The Civic Trust is dead; long live a civic trust? - 
TrustNews August 09
The Civic Trust, national umbrella organisation for all such societies as our own, collapsed earlier this year. Founded (like us) in 1957, it made a huge contribution to our national heritage by campaigning for the introduction of conservation areas, led by its first chairman, Duncan Sandys. When eventually enacted, this legislation protected and enhanced areas of historic value, where before only individual listed buildings had any protection, often surrounded by inappropriate redevelopment. The Civic Trust achieved much else, including its famous design awards. However, in recent years we had become increasingly disillusioned because it seemed to have become more interested in undertaking lucrative government contracts and offering training courses for societies than taking up their causes at national level. Eventually we resigned, believing the very considerable subscription could be better spent locally.
Hearing of major changes in its management and objectives we were considering rejoining, but the changes were too late to save the organisation, which became insolvent when it lost one of the contracts on which it had come to rely. This is a tragedy for the conservation movement as a whole because we do need a central voice. Time and again we find that local problems cannot be tackled because ill-conceived central government legislation forces local authorities to adopt policies that are inappropriate to local circumstances. Think of the way increased density has been applied regardless of character, how inflexible time-targets undermine the quality of planning decisions, how housing-number allocations take little account of local needs, and how the ill-considered imposition of IT and standardised application forms increase the complexities of planning.
Any attempts we have made to take such matters up directly with central government have been brushed aside whereas, speaking for hundreds of local societies, the Civic Trust might again have influenced government policy. There is now, however, widespread support for what is being called the Civic Society Initiative (www.civicvoice.org,uk). Led by a small team, including Tony Burton (seconded by the National Trust), Griff Rhys Jones (former Civic Trust President) and Laura Sandys (daughter of Civic Trust founder), the initiative aims to re-think the form and objectives of a national body. We shall play a part in the process sending representatives to recently convened meetings in Portsmouth and Guildford. To be continued.....