BristolCIVIC SOCIETY

100years of campaigning for a better Bristol

As we enjoy the historyand sights of Bristol it istoo easy to forget whatmight have happened.Without its Civic Societyand environmentalcampaigners, the Cityof Bristol would be a

much poorer and less attractive place. In the darkest days of Bristol's corporatephilistinism – even before the onset ofany formal public participation in theplanning system – it was left to theleading lights in the Civic Society to bringattention to the threats.

It now beggars belief when one describes theplans for a 'Riviera style' eight-storey hoteland car park in the Avon Gorge, stopped onlyafter the foundations had been built, or theurban motorway that would have sailed over

the site of the SS Great Britain, the FloatingHarbour and Brandon Hill, let alone the morerecent battles for the heart of the city and itswaterfront.

The Civic Society has had many heroes andwe have much to be thankful for in the mostdogged of them – the ones who maysometimes have been a real pain to the CityCouncil, but who knew they were fighting forthe city they love – and for the futuregenerations that will hopefully be able toenjoy the fruits of their endeavours.

Let’s hope that we are now moving into anera when in effect the whole city and itsgovernment becomes a civic society and weall work together for the future with properrespect for the past.

George FergusonRIBA President

Foreword

We are greatly indebted to the Bristol EveningPost for their unstinting help with archivematerial and with the launch of this book.

Our sincere gratitude goes to Mr Fred Peddlefor the generous donation he made inmemory of his late wife, Dorothy; both weremembers of the Civic Society. We are alsograteful to Bristol Water and the PontinCharitable Trust for their sponsorship of this book, and to the late Stan Godsell for his bequest.

Our heartfelt thanks to the following for theirhelp with this book:

James BarkeColin BealesCraig BeggGerry BrookeJerry and Anne HicksStephen and Jean MacfarlaneGordon PriestJohn Trelawny-Ross

Researched by Charles FoxWritten by Sasha LubetkinGraphic Design by Eatcake Design

2

Acknowledgments

Pict

ure

by V

aler

ie B

enne

tt.

ContentsForeword 2

Acknowledgments 2

A lightning tour of the first hundred years 4

The sleeping giant awakes 6

Campaigns past and present 8Historic buildings an obstruction to progress 8The Civic Centre that never was 10Splendid new car park for the Avon Gorge 12City Docks? Fill them in! 13A monster looms over King Street 16A brief sunlit episode 16Canon’s Marsh: Bristolians say NO 17More trouble and strife down at the Docks 18

Negative? not us! 21Environmental Awards 21The greening of Bristol 22The Bathurst Declaration 22

The future 23Redcliffe – real public involvement at last 23

How we work – the nuts and bolts 24

All hands on deck! 26

What we now know as Bristol CivicSociety began back in 1905 as the BristolKyrle Society. It was named after JohnKyrle, an 18th century merchant whodevoted his life to beautifying Ross-on-Wye, his native town.

The Bristol KyrleSociety set out tobeautify Bristol bypreserving finehistoric buildings,discouraging bad

new building, improving waste spaces byplanting trees and shrubs and providingseats, encouraging the cultivation ofwindow boxes and persuading schoolsand clubs to help preserve trees, flowersand wildlife.

Some things never change: the KyrleSociety was much exercised by themindless vandalism of young people whodeliberately destroyed young plants,trees and shrubs. Litter, too, was acontinuing irritant.

In addition to improving theenvironment, the Kyrle Society alsopromoted public interest in the arts,arranging for schoolchildren to attend aconcert and to be given talks at theBristol School of Architecture about thecity’s interesting buildings.

Following the First World War, the Societybegan to play a larger role in the city,joining with the Design and IndustriesAssociation to prepare and present to theCouncil proposals for the improvement ofthe Centre.

It also worked for years – with sadly littlesuccess – to secure improvements toneglected squares and public green spaces.

A much fuller history of the Kyrle Society,written by Vincent Waite in 1965, is to befound on the Civic Society’s website.

When the Second World War began, Bristolwas heavily bombarded by the Luftwaffe,destroying much of the city, including itshistoric shopping area (which lay betweenWine Street and Castle Street).

Mr Lionel Fox, Chairman of the PrisonCommission, on a visit to Bristol prison,wrote in his diary for April 1945:

‘…I had my first sight of the ruins ofBristol. This exceeds anything of thesort I have yet seen except perhaps theworst part of the City of London.

‘From Temple Meads towards thecentre is just a normal badly blitzedarea, though it was memorable to seethe graceful grey lines of St MaryRedcliffe soaring unbroken from therubbled ruins all around.

‘But the view from the centre up to theright, where the worst of thedevastation fell, was astonishing – itsurpassed even what I remember ofYpres at its most desolate. One looksup this broad slope and sees acre uponacre of mere rubble or broken breast-high brick, and out of this emerge thegrey shells and battered towers ofseveral ancient churches, upstandingagainst the sky and accentuating thescene as perhaps they have done since

A lightning tour of the

4

houses were built in brick and stone. Forthe rest, I was glad to find the Cathedraland College Green unhurt, though thebeautiful Park Street leading up to theuniversity was sadly gapped and battered.I wonder what sort of city will take theplace of what is now irrevocably gone. It is a splendid opportunity.’

A new society

Mr Fox was not alone in seeing thisopportunity. Following the blitz, it was clearthat there was a tremendous amount of work

to be done to revive the city and bring it backfrom the terrible devastation it had suffered.The enormity of the task ahead was clear,and thus it was that in June 1943 the KyrleSociety merged into the new Bristol CivicSociety, which was founded specifically tohelp with re-planning the ruined city and tocarry out an extended field of activity.

As the Western Daily Press commented:

‘A new Society was formed in Bristolyesterday to cope with the vital need forre-planning and civic development.’

first hundred years

5

Remains of Union Street after bombing,November 1940.Picture by BristolEvening Post.

* Souls on Fire, written by Civic Society committee member David Farnsworth, January 2004

Generally speaking, until after the end ofthe Second World War the public wasexpected to put up and shut up, and begrateful for whatever those in authorityfelt it appropriate to do with the city.Perhaps as a result of the desperate daysthat Bristolians had been through,however, there arose a groundswell ofcritical opinion, expressed by people whowere not entirely happy with what wasbeing planned for their city, and wantedtheir opinions to be taken into account.

A customers’ revolt

As Sir Hugh Casson, the architect brought inby the Council as consultant on the future ofthe bombed-out area of Wine Street/CastleStreet, and, later, on the future of City Docks,observed:

‘What has happened…is the beginning ofa customers’ revolt – a refusal any longerto be totally the victims of experts, agrowing insistence on having more say inthe shape of our surroundings.’

This new, questioning spirit of the public foundofficial expression in a 1967 government reportcalled People and Planning. It established thatthe public should be involved in localplanning, and be consulted about proposeddevelopments and road plans.

From the 1970s onwards, Bristol Civic Societyand like-minded allies successfully led theresistance to the break-up of cities in generaland Bristol in particular. They challenged thepseudo-scientific principles of ‘separate zones’and ’predict and provide’ as justification fordestructive new road schemes. In place of

these, the Society presented credible andattractive alternatives.

A new era dawns

This was the dawn of a new era, one whichhas seen an ever-increasing growth in theimportance and influence of publicparticipation – although even now it is stillnot always as well-organised or as influentialas it ought to be.

Nearly 40 years on, a Civic SocietyBroadsheet* dealt with the ‘river of newlegislation, policy statements, guidance,regulations and codes of practice [which]flow towards Local Authorities and the public’.

Amongst this welter of governmentpronouncements one particular pointoccurs again and again: the keyimportance of involving local people indecision-making. This means actuallyinvolving the public in planning ratherthan just producing a plan and then‘consulting’ them. Government hasshown its commitment by providing a£350m grant over three years(2003–2006) to help local planningauthorities promote publicinvolvement.

We can only hope that this will resultin a truly positive relationshipbetween the local planning authorityand the public, in place of the repeatedpattern of the past forty years, whenproposals for inappropriate development haveoften been followed by public protest – whichhas by no means always been successful.

The sleeping giant awakes

6

7

Front page, Bristol Evening Post.

Some disasters thatBristol Civic Society,working with localamenity groups,helped to avert

Post Office TowerThis 1972 proposal for a 300 foot towerblock would have dwarfed the Old VicTheatre, historic King Street and the old city.It was abandoned because of fierce publicopposition to the scheme.

Canon’s MarshA huge, rigidly-zoned scheme for Canon’sMarsh would have obscured views of theCathedral and turned the best site in Bristolinto a most unattractive quarter of the city.This scheme was thrown out by the CityCouncil after a protracted and highly effective campaign.

Avon Gorge HotelA proposed massive extension to the existingbuilding would have destroyed the view ofthe Clifton Gorge and the Suspension Bridge.A lively national campaign eventually saw thisproposal withdrawn.

The Inner Circuit RoadThis proposal would have entailed closing theCity Docks and filling-in the Floating Harbour.The scheme was withdrawn following topowerful and sustained public objection.

Campaigns past and The first campaign waged by the CivicSociety was against a proposal by BristolCorporation to buy up and demolish some771 acres (312 hectares) of buildings inthe middle of the city. In order toredevelop the city comprehensively as a‘business zone’, the Council proposed todemolish an area including OrchardStreet, Berkeley Square, Great GeorgeStreet, Redcliffe Parade, Queen Squareand far more besides.

Vandalism or idealism?

Although this probably strikes the modernreader as shocking vandalism, it was anapproach that was being adopted all over thecountry in this era of post-war reconstruction.Idealistic local authorities wanted to create abetter world, with fine civic buildings in themiddle of town and ‘homes fit for heroes’ in‘housing zones’ on the outskirts.

Alas, their plans, however well intentioned,were often unsuccessful, and many beautifulold buildings were demolished to make wayfor ham-fisted and failed attempts to forge abrave new world.

Death of a dream

A statement by the Civic Society pointed outthat the threatened streets were full of finehistoric buildings which ‘it would becalamitous to destroy.’

Thanks to the subsequent campaign by localgroups led by the Civic Society, the Council’scompulsory purchase order was finallyreduced to 245 acres (99 hectares).

Much to the City’s chagrin, a 1948government circular stipulated that landshould be compulsorily purchased ‘only foressential and immediate needs’. This lack ofgovernment support for comprehensiveredevelopment meant that the Council had todrop its ambitious plans.

In the end, the total amount of landcompulsorily purchased by the City Councilwas a mere 19 acres (7.69 hectares) inBroadmead for a new shopping developmentto replace the devastated former shoppingarea between Wine Street and Castle Street.

Thus died theCouncil’s dreamof a wholebrand-newcentre forBristol.

Historic buildings an obstruction to progress

8Pictures by John Trelawny-Ross.

Queen Square

Orchard Street

present

9Berkeley Square

Castle Street, Wine Street and thenetwork of smaller streets between themwere wiped out by Hitler’s bombs. Thisonce thriving and colourful historicshopping centre, where Bristolians lovedto spend their Saturdays parading up anddown and doing some leisurely window-shopping, was reduced to rubble. Some ofit was eventually flattened and surfacedto provide a large open-air car park.

A new Civic Centre for Bristol

The Corporation’s plan for the area was toturn it into a civic and cultural centre,including a museum and art gallery, aguildhall, a conference hall, a library ofcommerce and a college of technology.

The Council promised not to depart from thisgrand civic plan without public consultation.

A fragile promise

Alas, this promise proved all too fragile: in1958 the Council gave permission to both theNorwich Union and the Bank of England fornew commercial buildings on the site.

This met with a furious reaction from theCivic Society, as well as from professional,political and commercial associations and the general public. The secretary of theSociety wrote:

‘The Civic Society committee wereunanimously of the opinion that theplanning permission in principle granted to

The Civic Centre that never was: proposed redevelopment of the Castle Street/Wine Street area

10

commercial developers should be held inabeyance and rescinded.’

An eminent expert

Arguments about what to do with thisimportant part of the city rumbled on and on,and – at the insistence of all the organisationsand associations consulted – an outsideexpert, the eminent architect Sir Hugh Casson(who had been Director of Architecture forthe 1951 Festival of Britain), was drafted in bythe City Council to create a coherent plan forthe area. This was accepted by the planningcommittee, but came to naught, stymied bylack of funds.

Arrogance

An interesting sidelight is provided by a smallnews item in the September 1961 edition ofthe Bristol and Somerset Society of Architects’Journal. It reports on a meeting to discuss the

Council’s proposals for the Wine Street area:

‘The Council spokesman would not discuss the Bank of England or NorwichUnion buildings.’

Would such arrogance and high-handednessbe accepted without a murmur today?

It’s not over yet

At the time of going to press, the future ofthe Wine Street area is still unresolved. TheNorwich Union and Bank of England buildingsremain marooned and alone (although theother side of Bristol Bridge looks morecompact and permeable to pedestrians).

11Wine Street/Castle Street, 1971. [inset] Saturday shopping before the Second World War. Pictures by Bristol Evening Post.

From this distance, it is hard to imaginethat anybody could have thought itwould be a good idea to build a 260-footlong, eight-storey building, comprising amulti-storey car park with a hotelextension on top of it, in the dramaticallybeautiful Avon Gorge right next to theClifton Suspension Bridge – but they did.

What’s more, in January 1971, outlinepermission for this monstrous developmentwas rushed through by the planningcommittee so that the hotel-owners couldbenefit from an English Tourist Board grant of£1,000 per bedroom. The offer of this grantwas about to expire, so the heat was really on.

Alarm bells

The Clifton and Hotwells ImprovementSociety (CHIS) was the first amenity society toget wind of this planning application, andthey lost no time in sounding alarm bells. Ameeting of interested people was called andan action group, STAG (Save the Avon Gorge),was formed.

In no time at all, 174 individual letters weresent to the Council objecting to the proposal,

but this did not stop the planning committeefrom granting outline planning approval forthe hotel extension.

Strike!

Nothing daunted, STAG went national,invoking the power of the national press. Inspite of a postal strike, letters from objectorsto the Secretary of State calling for a publicinquiry were delivered every other day to theDepartment for the Environment by STAG’svery own courier service. No fewer than1,200 letters were delivered.

The minister announced that he would becalling a public inquiry. Last-ditch attempts bythe planning committee and the hotel-ownerto get full planning permission for the hotelextension were thwarted at the eleventh hourby a direct intervention from the Minister ofthe new Department of the Environment.

The Inspector’s decision

The Inquiry was an impressive affair. Thebrilliant local QC Paul Chadd presented astrong case against the development,summoning as witnesses a host of Bristolians,as well as such distinguished national figuresas the poet John Betjeman and architects J M Richards and Berthold Lubetkin.

In the end, the Inspector’s reportrecommended that permission for theproposed hotel extension should be revoked.

At the time of going to press, a new plan forthe hotel is being mooted by the currentowner. It involves creating a car park in theGorge and building four new town houses ontop of the ballroom.

Splendid new car park for the Avon Gorge

12

Picture reproduced by kind permission of Redcliffe Press.

OUTERCIRCUITROAD

NETHAM WEIRREMOVED

RIVER AVON

TEMPLEMEADS

Hydraulic linkHydraulic link & lockBarrage & lock

RIVERAVON

NEW CUT

FEEDER

DOCKS COMMITTEE LAND

MAJOR ROAD PROPOSALS

WATERWAYS TO BE RECLAIMED

WATERWAYS TO BE PARTIALLYRECLAIMED

ST MARYREDCLIFFE

Hydraulic link

CUMBERLAND BASIN

OUTERCIRCUITROAD

INNERCIRCUITROAD

COUNCIL HOUSE

CATHEDRAL

City Docks? Fill them in!In 1969 the Council announced it wouldpromote a Parliamentary Bill enabling theCity to withdraw navigation rights in theCity Docks. The idea was to fill in largeparts of the Floating Harbour to createmore space for roads and commercialdevelopment.

No more ships in the Docks

Although the proposed scheme was officiallydescribed as ‘a lagoon system’, it soonbecame all too clear that yachts and tall shipswould be banished from the Docks.Bristolians, who have always had a greattenderness for the city’s maritime heritage,didn’t like this idea one little bit.

The Civic Society, Cabot Cruising Club, InlandWaterways Association, the Kennet and AvonCanal Trust and the Clifton and HotwellsImprovement Society came together at apublic meeting which ended with objectorscarrying a motion to abandon the Bill thatwould stop boats from using the docks.

Barrister Paul Chadd concluded a hard-hitting article in the Evening Post (22 August 1969) with the words:

‘It is wrong to embark on a vastoutlay to destroy what any saneperson wants to save.’

DODO in Bristol

SeasonedcampaignerJerry Hickspromoted thetheory that anorganisationcalled DODO(run by covertmembers ofDada*) wassubversivelyworking (in thewords of Tony Aldous, writing in The Times,29 June 1971) to subject the city ‘to everyatrocity of bad planning and non-planningimaginable, in the hope that this ghastlyexample would bring public and plannerselsewhere to their senses’.

The next step of the City Council was to holda public poll after a campaign to persuadeBristolians that if the docks were ever to beenjoyed as a public space, the Bill had to gothrough. The council won: the majority ofthose polled supported the Bill.

*Dada was a group of early twentieth-century artists and writerswho used the absurd as a means of protesting against The FirstWorld War and the bourgeois society of the day. Among themwere François Picabia, Marcel Duchamp and Tristan Tzara.

13[above] Paul Chadd. Picture by Bristol Evening PostCity Council planning proposal for the City Docks.

DODO drawing by Jerry Hicks

The fight continues

In spite of this, the fight went on, movingfrom Bristol to the Houses of Parliament,where vigorous campaigning anddistinguished advocacy ensured preservationof the entire water surface and navigationrights for recreational craft. Thus, the Bill wastotally emasculated.

Having saved the docks from being filled in, the protestors demanded that a masterplanner be invited to prepare a study of the area.

Outright criticism

Once again, Sir Hugh Casson was brought in.His report, published in 1972, includedoutright criticism of the proposed roadscheme including an urban motorway, theOuter Circuit Road*, which was to have cutstraight across the filled-in Floating Harbour.

Casson also recommended the introductionof a public transport system geared to users’requirements.

It is depressing to observe that we are still notwithin spitting distance of achieving that;indeed, there is a strong case for saying thatpublic transport is in an even worse state nowthan it was 30 years ago.

From protest to positive action

The tide turned after the Bristol City DocksGroup was founded from the people andgroups who had worked so hard to preventthe concreting over of the Docks. Drawingupon the inspiring writing of Jane Jacobs†,they proposed a return to mixed-use,pedestrian-friendly cities for people. Thisgroup transformed the protest movementinto a positive forward planning exercise.

* The Outer Circuit Road, which was to have bridged the Floating Harbour, was killed off because the Ministry of Transport refused to finance it, influencedby yet another campaign in which the Civic Society played an important role. Nevertheless, the Outer Circuit Road remained an aspiration for many years.

14

The Bristol City Docks Group produced aseries of seven reports and ideas from thegeneral public – exhibited at the City ArtGallery – for the future of Bristol and its City Docks. ‘Twenty ideas for Bristol’ was the first of many subsequent invitations topublic visionaries.

At the same time, new life was brought tothe Docks by the return of the SS GreatBritain to the city of its birth. Bristolians werethrilled, though the Council was less certain,since the ship’s original dock was on the lineof the proposed Outer Circuit Road.

Then, the popular Arnolfini gallery movedinto W Shed (before its final move to theBush warehouse), and when E Shed (now TheWatershed) was saved from demolition, thefuture of the Floating Harbour was assured.

These events, together with enthusiasticpublic support for keeping the docks open,

helped decide the City Council to abandonthe ‘Docks Bill’. Since then, many of AnneHicks’ illustrations for the Bristol City DocksGroup have become reality.

† Jane Jacobs (born 1916) has written extensively on the subject of cities and how they function. She maintains that local initiatives workbetter than diktats from central bureaucracies, and that cities should consist of human-scale, sustainable communities.

15

The Festival of the Sea, 1996. Picture by Bristol Evening Post.

Drawing of WCAWarehouse,Redcliff Backs, byAnne Hicks: one ofthe Bristol CityDocks Group’s‘Twenty ideasfor Bristol’. Nearly thirty yearslater, in 1998, thiswarehouse wasrefurbished andconverted into flatsby ArchitectonArchitects.

A proposal in 1972 to construct a 93 metrehigh slab block for the Post Office on thesite of the Central Telephone Exchange,where it would dwarf the surroundingarea including King Street, Queen Square,Corn Street and St Stephen’s Street, wasrapidly countered by a colourful publicitycampaign. This included a scheme to flybarrage balloons at 93 metres to show the

general public just how tall the proposedtower would be.

The planning committee rejected theapplication, so the Post Office changedits plans – and found that its needs wereadequately met by a six-storey telephoneexchange in place of the proposedbehemoth.

A monster looms over King Street

In April 1974, the County of Avon cameinto being, sweeping away the oldboundaries and taking over the ancientCity and County of Bristol.

This was more than a symbolic change: itsignalled the end of the post-war era, with its‘Brave New World’ politicians and officers. A new breed of planners and politicians soonmade itself felt, setting up formal links withthe Civic Society and other amenity groups.Bristol won a Europa Nostra award for

development in the harbour, and the city’sfirst Local Plan incorporated much of the’mixed-use’ thinking which is current today.

Sadly, this sunlit episode lasted only untilMarch 1996, when the County of Avonofficially ceased to exist. A new regimearrived, determined to secure development atall costs, leaving considerations of quality,appropriateness and the wishes of the publictrailing behind in the dust.

A brief sunlit episode

16

Drawings byJerry Hicksfrom BristolEvening Post.

When in 1998 property developers CrestNicholson launched a scheme, designed byarchitects Arup Associates*, for thecomprehensive redevelopment of Canon’sMarsh, the City Council, as one of the jointowners of the Canon’s Marsh site, advisedcouncillors to vote in favour of thescheme. Little could the developers or theCouncil officers foresee the impassionedand furious reaction that these planswould stir up in the people of Bristol.

The proposed development would have beenrigidly ‘zoned’, in the mannerwhich was fashionable in the1970s, keeping different uses awayfrom each other. There was to be azone for private housing, an officequarter, a massive commercialleisure centre including a casino,bowling alley, night club andmultiplex cinema (of which Bristolalready has a plethora) as well as amulti-storey car park.

Outdated and unsuccessful

This was by now generally recognised as anoutdated and unsuccessful approach to urbandesign; the current view is that all newdevelopments should be mixed-use, withlively and attractive uses at ground level(shops, cafés, bars and restaurants), andoffices and flats above. This approach keeps adevelopment alive all the time, making itmore vibrant and also more secure because ofthe ‘natural surveillance’ provided by residentsliving on the upper floors.

Canon’s Marsh: Bristolians say NO

17

© Copyright The Times, London, 26 January 2000.

* The architectural practice responsible for designing the Lloyds TSB building.

The Docks have been the scene of muchplanning conflict around the turn of thetwenty-first century – perhaps because, atlong last, the huge potential value ofwaterside sites has been recognised bylandowners and developers out to make a killing.

If the city were to take a firm line withdevelopers and refuse to countenance anydivergence from their own planningguidance, perhaps such conflicts would befewer and further between.

As it is, developers put forward schemeswhich do not conform to the planningrecommendations, and it is left to the Civic Society and others to try to defend our beloved city against inappropriatedevelopment.

At the time of going to press, twoproposed developments in particular arehanging in the balance, the subject oflively public discussion and dissent:Wapping Wharf and the McArthur’sWarehouse site (the latter lies behind themooring of the SS Great Britain).

More trouble and strife down at the Docks

The proposed new buildings were up to seven storeys in height, very bulky, and wouldhave obscured all views of the Cathedral fromthe south.

In an attempt to save the beautiful docksidefrom inappropriate and ugly development, anational publicity campaign was mounted bythe Friends of Canon’s Marsh. FOCM, inwhich the Civic Society played a key role,comprised hundreds of individual citizens aswell as seven different local amenity societies.

Massive publicity campaign

The FOCM campaign extended to radio,television and the local and national press. On the very day in January 2000 when theplanning committee met to make a finaldecision on whether or no to give planningpermission for the Canon’s Marsh scheme,Simon Jenkins of The Times wrote a powerfularticle roundly condemning the proposeddevelopment.

FOCM observers in the Council Chamberwatched with mounting excitement as, oneafter the other, members of the planningcommittee declared against the proposedscheme for Canon’s Marsh. The voting wasdecisively against it, and at last the unpopularproposal was laid to rest.

Once this was out of the way, a master-planner, Ted Cullinan, an architect with a fine national reputation, was appointed as the result of a very limited publicconsultation exercise, to produce a new plan for Canon’s Marsh.

At the time of going to press, the site is beingprepared for the start of construction. TheCullinan masterplan plan will transformCanon’s Marsh into a place that people willenjoy and want to visit. It will be far morehumane and attractive than it could ever havebeen had the original, rigidly-zoned ArupAssociates scheme been implemented.

18

Both these sites were bought during boomtimes, so high land prices were paid by thedevelopers. This means that, if thedevelopers are to make a profit, they mustsqueeze into these sites the maximumpossible number of saleable units.Inevitably this brings them into conflictwith local residents and the Civic Society,who do not want very tall buildings in anarea still dominated by ships’ masts;furthermore, they do not think that theexceptionally high densities proposed forWapping Wharf would create a pleasantenvironment or comfortable livingconditions for the residents.

Massive new developmentbehind SS Great Britain

McArthur’s warehouse is a large,handsome brick building, constructed inthe early twentieth century, but badlyneglected. It may have been thewarehouse’s state of dilapidation thataccounts for its not having been listed.

An application by the developer Quada todemolish the warehouse and replace itwith a massive new mixed-usedevelopment was given permission inJanuary 2001.

19

The SS Great Britainin her dock. Picture by BristolEvening Post.

Council’s own planningguidelines ignored

It was surprising that the Council acceptedthis scheme, since the proposed newbuildings, designed by Barlow HenleyArchitects, did not respect the guidelines setout in the Council’s own HarboursidePlanning Brief: they were taller thanrecommended; they created more than twicethe suggested floorspace and they interferedwith a variety of very important views ofBrunel’s ship SS Great Britain, its mastssilhouetted dramatically against the sky. Thisinterference was made glaringly evident bythe use of computer-generated images,commissioned by the Civic Society.

The public was very unhappy when theplanning committee resolved to grant outlinepermission for this scheme. A campaigninvolving the Civic Society and others resultedin the Secretary of State ‘calling in’ Quada’sproposals. A public inquiry was held inJanuary 2002, and in July of that year theSecretary of State rejected the Quada schemeon the grounds that it was out of keepingwith the low-lying maritime nature of thesurroundings, and that such bulky buildingsbehind the Great Britain would distract theeye from the funnel and masts of the ship.

The developer went away and got hisarchitects to amend the proposal, making thebuildings less obtrusive. The Civic Society stillobjected strongly to the proposal as being fartoo big for the site and having a damagingeffect upon the setting of the SS GreatBritain. When, however, English Heritagewithdrew its objection, the Council narrowlyagreed that the scheme should go ahead.

Whopping development on Wapping Wharf

Right behind the Industrial Museum, the 4.15hectare former NCP car park site has beenbought by Umberslade, a developer whoproposes to put up housing which would bemore than 50% denser than any other newhousing on the Docks.

The proposal is for between 500 and 700residential units on a site which the local plansuggests might accommodate 200 units.

The four blocks of flats are crammed togetherso closely that there will be little privacy forresidents – and all in the interests ofmaximising profits.

Local residents and members of the CivicSociety have together formed the Spike IslandFutures Group, which is arguing forcefully forthe improvement of Umberslade’s scheme.They want more green space, an element ofsocial housing (not pushed out of the way atthe back of the site), more space betweenblocks and a significant reduction in theridiculously high density proposed.

20

Picture by James Barke.

The Civic Society is sometimes accused ofbeing negative and opposed to progress. This could not be further from the truth, but we can see how the opinion mayhave come about.

After all, when we are involved in a high-profile campaign, it is usually against what we consider to be an ill-judged developmentproposal, and it is as objectors that we cometo public attention. Yet there is much positivework going on, too, aimed at encouragingdevelopment which enhances the quality ofour environment.

Environmental Awards

One example of positive action by the CivicSociety is our annual environmental award

scheme, sponsored in recent years bySWRDA, The Institute of Physics Publishing,and Bristol Water, who are our centenary yearsponsors. Every year, we ask members of thepublic to send us their nominations for thecity’s best new buildings, new public spacesand refurbishments of old buildings. A panelof judges decides which of these nominatedprojects deserve one of our awards, thenthere is a presentation ceremony attended bybuilding owners together with members ofthe construction team. This event is alwaysmuch enjoyed by those who take part, and isgiven extensive coverage in the Evening Post.The winners take away an elegant plaque tobe displayed at the site for all to admire.

Negative? not us!

21

Pictures by Bristol Evening Post.

The greening of Bristol

For close on 30 years, the Civic Society hascontributed to the greening of the city byplanting thousands of trees. It began in1973 with the hugely successful ‘Plant atree in ‘73’ campaign, and hasencompassed planting throughout thecity, including Easton Way and GrevilleSmyth Park.

The Society also played a leading role inmounting a national campaign (Save OurSports Grounds) to protect playing fieldsfrom being sold off to developers. Webriefed MPs and helped draft nationalPlanning Policy Guidance No. 17. This,however, is a continuing battle.

The Bathurst Declaration

In October 1992, the Civic Society joined withthe Bristol Sports Association to cajole thecity’s movers and shakers into sinking theirdifferences and working together for thebenefit of the city.

All these important people gatheredtogether on board the Sebastian Cabot,moored in the Bathurst Basin, and signedthe declaration shown on the right.

Amongst the signatories were the LordMayor, MPs and MEP, representatives ofBristol Civic Society, Bristol SportsAssociation, Bristol Society of Architectsand Bristol Initiative as well ascouncillors, council officers and otherimportant figures.

Never before (or since) has such anassemblage of important peopleagreed to set aside theirdisagreements and work togetherfor the greater good of the city.

22

Redcliffe – real publicinvolvement at last

It was in 2001 that the Redcliffe FuturesGroup was formed, comprising 16 localorganisations, including several residents’groups, representatives of Bristol CityCouncil and of the Civic Society.

Together they worked out a radical plan forthe regeneration of the traffic-blighted no-man’s-land that is the Redcliffe area. Theirnew scheme will remove the traffic from infront of St Mary Redcliffe and create a finenew public square surrounded by anetwork of buildings, pedestrianroutes and facilities for thecommunity and for tourists.

These changes will serve to reuniteRedcliffe, currently chopped up byroads, and re-create the tight streetpattern of old Bristol, bringing Redcliffeback to life and turning it into abeautiful place where people will want to be.

‘But will it ever happen?’

In July 2002, a public exhibition showingwhat the group had come up with wasgiven an enthusiastic reception – but as theRedcliffe Community Forum commented,‘Exactly what we have wanted for years, butwill it ever happen?’

At the time this book goes to press, two andhalf years on, there is still a major obstructionto the Redcliffe community’s plan for the

regeneration of their locality. This stumbling block is the refusal of theTransport Department to allow the removal of through traffic.

The delay is frustrating, but it seems that thetide of opinion in national government andamongst many in the City Council isbeginning to turn. The Redcliffe FuturesGroup is a model of effective publicinvolvement.

The future

23

Bristol Civic Society works on manydifferent fronts at once, and we’ve foundthe best way to cope with everythingthat needs to be done is to split up intovarious different working groups, all ofwhich report regularly to the ExecutiveCommittee. The groups are:

• the Planning Applications Group, whichkeeps a keen eye on the register ofplanning applications, commenting uponon schemes which would be likely to havea significant impact on their surroundings.The group examines close on 400applications a year, an enormouslydemanding task.

• the Urban Design Group (combined withthe independent LA21 Land Use Group,affiliated to the Civic Society), whichworks to encourage attractive andsustainable new developments in Bristol.

The LA21 Land Use Group has recentlyproduced a widely-admired guide to bestpractice in sustainable development. Thisguide (which has been adopted bynational government) is aimed atmembers of the general public who wantto become involved in planning the futureof their own neighbourhoods. The guidehelps by showing examples of what ispossible in the real world.

Membership is represented on a ScrutinyCommission, the Select Committee on

Planning Reform and an advisory group tothe Bristol Partnership.

• the Amenity and Trees Group, whichconcentrates on such fundamental mattersas the condition of pavements, and thequality and condition of street furniture,while also monitoring Bristol's magnificentparks and open spaces. This group hasorganised tree-planting in streets, publicareas and school grounds, going rightback to the long-ago but not forgotten‘Plant a tree in ‘73’ campaign.

The trees lining St Augustine’s Reach are a fine example of the group’s contributionto Bristol.

• the Transport Group, which considers allaspects of transport in Bristol, whether byfoot, water, bicycle, road or rail. Asuccessful transport strategy is one of thekeys to making Bristol a more pleasantplace, and a vital aim is to ensure thatmotor vehicles do not continue todominate the city.

This group’s publication, ‘Go Public’,inspired new thinking about transportthroughout the country.

• the Futures Group, which runs ourannual environmental awards scheme; thiscelebrates quality in new developments inthe city.

How we work – the nuts and bolts

24

The Futures Group produces anddistributes our newsletter, organisesvisits and meetings for members andlooks after publicity and exhibitions.The creative thinking generated bythis group has an effect beyond theconfines of the Society.

Whenever the Civic Society is ‘seen’ by the public (rather than workingquietly and anonymously), it’sprobably because of the work of the Futures Group.

• In addition, we have a representative onthe Conservation Advisory Panel. Theadvice of this panel is valued by the CityCouncil.

• Finally, we have had a representativeon the city’s Public Rights of WayLiaison Group since it was founded inthe late 1990s. The work involvesattending meetings and making sitevisits to assess the current state ofsome of Bristol’s hundreds of rights ofway, and to comment upon anyproposed changes.

These working groups are alwaysdelighted to welcome new members, so ifyou would like to join any of them, doplease let us know.

25Picture by James Barke.

Although this is a history of the BristolCivic Society, it would be a seriousmistake to imagine that the Societyworks all on its own. On the contrary, aswell as working with private developersin the early stages of proposeddevelopments, the Society also has along history of collaborating with otherorganisations, from the City Council to awide variety of lively local amenity andspecial interest groups. The famouscampaigns described in this booklet werethe work of many hands.

When something in the city cries out forpublic action, sometimes amenity, specialinterest groups, concerned individuals and theCivic Society come together as a new groupwith its own name, formed for that specificcampaign.

For example, when Bristolians werecampaigning against a very unpopular planfor the redevelopment of Canon’s Marsh (seepages 17–18), a group called Friends ofCanon’s Marsh was formed to co-ordinate thecampaign. It comprised a number of differentlocal amenity societies:

• Brandon Hill Play and Development Group

• Brandon Hill Residents’ Association

• Bristol Visual and Environmental Group

• Clifton and Hotwells Improvement Society

• Redland and Cotham Amenity Society

• Sustrans

– and Bristol Civic Society.

All hands on deck

26 Picture by the Brandon Hill Play and Development Group.

John V Punter, Design Control in Bristol 1940-1990, published by Redcliffe Press, 1990.

Gordon Priest and Pam Cobb, The Fight for Bristol, published by Bristol Civic Society and Redcliffe Press, 1980.

Vincent Waite, The First 60 Years, published 1965.

Bristol Evening Post archives.

Bibliography

27

This seems to be the regular pattern of publicprotest in Bristol, and it is highly effectivebecause it makes use of the commitment, thehard work and the expertise of volunteersfrom all over the city.

In the past, the Society used to work byresponding to City Council plans. Now, weproduce pro-active strategies which aresometimes ahead of the field, both locallyand nationally.

We very much hope that you haveenjoyed reading our book, and that itmay encourage you to come and join us.

WHO ARE WE?We, the Bristol Civic Society, are peoplefrom all walks of life who share a loveof Bristol and a determination to seeour city improved and enhanced, andto defend it from inappropriatedevelopment.

The Society has been active – in oneform or another – for 100 years.

Different members derive differentbenefits from the Society. Some join totake part in the visits and meetings, andin order to give support to the Society’swork to ensure that our city develops aswell as possible. Others join one of theworking groups and devote time,expertise and effort to forwarding thework of their group and the Society as a whole.

WHAT DO WE DO?• press for the highest standard for

new buildings

• campaign for the preservation ofimportant buildings and open spaces

• keep a watchful eye on new planningapplications to guard againstinappropriate new development

• campaign for an improved transportsystem and better public transport

• suggest improvements to the BristolLocal Plan - the official blueprint forall future development

• plant trees all over the city

• make annual environmental awardswhich recognise high quality newdevelopments

At the time of going to press, the CivicSociety is actively involved in:

• drawing up and promoting strategiesfor reducing traffic and pollution

• working in collaboration with localcommunities, developers, planners andarchitects to help achieve attractiveand environmentally-friendly newdevelopments. Current schemes withwhich we are involved are Redcliffe,Broadmead, Canon’s Marsh andWapping Wharf.

An independent force for a better Bristol www.bristolcivicsociety.cjb.net

£4.99