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York Civic Trust Promoting Heritage - Shaping Tomorrow Annual Report and Heritage Review 2016 - 2017 Art Competition (2017) Osbaldwick School’s “Alternative View of York” assisted by Jake Attree; Osbaldwick was one of the winning schools in the Education Committee’s competition (York Museums Trust ) The Officers of York Civic Trust The Board of Trustees Patron Andrew Scott CBE (Chairman ) Her Royal Highness Dr Peter Addyman CBE (President ) the Duchess of Kent Verna Campbell President Sir Ron Cooke (until April 2017) Roger Dixon Dr Peter Addyman CBE Susan Fisher (from October 2016) Vice Presidents David Foster Y The Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor Kate Giles C o Chairman’s Report ......................................................................................................................... 4 Jane Grenville OBE r of York (ex officio) o k Stephen Lewis (from October 2016) C The Dean of York (ex officio) Fairfax House ...................................................................................................................................... 15 n Stephen Lusty (co-opted March 2017) i t The Members of Parliament v i Elizabeth Reid (until October 2016) e for York (ex officio) c ......................................................................................................... 22 OBE Friends of Fairfax House n Patrick Shepherd T Dame Janet Baker CH DBE Adam Sinclair r t u Events and Activities for Members ............................................................................. 24 s John B Morrell Martin Stancliffe s t Michael Sturge A Chairman Education and Outreach ........................................................................................................ 26 Deian Tecwyn n Andrew Scott CBE n John Vincent (co-opted April 2016) u Planning .................................................................................................................................................... 34 Treasurer a l Michael Sturge Committees Responsible R City Enhancement ......................................................................................................................... 42 e Membership Secretary to the Board p o ........................................................................................................................................................ 47 r Plaques Jill Waterson Audit Committee t (chaired by Alison Robinson) a Chief Executive & n Membership .......................................................................................................................................... 50 City Enhancement Programme d Company Secretary (chaired by Sir Ron Cooke) H Treasurer’s Report ........................................................................................................................... 52 Dr David Fraser FSA Education Committee e r i (chaired by Verna Campbell) t ............................................... 53 Director of Fairfax House a Accounts for the year ended 31 January 2017 Events & Activities Committee g Hannah Phillip (chaired by David Foster) e Raising Funds ..................................................................................................................................... 56 Editors Fairfax House Museum Board R e David Fraser, Margaret Scott, (chaired by Michael Sturge) v Our Volunteers .................................................................................................................................. 58 i Carole Smith Finance & General Purposes e w Committee ...................................................................................................................................................... Trustees 60 Registered Office 2 (chaired by Deian Tecwyn) 0 Fairfax House, Castlegate, Governance & Nominations 1 6 York, YO1 9RN Committee - Telephone 01904 655543 (chaired by David Foster) 2 0 [email protected] Membership Committee 1 7 www.yorkcivictrust.co.uk (chaired by John Vincent ) Planning Committee Auditors (chaired by Jane Grenville) BHP Chartered Accountants, 86 Micklegate, York, YO1 6LQ 2 3 Chairman’s Report There have been disappointments. A large question mark continues to hang over the future of Bootham Park Hospital and its surrounding park land. In Piccadilly, earlier talk of a plan for its regeneration seems to have degenerated into a series of uncoordinated developer-led proposals for individual sites, including temporary proposals for the Reynard’s Garage site. But we Bishopthorpe Road (2017) still have no clear vision for Britain’s favourite high street (Nigel Kirby ) how this important street can play a role in the evolution of In contrast to the changes of personnel in 2015, 2016 has been Lessons in rehabilitation York city centre. a year of consolidation and foundation-building for the Trust, Similarly, there is still no while several new initiatives have found their feet and are learned have been passed movement on York Central. producing returns. The challenges before the city, though, on to Micklegate and Although a consultation continue to grow. Front Street, Acomb forum has been created (and The Civic Trust’s aim, as always, is to promote heritage and our Planning Report shape tomorrow in the city of York. We seek to achieve this through emphasises that we are a variety of activities, such as helping schoolchildren to appreciate participating fully in this) no their city; practical, on-the-ground conservation; and our vital clear proposals have been work with the City Council, seeking to influence and encourage presented, nor any its activities. mechanism for their One strategic ambition is to encourage significant long-term achievement. We are change with a strong vision; another is to organise specific promised an outline planning activities to raise awareness, and to make improvements that application early in 2018 but increase appreciation of our city. indications are that it will not So, what did 2016 bring for York? There have been some very be of the quality indicated by real improvements, such as the reopening of York Art Gallery and the optimistic earlier epithet, the revelation of both the restored Minster East Window and the ‘the Kings Cross of the converted St Leonard’s Place. Important streets have seen real North’ which has sometimes gains, such as the shops in Bishopthorpe Road, ‘Britain’s favourite been applied. high street’. Lessons in rehabilitation learned there have been Micklegate (2017) The same slow progress passed on to Micklegate and Front Street, Acomb. We look Important streets have made real gains sadly applies to a local plan forward to further progress. (Nigel Kirby ) for York – there has been a 4 5 forty-year wait to give statutory underpinning to local planning strategies. The latest deferral of the plan has been caused by Ministry of Defence plans to close Strensall and Imphal Barracks over the next twelve years. Apparently, implications for housing need and provision must be reviewed before a plan, shaped, considered and adopted, can be achieved. This slow progress may partly be due, paradoxically, to York’s relative prosperity. Unemployment and disadvantage are low, Coney Street (2017) particularly by northern Litter and dirt in and around our major shopping street (David Fraser ) standards, and these indicators reduce our access to national York’s heritage, we become just city, rather larger than York, and international subsidies. another small northern city. with some good museums, an Perhaps these days such Frankly, our city does not old town and some fine, if Our city does not prosperity is all that one can compare well with medium slightly anonymous, buildings compare well with ask for, though we should sized equivalents elsewhere in in its 19th-century government certainly not take it for Europe. It is dirty; the public quarter. The cathedral is not a medium sized granted. But we should be realm is poorly maintained; and patch on York Minster. There is equivalents elsewhere using our prosperity as a its distinctiveness is under little doubt that they would in Europe. It is dirty; springboard for genuine attack from loss of small shops, love some of the assets we have improvements to the city. replaced by ever more bars and – low unemployment, a the public realm is Lack of ambition, and restaurants. And despite earlier populous hinterland poorly maintained; complacency, could be our pioneering work in underpinning a solid tourism undoing. Industrial, retail and pedestrianisation, that base and so on. But what and its distinctiveness housing development, and momentum has been lost. The lessons might we learn from is under attack from education provision are city is throttled by traffic and them? loss of small shops, important but, as ever, the care suffers air-quality problems. A visit to most European we apply to the appearance of There is no good reason cities these days raises replaced by ever more our city is crucial. I make no why York residents should have comparisons with York’s bars and restaurants apology for reiterating that to accept second best. I write generally unkempt appearance, ‘York’s face is its fortune’. these notes in Zagreb, the as Sir Ron Cooke has York’s history has included modest capital of Croatia – not constantly reminded us. The periods as an economic an obvious international first thing that strikes the backwater; if we are careless of tourism hotspot. It’s a pleasant visitor from York is Zagreb’s 6 7 against one to use it as a substitute tripod for my camera. It was polished and as clean, well maintained