Civic Society

Minutes of the meeting of the Council of the Society held at 18.00 hours on Monday, 2nd February, 2015 at 19 Carlton Road, Derby.

Present Alan Grimadell (Chair) (AG), Phil Lucas (PL), Peter Steer (PS), Derek Limer (DkL), Max Craven (MC), Lawrence Chell (LC), Jonathan Powers (JP), David Ling (DLg).

1. Apologies for absence Action Dave Parry, Robin Wood, Ann Hutchinson, Ian Goodwin, Ashley Waterhouse, Roger Pegg and Carole Craven.

2. The minutes of the last meeting on 1st December, 2014 were approved

3. Matters arising MC reported that due to colour printing the cost of the Newsletter had increased substantially, but by reducing the size by 4 pages could make a good saving. All agreed that the colour edition looked so much better that the extra cost was justified. Referring to item 5, members wondered whether DP had arranged a tour of the Riverside Buildings. AG asked DLg to let DP have contact details. DLg 4. Treasurer’s Report Assets Cash in Nat West Bank as at 14/01/15 4,606.81 Cash in Building Society 4,766.82 Talk by Joan d'Arcy, 18/1/15 - receipts 172.00 Annual Memberships received (not on statement) 147.50

Total Assets 9,693.13

Creditors - Cheques paid but not cleared note 1 217.29

Net Assets 9,475.84

Represented by: Accumulated surplus from previous years 9,044.35 Gain for the year to date 431.49 9,475.84

Note 1: Total annual subs for2014/15 = £1327. Received so far £1309.50. Leaving members cancelled out by new members. Cheque No Amount Payee Description 743 20.00 P Lucas Postage, etc Cathedral 744 75.00 John E Wight Talks Flyers Event 745 122.29 David Parry expenses 217.29

AG DLg suggested joining Civic Voice. AG to try and get a deal on membership. 5. Activities Report (DP) The Activities Secretary sent the following report by email: Joan D’Arcy’s talk on Stone House Prebend was well attended and she asked for her fee to be given to the Padley Centre so I gift aided £32 and that meant they had £40 which had to be shown as a personal donation. Everything is ready for the Coffee Morning and the Mayor will attend. I need volunteers to man the door and serve coffee. [DkL and RP volunteered for the coffee and DLg and PL the door]. The lunch in March hasn’t attracted many booking yet but I will be publicising this further. As to Blue Plaques, I will be repeating my talk on Ronald Binge at Little Chester History Group on Thursday 19th Feb at 7.30 pm and any Civic Society member wanting to attend can be signed in as guests for £2.

6. Membership report No report from RW, but LC reported that he had chased up unpaid membership fees with positive results. AG will contact RW for an up to date report.

7. Chairman’s items Chairman said that he had arranged some more Cathedral talks. The next is by Max Craven on William Strutt on 17th February. Unfortunately the Cathedral is to close to the public for at least six months from April for refurbishment. AG also reported that he had renewed the Marketing Derby membership for another year at reduced cost and table their program for the year. AG also pointed out that a breakfast meeting is being sponsored jointly by the Society and Pick Everard (IG’s firm). This will be on 28th April. From 7.45 am to 9.15 am. The Society will have the first half hour from 8.15 to 8.45 to make a presentation. AG will introduce, MC and DLg will present on the work of the Society with stress on our lobbying, ABCD awards, and work on getting buildings listed and Conservation Areas. PW suggested having an account at a printers to get better discounts.

8. Conservation Area Advisory Committee report DL reported that at the December meeting the committee received the report on Friargate Bridge (contents read out at the previous meeting of the Council and again at this meeting). The committee recommended that Option 2 be adopted and that the repair of the bridge be given top priority. MC reported that the 7 storey block of student flats on Kennings old site in Cathedral Road which the committee had previously rejected came back to committee with revised plans. These were also rejected by the committee.

9. Planning and related matters MC said he was concerned about an application to redevelop Oaklands on Duffield Rd. DkL reported that a substantial development of flats is to be built in Orchard St and St Helen’s St. He also said that work had started on the old Crown Derby buildings on King’s St.

10. ABCD awards DLg reported that the judging panel had met and the winners are: Category 1 New Buildings Derby Arena Winner Promoter: Derby City Council Architect: Faulkner Browns Sadler Bridge Studios Highly commended Promoter: Derby City Council Architects: Bauman Lyons Category 2 Restoration projects Darley Stables Winner Promoter: Stables Sanctuary LLP Architects; Brownhill, Hayward, Brown Former Magistrates Court & Police Station Highly commended Promoter: Wilson Bowdens Architects: Maber Ashgates School Highly Commended Promoter: Derby City Council Architects: Derby City Council Design Team King's Hall Chambers Commended Promoters: Derby City Council Architects: A+G Architects Limited The Park Bikeworks Commended Promoter: Bennetts of Irongate Ltd Architects: MMA Design Architects Matthew 29 Sadler Gate Commended Promoter: Gordon House Investments Architects: Daniel Bland Architect

11. Blue Plaque Scheme AW reported that the next Blue Plaque to William Towle will go up at the Hallmark AG (Midland) Hotel shortly. 7 more planned for this year including Evans, Mundy, Bakewell, Stevens, Wast, Rivers VC, and Steve Bloomer at Baseball Ground. JP raised question of proof reading plaques as there had been some errors. AG suggested that he take on that role. JP JP also said he thought a new plaque to Erasmus Darwin should be put up and to Princess Aethelflaeda, the Lady of the Mercians and liberator of Derby in 917. MC said we needed a new President following the demise of Mrs Chandos-Pole.

12. Report by Williams and Latham on City Centre DLg said that this report follows very much on parallel lines that of our own concerns as discussed in the meeting that DLg and IG had with Cllr Rawson. As reported at the previous meeting DLg said that he had been concerned for sometime about the state of the Green Lane conservation area, and cited the dilapidated buildings around the Green Lane/ Macklin St/St Peter’s Churchyard area. He had therefore arranged to meet Cllr Rawson to show him the problems. The meeting had now taken place and DLg read out his email to Cllr Rawson summarising what was discussed. We expressed our concern at the unnecessary demolition and redevelopment of “The Spot” at this time of financial stringency when funds could be applied more effectively elsewhere. We also expressed our concern at the extravagant expenditure at St Peter’s cross, when a simple repaving would have sufficed. We pointed out that there are a number of shopping streets that are routinely neglected when city centre improvements are being considered. Babbington Lane has very poor provision for pedestrians and those with disabilities and yet it remains a busy shopping street against the odds. The real eyesores are on Green Lane, particularly around the crossroads with St Peter’s Churchyard and Macklin St. There are three vacant, but key buildings in this area that have been neglected to the point of ruin. The former church building on the corner of Gower St, the Hippodrome and the former Showboat Amusement Arcade/Chapel. We feel the only solution is for the Council to take the initiative and compulsorily purchase these sites. The Hippodrome could then be resold to the Restoration Trust, and the other two demolished and redeveloped if no viable use can be found for them. I believe there is a shop front scheme for the area and this should encourage shop owners to improve their premises, but at the same time street improvement should be made, including pedestrianising St Peter’s Churchyard and Green Lane from the cross roads down to Victoria St. An open “performance space” could be created in the cross roads outside the Hippodrome. Duckworth Square desperately needs something doing. Various schemes have been proposed and failed, and in our view the only answer is a quality residential scheme, reflecting the houses on Macklin St, perhaps with a “Georgian Square” feel. We also discussed the problem of the two covered markets. It has become clear that two markets are unsustainable. The Market Hall is by far the more attractive of the two and more likely to attract the sort of niche stalls that make modern markets vibrant. The Market Hall is the more historically and architecturally important of the two and deserves to be saved. It could be made more attractive by making the stalls less dominant and allow temporary stalls under the Guildhall on a regular basis.

Whilst the Williams Latham Report goes further than our discussion DLg said that he felt the Society could endorse it and proposed that we should invite Derek Latham and David Williams to join our Council and form a sub-committee to take the matter forward as it encompasses what the Civic Society was set up to do. The Council then unanimously accepted both proposals and asked DLg to contact DLg Latham and Williams.

13. Correspondence DRL also read out an email he had recently sent to Derby Hospitals Trust following up on their letter of 14th July and mentioning the concerns of our former secretary Norma Constadine.

14. Website and Newsletter MC said that contributions to the next Newsletter will be in Mid July.

15. Any Other Business PL suggested that the Council could hold a meeting at the new Riverside Buildings. LC mentioned that the Fire Service would be moving out of Hall. We should keep an eye on any development proposals, and also organise a visit. DP DkL mentioned that Leicester Market Hall which is very similar to Derby’s has recently been refurbished to great acclaim. DLg reported that the architect of the scheme had already been in touch with IG and the City Council offering their services. It was also suggested that DP arrange a visit to Leicester Civic Society DP

Date and place of next meeting 20th April 2015 at 19 Carlton Road, Derby

Signed ………………………………………………………….. Chairman Date ……………………