LANCASTER CIVIC SOCIETY
NEWSLETTER
No. 92 September 2008
2008 Annual General Meeting
About 46 members braved a very wet night to
attend the 42nd AGM at St John’s Church on
Wednesday 18th June. This proved to be a very
lively and interesting meeting. Our President,
Charles Wilson, chaired the meeting and the guest
speaker was Andrew Dobson, Head of Planning,
Lancaster City Council. Mr Dobson gave a
presentation outlining the main developments over
the past 12 months. He then took questions and
these came thick and fast and on a variety of
topics.
Heritage Open Days, 13-14 September
This year Roger Frankland has arranged for
Westfield House, West Road, once the home of
Thomas Storey to open to the public between 10am4pm on 13 and 14 September.
2008-9 Programme
Enclosed with this newsletter is the programme for
the forthcoming session. We hope you will find the
topics of interest and we look forward to seeing you
at the meetings.
The Executive Committee is unchanged and contact
details for the members will be found on the
programme card and on the Society’s website
(www.lancastercivicsociety.org).
Westfield House, West Road
A number of other properties will also be open and
a leaflet giving full details is available from the
Tourist Information Office.
Roger has also been interviewed by the Lancaster
Guardian as part of an article on the importance of
heritage in Lancaster.
NWACTS Autumn Gathering
The North West Association of Civic Trust
Societies (NWACTS) will hold its Autumn Gathering
in Manchester over the weekend 18-19 October.
The theme is “Rejuvenating the Victorian City” and
speakers will include Henry Owen John, Regional
Director of English Heritage and Ken Moth of
Building Design Partnership. In addition to
lectures, visits are planned including one to either
the Victoria Baths or Gorton Monastery. The cost
is £15 per delegate per day (including lectures,
visits, lunches and teas).
The full programme is available on the Society’s
website (www.lancastercivicsociety.org) in the
Noticeboard section, or contact Roger Frankland
(01524 541156) or Winnie Clark (01524 33411).
This year there will also be an additional heritage
event, Lancaster Unlocked, over the weekend 19-21
September. The Society is not actively involved in
this and Westfield House will not be open on these
dates, but Lancaster’s top 10 heritage attractions
will be putting on various tours and events to
provide an extra weekend of activities. A brochure
describing what is on offer is available from the
Tourist Information Office.
1
Planning Matters
Morecambe Promenade (07/01810/OUT and
07/01811/FUL)
We are generally supportive of this major
redevelopment scheme for the Morecambe seafront
though with some important reservations. We
share the general concern over the height of the
proposed blocks which fan out on the old swimming
pool site. Whilst appreciating that the layout allows
permeability at first floor level, we regret the loss
of sightlines to the Bay from parts of Marine Road.
However we welcome Seaside Square and note that
established pedestrian and vehicular routes along
the seafront have been maintained.
Over the summer, major outline applications have
been submitted by Centros for the Canal Corridor
North site (Castleview), and Urban Splash for the
redevelopment of Morecambe Central Promenade.
Both have proved very controversial and many
objections have been lodged which can be read on
the Planning section of the Council’s website
(www.lancaster.gov.uk).
The Planning Group has studied the applications and
submitted comments on behalf of the Society. On
balance, we are supportive of both developments,
though with some important provisos which we hope
will be given serious consideration by the Council’s
Planning Committee. We understand that the
Centros applications will be considered at a special
planning meeting currently scheduled for Monday
13th October, possibly extending into Tuesday 14 th
October. The meeting will be held in the
Banqueting Suite at Lancaster Town Hall, starting
at either 10 or 10.30am (please check nearer the
time to confirm).
Former Shoe Factory on Bulk Road.
(08/00874/OUT)
LPN (Lancaster Property Network) has submitted
an application for the site of the former K shoe
factory on Bulk Road. This site was previously
owned by Time and Tide who submitted an
application for apartments and hotel in 2006. LPN
now owns most of the remaining parts of the
Kingsway site and the land opposite on Back Caton
Road. LPN has named the development scheme for
the whole site, “Lawson’s Quay”.
Centros (3 new applications)
We have expressed no objection to the main outline
application (08/00866/OUT) for the
redevelopment of this neglected site. However we
are conscious that the devil will be in the detail.
The outline application gives only an approximation
of the scale and massing of the proposed buildings
and there is no indication at this stage of the actual
design of the buildings.
Application 08/00865/OUT is for the
redevelopment of the Heron Chemical Works site
on Moor Lane. Although we have no objection to
the principle of residential development on this
site, we do have serious concerns about the height,
scale and bulk of the proposed building on the
frontage to Moor Lane. The proposed building
would be higher than both neighbouring buildings,
the former Methodist Church and Mill Hall
Gatehouse. It would have a significantly greater
bulk than either of these two neighbouring buildings
and would be inappropriate in scale.
LPN has applied for a mix of offices, retail and a
hotel on the Bulk Road site. Having viewed the
plans we have no objection to such use in principle,
but we have serious reservations about the
proposed height of the hotel development, to be
located at the corner of the site (opposite the
laundry). It would project above the horizon when
viewed from Skerton Bridge, intruding on the iconic
south-eastern view towards the Ashton Memorial.
We have also questioned the proposed access
arrangements, as the servicing requirements for
the development appear to have been ignored.
The full text of our replies to all these applications
will be found on the Society’s website in the
Members’ Area. If you have not yet registered to
gain access to this part of the site, please contact
Malcolm Martin (email: mail@malcolmmartin.me.uk).
Alternatively contact Anne Stelfox, tel. 01524
823299.
The application submitted for residential
development on the Macari’s site at the junction of
Alfred Street and St Leonard’s Gate
(08/00864/OUT) is for access only, and design
matters (which we will scrutinise when these
become available) have been reserved for a future
occasion.
The Planning Group would welcome input from
members either by joining us at these meetings
(contact the convenor, Anne Stelfox, tel 01524
823299 if you are willing to become involved) or via
the Members’ Area on the Society’s website
(www.lancastercivicsociety.org).
2
Kingsway
Members driving past the Kingsway site cannot fail
to have seen the structure rising from the Bus
Garage site. This is the eight-storey development
by Worksharp for 100 apartments which was passed
by the Council’s Planning Committee (albeit by just
one vote) in April 2007. Members may remember
that the Society mounted a vigorous campaign
against the scheme, lobbying CABE, English
Heritage and the Twentieth Century Society as well
as city councillors, MPs and the press. We even
produced an alternative scheme, as did David
Howard, providing the Planning Committee with two
different approaches for a building on this difficult
site. Many members also lodged individual
objections. Unfortunately all our efforts were in
vain. We fear that, as we predicted, the structure
will present a forbidding, massive appearance at
this important gateway to Lancaster.
Roger Frankland is campaigning for adequate
parking for coaches bringing parties to the King’s
Arms Hotel on Market Street. The access road to
the carpark at the rear of the hotel is inadequate
for coaches and results either in coaches parking on
double yellow lines outside the main entrance,
creating a traffic hazard, or dropping visitors off
on Castle Hill, resulting in them having to cross a
busy road. He is trying to persuade British
Telecom, which owns land adjoining the hotel’s
carpark, to lease a small part of this land to the
hotel. The access road could then be widened,
allowing coaches to park at the rear to the benefit
(and safety) of all. Roger has also contacted the
Road Safety Group for Lancashire and the
Lancaster Chamber of Commerce. We await
developments.
Summer Walk
The summer walk took place on 25 June in the
Thurnham area. John Regan provided an extensive
tour of the Church and Gillow Mausoleum and
Robert Parkinson spoke on Cockersands Abbey.
Members were also able to visit the Abbey despite
the remedial work being undertaken by English
Heritage. We are most grateful to John Regan and
Robert Parkinson for sharing their knowledge and
to Anne Stelfox for organising the event.
St John’s Church
St John’s Church on North Road, the venue for our
AGMs, is currently experiencing maintenance
problems. The clock mechanism requires repairs
which will cost about £6,000 and the buddleia
growing from the tower needs removing.
There was also a recent misunderstanding, which
resulted in the last three of the regular,
fortnightly Thursday lunch-time concerts being
cancelled, but the church is now compliant with the
fire and rescue regulations.
Hellifield Peel
Despite very wet weather, 31 members enjoyed a
most interesting tour of Hellifield Peel, on 21 June.
This building featured in the “Grand Designs” tv
series in February 2007. We were given a tour of
the restored castle by the owner, Francis Shaw,
who entertained us with an account of the history
of the castle and the trials and tribulations of its
restoration. We saw most of the main rooms,
including the three guest rooms (the castle does
b&b) and the attic suite with its spectacular roof
terrace with stunning views (even in the rain). We
are once more indebted to Roger Frankland for
seeking out this gem of a building and organising the
visit. Members interested in staying there can
contact Francis Shaw (01729 850248). More
details including pictures of the castle before and
after restoration can be seen on the website
www.peelcastle.co.uk.
The church, which dates from 1754 and is Grade
II* listed, was made redundant in 1979 and passed
into the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.
Lawrence and Kathleen Walker are diligent
custodians keeping the inside highly polished and
the churchyard clean and tidy.
Raising the finance needed for essential repairs to
this Georgian gem is likely to be challenging for the
Churches Conservation Trust which has many calls
on its funds and local fund-raising efforts are likely
to be required. The Society hopes to contribute
towards this. If you are interested in knowing more
or would like to help, please contact either Kathleen
Walker (01524 64495) or Winnie Clark (01524
33411).
The church will be open 11am-4pm on 13 & 14
September, as part of the Heritage Weekend.
3
Wavertree Civic Society visited Lancaster on
26th July. Roger Frankland organised a varied
programme for them with visits to the Priory
and Castle, a guided tour of central Lancaster
and a visit to Williamson Park.
Mognies, 66 Penny Street
During the summer it was drawn to our
attention that the frontage of 66 Penny Street
had been altered, apparently without planning
permission. The proportions and symmetry of
the earlier shop front had been destroyed
through the introduction of full length windows
(losing the stall riser), and the relocation and
re-positioning of the door. In addition, the
replacement door, windows and fascia were of
upvc and the stonework had been painted
yellow. We lodged a complaint with the City
Council, requesting that hard-wood
replacements, made to the previous designs and
specifications, be installed. We understand
that preliminary enforcement action was
threatened and an application for a new front
has recently been received. We will study this
when it becomes available. Meanwhile,
controversially, the takeaway’s application for a
late night licence (to open until 3am
daily) has been granted.
Ashton Hall Organ Recital
A recital by John Scott Whitley of York
Minster, will be held in the Ashton Hall,
Lancaster Town Hall on 7th November 2008,
starting at 7pm. The concert is part of the
Ashton Hall Organ Restoration project and
tickets (£10, concessions £8) are available
from Lancaster and Morecambe Tourist
Offices.
Reminder from the Treasurer
Membership subscriptions are due on 1st
October and a renewal form is enclosed with
this Newsletter. If you pay by standing order
there is no need to return the form unless you
have changed your address. For any queries
about your subscription, please contact the
Treasurer, Jim Johnson, on 01524 63689.
Markenfield Hall, which we visited in May,
recently won an award from the Historic
Houses Association in association with
Sotheby’s. The restoration of the great hall
(which was used as a barn for more than 400
years) and its conversion into a library, beat
some 40 other contenders to win the
competition.

Copy for inclusion in the Newsletter such as letters, items of local interest, book reviews or notices of forthcoming events
which would be of interest are always welcomed from members.
Please send any copy to Winnie Clark, 35 Windsor Avenue, Lancaster LA1 4BE, or email: wandgclark@dsl.pipex.com
This Newsletter is published by Lancaster Civic Society, 35 Windsor Avenue, Lancaster LA1 4BE
Members are advised that the membership list is held in electronic form in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
Lancaster Civic Society is registered with the Civic Trust and is a Registered Charity No 258434
Website: www.lancastercivicsociety.org
4