Development Control Committee - TrustNews April 1985
There have been several important develop¬ments in applications which were described in detail in the last Newsletter.
As many people will know, the construction of the enormous Chesil Street multi-storey car park is now under way. The Trust was concerned when in December a new application was received which proposed an additional 60 cars to the approved scheme. However, a meeting with the City Engineer revealed that no major changes to the bulk, height or appearance of the previous application were proposed. The Trust took the opportunity to reiterate its concern about the impact of this massive building in the surrounding towns cape and in particular on the views from the High Street, Broadway and City Bridge towards St. Giles Hill, and from the viewpoint on the hill over the City. We have asked the City to reconsider proposals to screen the upper parking floor from the viewpoint above and to undertake a proper landscaping scheme in front of the development at the corner of Bridge Street and Chesil Street.
Members of the Trust who attended the architect's presentation of the original car park scheme designs will remember that much was made of the formal relationship between the car park stairway and lift towers and the old Chesil Street Laundry building and warehouse. So much for that, for now it seems that the Laundry's features may only be remembered in the shoes of the new lift towers. An application is currently lodged to demolish all the buildings presently occupied by John Payne Engineering Ltd. In their place a comprehensive redevelopment of 70 dwellings and 6 office units over a car parking deck is proposed. This is a really important scheme which will have far-reaching effects on the character and appearance of the Soke, and members should make an effort to view these proposals and comment accordingly.
Revised proposals by Retirement Properties Ltd. for the old Henly's Garage site at the corner of St. Thomas and St. Swithun Streets have recently been submitted and the Trust has sent back detailed observations. The scheme, a high density flats development around a central courtyard, is essentially unchanged except in its appearance. Unfortunately, we are still not convinced that the new proposals will result in a truly worthy detailed design for this important and sensitive site.
Similarly, revised proposals have been received for the equally important (and certainly more exposed) Crown Hotel site on the corner of Jewry Street and North Walls. Once again, the plans, size and type of accommodation (offices) has not changed - only the proposed building's appearance. The Trust is rather worried by the "look-alike" character of the proposed new building, which has the effect of a rather superficial costume design.
This does raise a familiar and recurring question. How can substantial new building be designed to "fit" into the established fabric of an old city? The Trust holds the view that this can be done without resorting to pastiche. In fact, pastiche is almost always bound to fail, because it is too easy and obvious a solution. The successful solution will usually be subtle and uncompromising, sensitive to existing buildings and spaces, yet bold in its own expression. Such buildings are few, and depend very much on the individuality and flair of the design: and a sympathetic client and Planning Authority - a rare and unlikely combination indeed.