Planning Developments - TrustNews May 1990
With the depression in the property market, the number of planning applications inspected by the Trust's panels recently has fallen, and major developments in the city have taken a welcome breather. One continuing trend however is the decline of gardens in the central area, which are rapidly being lost to car parking. One such garden is that attached to Mulberry House in St Thomas Street, where outstanding trees have been threatened, including a Mulberry tree believed to have been planted by Charles II. Fortunately it now seems that a compromise has been reached, which retains the most important part of this outstanding garden.
Following the unhappy incident of the demolition of a listed building in Staple Gardens which had been allowed to fall into disrepair over the years, the Trust has carried out its own survey of the older buildings in the centre of Winchester. One worrying factor which has emerged is that our ancient monuments appear to be most at risk. The Buttercross is in very poor condition indeed, and pieces of stonework fall off periodically. The Trust has however been given an assurance that major repairs are to be carried out in the near future. The Westgate is in little better condition, and here the blame appears to rest with English Heritage, who seem unable to decide what should be done. We must hope that their decision will not be delayed until it is too late. Also the relaying of the paving on the lower side of the Gate to continue the "way through" appearance promised some time ago by the city, has not yet been done. Another matter reported to us by a number of Trust members as a result of this survey, is the decapitated Black Swan on the corner of High Street and Southgate Street. Surely the city could afford a new head for this important reminder of an ancient Inn needlessly demolished in the '30s.
The Trust continues to be successful in its policy of effecting the listing of threatened buildings in Winchester, and the latest addition to the list is the terrace of Regency houses in North Walls recently damaged by fire.