy dose of regeneration. Many parts possess great charm but it has to be admitted that much of this is the charm that arises from neglect. The riverside is woefully underused by both boaters and pedestrians, and revitalisation is badly needed. As we have said before this must embrace better lighting, increased security, better access and better through pedestrian routes. However this must also respect the historic environment and the Society therefore renews its call for a Riverside Conservation Area from at least Belgrave Lock to St. Mary s Mill. The problem with all current regeneration proposals for the riverside is that not enough spade work is put into the process. Developers are found; they submit proposals, these are granted planning permission and then everyone sits back waiting for the developers to surmount all the obstacles. The City Council has published a Waterside Supplementary Planning Document that sets out design principles and they are to be congratulated on this guide. However it fails to adequately address problems created by the existing infrastructure that developers might find insurmountable without further physical action by the Council. A good case of this is the area between Bath Lane and the railway viaduct. The Civic Society welcomes development proposals by H Group for the area between Bath Lane and the railway viaduct, north and east of the Donisthorpe Mill. The concepts of a public piazza, reuse of the viaduct arches and low to medium-rise modern buildings with a piazza on one side and a river view on the other, represent attractive and positive regeneration for this run down area of central Leicester. There are however a number of obstacles to the success of these proposals.
Leicester City Council says it has no intention of conducting any remodelling of the road infrastructure. The only way in or out will therefore remain Bath Lane and Welles Street to the south and Soar Lane to the north. There is no intention to breach the barrier imposed by the railway viaduct, as was originally indicated by Leicester Regeneration Co s Riverside proposals published in 2005. These showed imaginative reuse of the Central Station parcels office arch acting as gateway to a new pedestrian route into the area. The inner ring road is a major barrier between the area of the redevelopment and the City Centre. There are no proposals to overcome this barrier by improved pedestrian links or traffic calming measures. The site of the former Central Station is a second major barrier. The viaducts are a quarter of a mile long and as described above, there are no proposals to create a break in them. In addition ugly modern warehouses now cover the viaducts and potential occupiers of new apartments may not care for the view on this side. One of the basic principles of good urban design is a cityscape that grows naturally from the centre but without action on the inner ring road and the central station any redevelopment will be effectively shut off from the City centre instead of being an extension to it. The site adjoins the three monstrous tower blocks proposed for Bath Lane to the south of the Donisthorpe Mill. These were lacking from the original LRC proposals. (Otherwise we wouldn t have welcomed them so heartily!) If built they will put the proposed piazza in shade for most of the morning. They will inevitably create wind turbulence in the piazza. One has only to consider historic European cities such as Stockholm or Copenhagen that despite severe winters, have a thriving café culture in the summer. The absence of hedging by excessively tall buildings is a major contributor to this success. Conversely high-rise cities such as New York or Chicago lack such a culture. It is not for nothing that Chicago is known as the Windy City. Finally there is the archaeology. The area is above a major part of the Roman City, as is shown by the important Blackfriars Mosaic found in-situ below the Central Station. The Roman and Medieval town walls in their northwest corner are partly below the site, as is the Medieval Dominican Friary - the house of the Black Friars - hence the modern name of the district. The archaeology itself should be no difficulty under the regime of PPG16*, and shown by the investment undertaken by Hammersons at the Shires Extension. However the commitment in cost and time for this work to be undertaken may be a disincentive for the developers. Proposals for Frog Island are now being considered. We are afraid that without greater hands on involvement these too risk insurmountable obstacles in coming to fruition. Much may be granted planning permission - but little may actually be built. * Central Government publishes a series of Planning Permission Guidances (PPG s) on various subjects for Local Planning Authorities. As these are reissued currently they will be known as Planning Permission Statements (PPS s). PPG16 is Planning and Archaeology. It follows the principal of the developer pays, whereby LPA s may advise developers that their development site falls in an area defined by the Archaeological Areas Act and that they must therefore undertake archaeological investigation at their own cost prior to redevelopment. In Leicester the whole of the area within the Roman and Medieval town walls is so defined by the Act. One of the tasks undertaken by the Civic Society is to monitor the Council s processes to ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities under the terms of the Act.
STONEYGATE CONSERVATION AREA SOCIETY 50-52 KNIGHTON DRIVE: Permission given for change of use from halls of residence to 20 flats with single-storey side extension and conversion of original coach house to two 3-bed townhouses with the addition of dormers in the roof and changes to windows on the ground floor. At present those windows date from the conversion 50 years ago and are badly proportioned for the building - so the proposed replacements would be an improvement. LAND BETWEEN 20 and 26 ELMS ROAD: Approval for the building of 16 houses on land partly occupied by Clare Houses, former Halls of Residence whose demolition is the subject of a separate application. The same developer is proposing to build 8 houses on land fronting Shirley road adjacent to No.26 (formerly the garden but now occupied by empty student residences whose demolition is also covered by a separate application) Proposed houses are in a block of four and two blocks of two; each with three storeys, pitched roof and integral garage. Despite having three or four bedrooms each, the block of four houses would occupy a smaller area than No26 and are tiny by comparison. However, being in a block they constitute a fairly substantial building in proportion with neighbouring houses (unlike the small detached houses that have been inserted elsewhere in Elms Road). 7 ELMS ROAD and 7 STANLEY ROAD: Overall impression is that the proposed apartment schemes will blend into the area more harmoniously than the housing developments. Although they make some concessions to their historical and architectural environment, in design and density they are uncomfortably reminiscent infill housing of the 1960s and 70s, have jarring visual impact and seem certain to contribute to worsening traffic problems at the Elms Road/Ratcliffe Road and Elms Road/Knighton Drive crossroads, and in the narrow streets around Knighton Church Road. Sensitive planting can perhaps mitigate the impact of the buildings themselves. The impact of the traffic will be more difficult to manage. SOUTH LODGE, 307 LONDON ROAD: An application by Signature Senior Lifestyle to develop this large site into a `High-Quality Senior Assisted Living Community' was approved in June. The proposal will see most of the existing replaced by a cluster of interconnected pitched-roof buildings of different heights and traditional design housing 82 individual suites, all set in landscaped surroundings and screened from London Road by trees and shrubs. The existing façade will be retained and integrated into the new structure to retain the view from London Road. The proposed buildings are significantly larger than the existing South Lodge but will still cover less than half the area of the site. This allows a good deal of space for landscaping, particularly at the rear. None of the building proposed is forward of the existing, so most of the trees screening it from the road will remain. The site has lain unused and neglected since the closure of a Day Centre and SSL have gone to great lengths to integrate the Council's environmental impact and sustainability criteria into their designs. Efficient heating systems, rainwater recycling and a green transport plan for staff are all included. Set against the most likely alternative uses for the site, the development seems likely to be an asset to the area. Traffic management is an integral part of the proposal and the limited provision of on-site parking will both enhance the appearance of the new buildings and reduce the impact of traffic. Visitors and staff will be encouraged to use public transport or park in nearby streets whose residents have their own off-street parking. SSL s exemplary approach to local consultation is one that other developers could learn from. Interested residents were able to see the proposal for themselves and meet the Chief Executive and his architects at open evenings held on the 15th and 16th of February. A dedicated telephone helpline was set up to answer queries. DELAMERE HOUSE, 325 LONDON ROAD: A residential care home closed in 2004 and local residents will have viewed the boarded windows with dismay. However, the Arts & Crafts-influenced building built in the 1920s for the family of a local boot manufacturer has undergone a transformation under the auspices of its new owners. The building has been completely refurbished and is due to open soon as a unit for the treatment of neurological conditions. Original features have been restored and ugly post-war additions have all disappeared. As well as rebalancing the impressive facade, the development has resulted in a new pitched-roof rear extension with clear glass atrium that integrates well into the original building. The attention to detail is impressive. The lime-mortared brickwork, cream render of the upper walls and double-glazed wooden sliding sash windows with their stone sills and arches are picked up from the original façade, along with other motifs and continued into the new additions to create a more harmonious structure. The development shows what can be achieved when commercial developers have the vision to integrate good conservation and architectural principles into their business plan and work in partnership with planners and sympathetic architects. KNIGHTON CROFT, 27 KNIGHTON ROAD: Work is now underway to convert this large detached building on the corner of Knighton Road and Woodland Drive into apartments. Like so many such buildings in SCA, originally built as a family home, it was converted into flats during the 1960s and 1970s and was in need of significant refurbishment to bring it into line with the quality standards expected by today s tenants. The project architects are from the practice responsible for the Delamere House development and similar attention to detail can be seen in the external decoration. Timber windows have been replaced with modern equivalents that maintain the windows stylistic features while adding thermalefficiency. Brickwork has been cleaned and repointed and the impressive gables and stucco have been repainted. This is another development that, as well as giving an elegant building a new lease of life, will serve as a model high-quality apartment conversion and further add to the prestige of the area.
LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY Annual Dinner FRIDAY 7 th DECEMBER 2007 7.45 for 8.00pm at La Tosca The authentic taste of Italy LONDON ROAD, LEICESTER THREE COURSE MENU 17.00 SEE THE BOOKINGS PAGE MEMBERS, FRIENDS and POTENTIAL NEW MEMBERS WELCOME COME AND MEET US NEWS TEMPERANCE HOTEL By 1853 Thomas Cook was a successful entrepreneur able to invest the profits from his tours to the Great Exhibition in a new venture. Cook was a committed Baptist and already a leading light in Leicester s powerful non-conformist movement. In 1853 he built the Temperance Hall and Temperance Hotel on neighbouring sites on what was then the south side of London Road between the town centre and the Midland Railway Station. Both buildings survived him, the magnificent Temperance Hall being converted to a cinema in 1929 and finally succumbing in 1960, to be replaced by one of the ugliest office blocks in the City. The Temperance Hotel, though much altered, survives to this day. In 2006 Leicester City Council designated Granby Street as a new conservation area and threw out proposals for a huge office complex that would involve the loss of the historic hotel. However earlier this year they approved an amended design and demolition of all existing buildings on the site, including the hotel. The Victorian Society has now put the hotel on their top ten list of 19 th Century buildings under threat in the whole of England. Because of its many alterations the building is not listable but it is of historic import to the City and should be retained. Once again Leicester City Council are consigning our history to the rubbish bin and once again its looks as if they might get away with it. THE POST OFFICE Desperate to make a buck, the Post Office are to close their splendid building on Bishop Street it will probably become yet one more exciting retail outlet or wine bar and shift the business to the basement of W. H. Smith, despite Smiths being obviously unsuitable. (Overcrowding, poor access for the disabled, post vans having to use the recently pedestrianised Gallowtree Gate, etc, etc.) The understandable outcry led to society member Sir Peter Soulsby taking the matter to the House of Commons and government ministers but there probably remains nothing we can do. The Post Office has shamelessly indulged in a sham public consultation as part of which the public were not allowed to question the actual move but asked ancillary questions about opening hours and access. This is one of the oldest tricks in the book. By answering limited set questions tacit acquiescence to the central contentious issue is assumed. Once again the loss of one our great purpose-built, public buildings for its purpose seems assured.
NEWS SILVER ARCADE In 2004, when the owners were refused planning permission for destruction of the arcade they said they would appeal. However the prospect of facing a united line-up of the City Council, English Heritage, Civic Society and Victorian Society resulted in them throwing Teddy out of the pram and deciding to do nothing. It costs them little to sit on their hands as, owning empty commercial property, they only have to pay 50% rates. However the Government s new Rating (Empty Properties) Bill is set to become law in 2008 and this loophole will close. Those who invest in empty commercial property have been busy bemoaning this fact up and down the land. Without any incentive to keep the arcade empty and do nothing, the owners can now be expected to come out of their corner sometime in the new year. Watch this space. DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY DMU have published some exciting proposals that are broadly welcome. With the inner ring road move, filling in the subways, restoration of surface pedestrian routes and demolition of the dreadful James Went Building, it s all good news so far. However we shall be monitoring these latest proposals carefully. Particular concerns are, design impact on The Newarke and the Hawthorn Building, implications for the Castle and implications for the Bowstring Bridge. MARKET UNDER THREAT The future success of Leicester Market is under threat. The danger comes from new bus routes and proposed bus stops. Unless common sense prevails, the entire western half of the City is going to have bus stops so far from the Market that many will be dissuaded from going there for their shopping. Leicester s pedestrian proposals are to be applauded, though they are many years overdue. Redevelopment of the ABC Cinema site will enable Haymarket and Church Gate to be pedestrianised as well, but this will then put our buses even further from the Market. One answer would be to run all western bus routes to or via Charles Street/Halford Street corner. We await developments with interest. Meanwhile proposals to open up more space in the Market have resurfaced after an interval of many years. However we do not understand why it should be necessary to sell the indoor market building to pay for this. (One shudders to think what would be proposed for the site) And where exactly is the indoor market to go? THE BIG SELL-OFF Members will be aware that the City Council are reacting to their responsibility for our listed buildings in their ownership by selling them off as fast as they can. However this is fast becoming a predictable failure. Belgrave House has failed to find an owner and Cavendish House and the Abbey Park Lodges are now suffering the same fate. The lodges should make an ideal sale, being excellent, small Victorian villas in a parkland setting within walking distance of the City Centre. Perhaps the Council should spend a little money to make them presentable and then put the matter in the hands of a professional estate agent. NATIONAL FOREST RAILWAY We have called for the re-opening of the Leicester to Burton-on-Trent railway, with stations in the City and park-and-ride halts outside, before now. The issue again raised its head before the local elections, but now everyone is safely in, has been quietly buried once more. THE LEICESTER GROUP OF THE VICTORIAN SOCIETY AUTUMN 2007 Sunday 19 th August: Self-dive visit to Newark. 21.00 including high tea. Tuesday 18 th September at 7.00PM: Visit to Leicestershire Records Office. 3.50. Tuesday 13 th November 7.30PM at New Walk Museum: Animal Welfare in the Victorian Era a lecture by Dr. Richard Ryder (Former RSPCA Council Chairman) 1.00. For event bookings please contact Mrs. M. Hare 0116-273-9710.
Photo: Simon Harris THE RESTORATION OF ST. NICHOLAS The Saxon Church of St. Nicholas is one of the outstanding features of Leicester s historic built environment. It almost certainly occupies the site of the 7 th Century Saxon Cathedral. The present tower was completed in 1090 and the original dedication to St. Augustine of Canterbury was rededicated to St. Nicholas in 1225. The church is also almost certainly the reason why the Jewry Wall survives, incorporated as a narthex or western ceremonial porch in the original church on the site. The bad news is that Victorian restoration works are now beginning to show their age and 77,000 is needed to make the building watertight. English Heritage have promised 66,000 but this is conditional on the church raising the extra 11,000 itself. Being a small church with a small congregation, this is quite a challenge. At this year s AGM our Chairman announced the Society had offered to help by paying for the restoration of the clock. We could then go on to use our clout by gaining the church much needed publicity for their appeal. However the original estimate of 200 rose to 1,000, which sadly put the project out of our league. At this stage along came the Leicester and Rutland Masons who have now paid for the restoration of the clock and installed an auto-winding mechanism. This is good news but the offer of publicity for the efforts of the church is still there. Don t forget that St. Nicholas still needs to raise 11,000 to stop the rain coming in. Find out more and how you can help by visiting their excellent website on www.stnicholasleicester.com The site is well worth a visit, as it is packed full of fascinating pictures and lots of history.
Regulated by The Law Society ************************* LEICESTER: 3 De Montfort Street, Leicester LE1 7GE. Phone: 0116-255-7566 WIGSTON: 158 Leicester Road, Wigston. Telephone: 0116-288-8988 BLABY: 19B Leicester Road, Blaby. Telephone: 0116-277-8388 OADBY: 22 The Parade, Oadby LE18 1DS. Telephone: 0116-271-4129 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEWS TELL ME SOMETHING I DON T KNOW Volume 2 of Derek Hollingworth s remarkable compendium of facts, Tell me Something I Don t Know about Leicester is now published and it s just as enjoyable as the first. Your reviewer found this volume particularly interesting, coming from the West End of town. Get hold of your copy now. CONGRATULATIONS & APOLOGIES The rescued statue of St. Margaret has now been unveiled in St. Margaret s Church Yard. Congratulations are due to all concerned. One can only hope that it now avoids the attention of our local brain dead vandals. Our original criticism that the City Council was doing nothing to help has left us somewhat red-faced as they have donated 2,000 towards the total cost of 9,200. Sorry City Council and well done! QUESTIONS FOR COUNCILLORS Our Questions for Candidates (Leicester Citizen No.12) proved daunting, as there were 226 candidates standing! So we decided to ask them of the elected councillors instead. However this was a mistake, as once elected all but one declined to answer any questions at all. So thank you to Councillor Sood for his polite acknowledgement but we are still no nearer knowing where councillors stand on the issues that really affect the City. Is it any wonder that so many feel disenchanted with the political process? ENFORCEMENT The wheels of planning enforcement grind terribly slowly in Leicester. The developers of 96 London Road have now restored the original style porch. (The columns were all wrong) But there s still no news on the Statue of Liberty and it still lies in a skip off Eastern Boulevard.
THE BOOKINGS PAGE Please photocopy this page if you do not want to cut your Journal. PLEASE RESERVE PLACES ON THE TOUR TO BAKEWELL & HADDON HALL ON SATURDAY 8 th SEPTEMBER 2007. I ENCLOSE IN FULL PAYMENT. I/WE WILL JOIN THE COACH AT NAME ADDRESS POSTCODE PLEASE RESERVE PLACES ON THE GUIDED WALK VICTORIAN LEICESTER ON SATURDAY 22 nd SEPTEMBER 2007. I ENCLOSE IN FULL PAYMENT. NAME ADDRESS POSTCODE ADVANCE BOOKING FOR THE ABOVE EVENTS IS ESSENTIAL. TO: STUART BAILEY, 48 MEADOW AVENUE. LOUGHBOROUGH. LE11 1JT. CHEQUES PAYABLE TO LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY PLEASE RESERVE PLACES FOR THE ANNUAL DINNER ON FRIDAY 7 th DECEMBER 2007. I ENCLOSE IN FULL PAYMENT. NAME ADDRESS POSTCODE ADVANCE BOOKING FOR THE ANNUAL DINNER IS ESSENTIAL. TO: GORDON GOODE, 53 CORT CRESCENT. LEICESTER LE3 1QJ by FRIDAY 30 th NOVEMBER 2007. CHEQUES PAYABLE TO LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY GIFT VOUCHERS Make a gift of Civic Society membership to a friend or relative. Send us the voucher below with your payment and we will write to them with the good news and the latest issue of LEICESTER CITIZEN. You can choose whether or not to make your gift anonymous. LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY - MEMBERSHIP BY GIFT VOUCHER Name.,,, Address..Post code.. To: G. Goode 53 Cort Crescent, Leicester LE3 1QJ. Please give one year of full membership at 7.00, household at 11.00 or concession membership at 6.00 (Students, Senior Citizens or Unwaged) to: Name. Address..Post code.. I enclose cheque for the appropriate amount, payable to Leicester Civic Society. Please DO/DO NOT (Delete as applicable) give my name to the recipient of this gift.
LEICESTER CIVIC SOCIETY O U R P O P U L A R S E R I E S O F C O A C H T O U R S C O N T I N U E S SATURDAY 8 th SEPTEMBER 2007 BAKEWELL & HADDON HALL LUNCH STOP IN THE LOVELY OLD TOWN OF BAKEWELL AND VISIT TO THE ANCIENT HOUSE AND GARDENS AT HADDON HALL. ENGLAND S THOUSAND BEST HOUSES DESCRIBES HADDON HALL AS THE MOST PERFECT ENGLISH HOUSE TO SURVIVE FROM THE MIDDLE AGES. COACH DEPARTS: HUMBERSTONE GATE (Secular Hall) BIRSTALL (Station Road) LOUGHBOROUGH (The Rushes) RETURNING AT 6.00, 6.20 and 6.30PM. 9.30AM 9.40AM 10.00AM FULL FARE: 19.50 (MEMBERS 17.50) CONCESSION: 18.50 (MEMBERS 16.50) Senior Citizens, Students or Unwaged.