The Society is committed to returning the Playhouse to an operating enterainment venue and arts centre. Beverley could, potentially, be very soon bereft of the cultural facilities that have provided you with performance venues. With the closure of the Playhouse and the possible failure of the Memorial to attract funding, Beverley will no longer find it easy to attract the Festivals and performers that it has been able to do in the past. Maybe you would like to see just a combination of pubs and shops in the town or maybe you think we should strive to keep the cultural heart beating.
We would like to know what you think!
Please leave your comments on our 'Forum' page in the 'Playhouse' section.
ERYC have already circulated their draft planning guidelines. Use of the site has not effectively been prescribed except from the express exclusion of a potential super-store. We can expect a mixed development, possibly of housing, commercial, hotel and entertainment.
In its critique of the ERYC guidelines the Society noted that:
1- in terms of planning strategy, the guidelines failed to promote the idea that development has enormous potential to re-invigorate the area and, by careful design, possibly link across the 'Berlin Wall' of the railway line.
2- the guidelines failed to express that the planning and design of the development is of critical importance given the location. In recent years there has been a trend for planning permission to be granted to poorly designed key buildings around the centre of the town. The Clariant development presents an opportunity to reverse that trend through the involvement of talented architects and planners.
3- the guidelines failed to promote 'sustainability' both in economic terms and in the manner that the buildings should be constructed.
The Society suggested that there be a competition launched for the design of the site. This would promote both good design and community involvement.
We'd really like to know what you think about what should be built on this site:
Please leave your comments on our 'Forum' page in the 'Planning' section.
The proposed development site consists of a mixture of buildings. Some of the buildings are listed and are likely to be converted into dwelling units. Other buildings are not listed and so will likely be subject to demolition and replaced by high density houses/flats.
Issues that will doubtless be debated are:
1- The Health Authority's disposal of the land that will theoretically prevent any future expansion of the existing hospital
2- Proposed access for cars along existing streets
3- Views of any development from Westwood
4- The architectural quality of the designs.
The Society's Development Committee welcomes your comments concerning the brief (which can be viewed at ERYC Customer Services opposite County Hall). Comments concerning the draft brief need to be submitted by 21st February.
Please leave your comments on our 'Forum' page in the 'Planning' section.
The site of 'Minster
Towers' along with the adjoining Lord Roberts road car park and the former
Baptist Church is being sold off for development. This is an important
site owing to its sensitive location close to the town centre and surrounding
residential areas. It's also important because it currently provides a
view of the north elevation of the Minster.
The Draft Planning Guidelines for development of the site suggest that
it might be developed to include: offices, institutional uses. residential,
'assembly and leisure (such as a cinema)', hotel and small-scale retail.
The guidelines explicitly rule out any idea of a superstore.
The Society would welcome a mix of uses, preferably including housing
suitable for 'first time buyers' in order to encourage a social mix that
is fast disappearing in that part of the town. The Society also welcomes
ERYC's ambition to encourage good design by involving the likes of English
Heritage and CABE and an early stage. However, there a couple of issues
that might prove contentious:
1 - The scale of the development risking to overwhelm the area and obscuring
views of the Minster.
2 - The closing down of the Lord Roberts car park leading to further pressure
on the already over-subscribed alternative town car parks.
Although the window for contributing to the Society's critique of the
planning guidelines is now passed, we'd still like to hear your opinions
of what should happen on the site once it has been sold.
Please leave your comments on our 'Forum'
page in the 'Planning' section.