Winchester Town Centre Plan - Trust Annual Report 1977
The Trust comments on the Issues raised in the Town Centre Plan were duly submitted to the Planning Committee, following an open Committee Meeting to which all members of the Trust were invited to air their views. This was a lengthy report, but a few matters of general interest are worthy of mention.
Tourism:
The Trust considers that the Cathedral needs facilities such as a tourist office, restaurant, and conveniences, preferably by adapting an existing building outside the cathedral. Financial assistance from the city council for such a project would be justified. The Trust also considers that certain historic areas such as the Castle precincts, the College, Hyde Abbey, and Wolvesey, could be provided with better facilities for visitors. Wolvesey Castle has not yet been re-opened to the public, in spite of a promise by the Ministry concerned that this would be done.
Conservation:
The Trust supports the extension of the conservation areas to include the whole of the built-up areas of the city of 1875. It would not, however, be desirable to designate degrees of merit, and the water meadows should also be included. The Trust feels above all that prosperity in an historic town such as Winchester relies on enlighted conservation. Past mistakes must not be repeated, where whole areas of the centre of the city were devastated in the name of slum clearance.