Newsletter, July 2003

Previous newsletters have been written by the Chairman, in the absence of a Newsletter Editor. This issue is different; it is a compilation of contributions by officers and committee members. The fact that there are so many different contributors is an indicator of the well-being of the Society. However, if we had a Newsletter Editor, and one versed in desktop publishing techniques, we could provide our members with an attractive looking newsletter in colour and containing photographs. Any offers?

The main development we have to report is the launch of our new web site, which has been devised by our member Michael Flaherty, who reports on it below. We are grateful to him for all his work in setting it up and looking after it.

Web Site

We now have a web site www.huddersfieldcivicsociety.org.uk so please log on and visit it. The site contains both information about the society for newcomers, including downloadable membership application forms, and the latest news on current projects and events to keep members as up to date as possible. If you ever have any questions regarding the web site please email me at webmaster@huddersfieldcivicsociety.org.uk

Michael Flaherty

Meetings Report

The Society began its social events for 2003 on 20th January with what turned out to be a memorable evening in which three local architects talked about current or very recent projects involving them: Kevin Drayton of One17AD, Ian Hirst of Aedas AHR and Nick Snow, Kirklees MCs Chief Architect. Impressive slides (night-time as well as daytime shots) showed us the care and imagination with which they renovated, redesigned and newly developed a number of familiar Huddersfield buildings. Even the titles of their presentations revealed the imagination, human interest and modesty with which they approached commissions: A Higher Standard of Ordinariness, A Tale of Two Buildings and The Invisible Architect.

At the Society's AGM on 17th March there were no contested elections and the officers and committee members were elected as shown on your programme card. Then Councillor David Payne spoke about the Government's transport plans for West Yorkshire over the next decade. His lucid and authoritative presentation stimulated lively discussion.

On 19th May Dr George Redmonds gave a lecture on the history behind Huddersfield's early street names. As always, he gave us a fascinating view of the past and also an oddly reassuring one in which we could see ourselves as well as Huddersfield's ancestors.

George Keith

Visits Report

The evening visit on 20th May by 20 of our members to the new SITA Kirklees Heat and Power Plant was most interesting and informative.

If society and the packaging industry continue to create sufficient rubbish to almost bury us, and landfill is no longer an option, we wanted to examine how Kirklees was tackling the problem of rubbish disposal. Kirklees collects the refuse and SITA, a French company with which it has formed a joint venture, has the contract to dispose of it.

Seeing the processes to separate steel and aluminium cans, plastic and newsprint for recycling was fascinating. What cannot be recycled is burnt and we were reassured to hear of the cleaning and high tech monitoring of the gases from the furnace before they go up the chimney. Steam is raised to generate electricity for the grid and it will soon be used for local heating schemes as well. Thanks to our guide, the Plant Manager, the visit was excellent, as was our supper afterwards.

Unless anyone has a better idea I think that we felt that we in Kirklees have as good a solution as possible to a problem which is never going to go away. Some half a dozen members are on a waiting list for any future visit. If anyone would like to organise this please contact me for details.

Birmingham may not have been nominated winner of the title 'European City of Culture' but on our visit on 14th June we judged it worthy of prizes for canal restoration, pedestrianisation, street artwork, adventurous public buildings and care of its splendid Victorian inheritance. All this combined to create attractive, animated, traffic-free thoroughfares and public spaces.

Our visit began in a perfectly preserved jewellery workshop, now a museum, which gave us a fascinating insight into an industry which once helped make Birmingham the 'Workshop of the World'. We then toured the Jewellery Quarter, still home to over 500 businesses involved in the trade, and where between 40,000 and 70,000 precious metal items are still hallmarked each working day.

After lunch, with our local guide we saw how restoration of canals and the exclusion of traffic had created lively, attractive public spaces in such a large part of the city centre. With the remainder of the visit free for shopping or to take a genteel cup of tea in the Art Gallery's Edwardian tea room, we returned to the coach, somewhat weary but having enjoyed a good day. Some photographs of the visit will shortly be posted on our web site.

John Lockwood

Planning Report

There have been only a few major planning applications since the last newsletter. The noticeable developments are in the Firth Street area, where mill conversions and demolitions for new build will provide student accommodation and up-market apartments, notably in the former Priestroyd Mill. The Society strongly supports this new use for well-proportioned and attractive mills, which are a reminder of our industrial heritage and the replacement of some unprepossessing buildings with something at least marginally better. However, it objected to the inadequate number of parking spaces proposed for these sites, because it could envisage residents' cars being parked on those neighbouring roads which are not restricted. Nevertheless, the plans were approved. Again, we objected to two much smaller proposals, the signs for the Heaven and Hell Club on New Street and an advertisement hoarding 20ft x10ft on platform 4 of the railway station. The planners didn't agree that the cursive and flashy sign for the former was out of keeping with the Art Deco style of the prominent former Co-op building but did turn down the application for the hoarding.

On more strategic matters, the last newsletter gave details of the Renaissance Towns Initiative and the part we were playing in it. Since then 5 of us attended the last Town Team meeting before the consultant town planners went off to prepare their report which was due in 'early summer'. (This is still awaited and a letter from the Deputy Leader of the Council says that he shares our frustration at the delay. Ed) However, the scheme to improve John William Street will go ahead when the statutory undertakers have finished digging it up.

Michael Rayner

Trees

This summer the trees around the ring road are starting to look splendidly mature. The newly planted areas between the railway warehouse and Fitzwilliam Street are also thriving. It is very unfortunate that some of the trees on the ring road adjacent to Tesco have been vandalised, especially since the planting of these trees was subsidised by the Society. However, the remedial work carried out by Kirklees should see them in good shape again within 3 or 4 years. Remarks have been made about the state of the cherry trees on the Southgate central reservation, but this type of tree is comparatively short-lived and the underplanting with similar young trees will ensure continuity of mature trees on this site.

The Society has long pressed for more trees to be planted inside the ring road, and we are all most encouraged to learn that the new 'road-scape' on John William Street will include a dozen or more columnar evergreen trees in planters. This scheme is due to start in the autumn and should be complete by December. Further town enhancement should then follow on in Kirkgate and Byram Street including more trees, again probably in aboveground containers to avoid problems with underground services. If these new schemes are going to be anything like as good as the development on the pedestrian route between the railway and bus stations, then Huddersfield is about to get a real 'green' facelift.

Peter Broadbent

Huddersfield In Bloom

A very successful Plant Sale was held in New Street on 7th June and it is hoped to include 4 additional stalls for the sale on 19th July. Hanging baskets throughout the town centre have been put up and this year the town is entering the Yorkshire in Bloom Town Centre Competition. Judging will take place on 18th July. The Society's Rose Bowl will be presented to the winner of the Huddersfield in Bloom competition on 25th September; the Tidy Trader Award winner will also be announced, for which this year there are 23 entrants.

Mary Hirst

Stop Press

As readers of the Examiner will know the Town Centre Management team decided at the last minute to withdraw the town from the Yorkshire in Bloom competition because of the scruffiness of the town centre. This prompted a long discussion at our committee meeting on 21st July where despair was voiced at the filthy habits of the public but concerns were raised as to whether Kirklees is using its limited resources in the most effective way and using all the powers available to it. Detailed letters are being sent to the Leader of the Council and the towns Police Chief. We will post these letters and their responses on our web site. In the meantime, please remember that the Council has a hot line for the reporting of litter, potholes, etc. Using it brings a response and, sooner or later, action. The more it is used the more pressure it will bring on Kirklees to allocate extra resources to these problems.

Michael Green

Yorkshire and Humber Amenity Societies Association

The Association was formed in 1999 to provide a forum for societies to share their experiences and problems, to act as a conduit into the Civic Trust and to represent the movement at the new regional government. It has gone from strength to strength and, following a recent change in funding arrangements, now represents all the societies in the region, not just those like us who were founder volunteer members.

There is a quarterly meeting, the last one being at York on 26th April attended by George Keith, Albert Booth and me. 19 societies were represented and we were honoured to have as a guest Saskia Hallam from the Civic Trust who is its link with the hundreds of societies in the country. As well as the usual airing by various delegates of matters of local concern, we were shown a very interesting video produced by Rotherham Civic Society extolling the virtues of that town and funded by grant and sponsorship. Kevin Trickett from Wakefield told us about his experiences on the Pathfinder programme, which he encouraged all societies to support.

Richard Ward

Heritage Open Days

Heritage Open Days this year will be 12th to15th September. The programme is not yet published but can be expected to include many buildings in and around Huddersfield. This year we are involved for the first time as we are organising a guided walk round the town centre on Sunday at 10-30am, meeting outside the railway station. The guides will be Albert Booth, Richard Ward and Mike Green who will repeat the walks they led for visiting members of Leeds Civic Trust in March. All, of course, are welcome. Details of the full programme are on www.heritageopendays.org.

Richard Huddleston

Architecture Prize

Every year the Society awards a prize consisting of £200 of travel vouchers to the student in the University Architecture Department who submits a design scheme which is considered to have the best blend of creativity and sustainability. This year's prize was won by Anastasia Kapagerof from Athens with a design for a large maternity clinic in Menioi, Athens.

Richard Ward

Summer Walk

Our summer evening walk this year on Monday 11th August will be a gentle stroll along a 2-mile section of the Spen Valley Greenway from Cleckheaton to Heckmondwike. The Greenway is part of the National Cycle Network, a system of traffic-free routes for cyclists and walkers, and follows the disused railway line from Low Moor to Thornhill. It is surfaced throughout so no need for big boots!

Arrangements:

1. Park cars in Cleckheaton and meet at 7-20pm at the War Memorial in the park in the centre.
2. Walk the Greenway.
3. Take the bus from Heckmondwike back to Cleckheaton (30p with Metro Card, 70p without)
4. Take cars to the New Inn at Roberttown for a sandwich supper.

1. A62 to Swan traffic lights at Millbridge. Go ahead and turn left at the next set of lights along Bradford Road (A638) into Cleckheaton. There turn left at the lights to find parking.

Programme Card

Please note the following corrections to the programme card:

Richard Huddlestons telephone number is 847562

Michael Rayners email address is m.rayner1@ntlworld.com

Committee meetings begin at 6pm and not 6-30pm when they precede speaker meetings.

Congratulations

To John Eastwood on being elected Vice Chairman of the Huddersfield Town Centre Association

To David Wyles who has been chosen as Town Centre Manager of the Year, a well merited award.

Reminders

If you haven't paid your subscription yet please send it to our Membership Secretary, Mrs Pat Radcliffe, whose details are on the membership card.

The next speaker meeting will be on Monday 15th September at 7:45pm when John Ross will talk about 'The Friends of Beaumont Park'

Finally

I hope you have found the new format of this newsletter useful and interesting. If you have any suggestions on how it might be improved or if you would like to discuss taking on the editorship please let me know.

Michael Green