Visions of Winchester - TrustNews Winter 1992
A new series of Lectures
This is a new and important feature of the programme which we believe will be of great interest to members and to others. Full details are given in the leaflet inserted in this Newsletter but it will be seen that this is a series of five lectures by eminent speakers arranged by our Urban Studies Committee.
Winchester is typical of many historic old towns and cities throughout the UK and Europe and has been subject to all the usual stresses and strains which planning authorities struggle to resolve. It is on the edge of what has been until recently an area of major expansion although the City itself is now supposed to be a 'no growth area'. Over the last two decades a considerable number of new buildings have been introduced and old ones altered and these in some cases have proved to be controversial in both aesthetic and planning terms. Area planning policies have been established to preserve and protect the City from the excesses of modern day requirements, but because of the popularity of the City both for its historic ambience and its central position the planning lines have been frayed by development that appears to test the system to its limits. Against this background the Urban Studies Committee felt that it would be helpful to take stock of the current situation and try to put Winchester into perspective both nationally and internationally by looking in from the outside.
We believe that this series of lectures, which represents an entirely new departure for the Trust, will be of interest and importance not only to members but to a wider public and indeed the first lecture which has already taken place proved to be a great success. It was not possible to issue the Newsletter in time to give notice of this lecture but we hope that most members will have seen the advertisements for it in the Press and elsewhere. A series of lectures on this scale involves a certain amount of expense and as will be seen from the leaflet a modest entrance fee will be charged.
This is an ambitious project for the Trust and we hope that it will be well supported.