Chairman's News - TrustNews Sept 03
The Trust has published its own policy entitled "Applying PPG 3 to Winchester". It addresses what has been happening with the implementation of PPG 3 in the City and, in particular, in the suburbs where so many areas are under threat. Every week brings new applications for the redevelopment of older property, for demolition of existing homes and replacing them with high density development, often of uncertain merit. The working party, led by Antony Proudman, has worked very hard indeed on this project and produced a most valuable critique of what has been happening to Winchester in the past two to three years. These views are supported with examples and suggestions for a better understanding and implementation of government policy as contained in PPG 3. We have distributed the document widely to councillors, and local and national organisations; we shall also be sending copies to other amenity societies. Members can obtain it by sending their request to the Heritage Centre accompanied by a large s.a.e with 60p stamp; alternatively it can be downloaded from the Trust's website.
At the annual general meeting of the Civic Trust South East group in early June, the problems most frequently referred to by societies such as our own emanated from PPG 3.
There has been a strong response to the Trust's document and it may have had some influence on the decision of the City Council to run two seminars in early October to discuss the implications of PPG 3. The Trust has been invited to take part in the proceedings with planners and possibly a representative from the Government Office of the South East.
One very encouraging response to our document came from Jon Rouse who is the chief executive of CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment - successor to the Royal Fine Art Commission).
Of course, the Trust realises that the Planning Department is working under severe pressure and we are grateful to John Hearn for illustrating some of the problems elsewhere in this edition of TrustNews.