CovSoc Secretary, John Payne, has been reading the first edition of Peeping Tom, the magazine of the Coventry Civic Amenity Society, published In the Spring of 1983. There are some interesting comparisons with the current situation. John writes…
The Coventry Society was previously known as the Coventry Civic Amenity Society. It was established in 1970, three years after the enactment of the Civic Amenities Act 1967. That Act aimed to protect the UK’s architectural heritage and improve local environments. Its main goal was to introduce conservation areas, requiring local councils to identify and protect whole neighbourhoods with special historic or architectural interest.
The magazine, Peeping Tom, was first published by the society in Spring 1983 thirteen years after the formation of the society. It sold for the princely sum of 25p.
The first thing that I noticed, was the difference in relationship between the Society and the City Council. In 1983 the Chair of the Society was Councillor Len Hilton. The President was William Wilson MP and there were council officers on the Executive Committee of the society. The Foreword to the magazine was written by Harry Noble, the City Architect and Planning Officer. The magazine says “…the society has well established links with the Coventry Planning Department…”.
Today, the society has only two councillors as members, and neither has any role in the society. Council officers are reluctant to join the society, fearing the dreaded “conflict of interest” accusation. The society’s relationship with the council is now much more remote and we have no ongoing relationship or understandings.
It is also noted that at that time, the society was affiliated to a number of other campaigning societies in the city, including the Coventry Branch of the National Federation of the Blind and the Allesley and Coundon Wedge Conservation Society. The concept of “affiliation” appears to have dissolved over the years.
Kirby House
The first article in the magazine is about Kirby House. The Society was instrumental in saving this fine Georgian House from demolition in 1970 and the foundation of the society is intricately linked to the campaign to save the building. By 1983 it had been restored as the central feature of an office development which received the commendation of the Fine Arts Commission. The society gave credit to the council’s Planning Department and the developer W A Blackburn.
Barrs Hill House
The second article in the magazine remembers Barrs Hill House, the family home of the Starley Family, which became Barrs Hill School. The Old House was neglected by the City Council and fell into ruin. The Society challenged the Council’s costings for the restoration of the building and tried to get the building listed, but the council rejected this and demolition followed “with indecent haste”.
Starley Road Housing Co-operative
The third article in the magazine tells the story of the last traditional housing area in the city centre and the campaign to save it. Starley Road was scheduled for demolition, but a huge campaign forced a reconsideration of the plans and a housing cooperative was formed to renovate the original buildings and manage them for the future. By the time the magazine was published the buildings had been restored and a General Improvement Area implemented.
I have a personal recollection about this project. At the time I was operating an environmental grant scheme for the council and the residents submitted an application for a mural to celebrate the completion of the project. We agreed to fund the mural, but it would need advertising consent if it included any text, so we agreed that it wouldn’t. The grant was duly paid and the mural painted, with one amendment – a circle with the text “We saved it”.
Successes and Threats
Successes listed in the magazine were the restoration of the historic cottages in Ryley Street / Hill Stret and the Spon Street “Living Museum”.
Buildings Under Threat were the Drill Hall, subsequently demolished, Top Shops in Lower Holyhead Road, subsequently restored and Wheatley Street School, which was later demolished to make way for the Bus Garage.
The Canal
The magazine celebrated the designation of the Hawkesbury Junction Conservation Area, claimed as a Society success following the initial survey work done by the society. It was the first cross-boundary conservation area ever designated, with Coventry and Nuneaton councils creating a joint conservation area in 1976.
At that time the society was also campaigning for the designation of Coventry Canal Basin as a Conservation Area. This was not successful but the whole of the canal was later designated as a conservation area in 2012.
The Old Fire Station
A page is dedicated to saving the 1902 Central Fire Station. By 1983 a new fire station had been built in Radford Road and the old building was being used for a variety of purposes, including a Youth Opportunities scheme and use by the Museum of British Road Transport.
At that time a new group, the West Midlands Fire Engine Society, had been formed with ambitions to create a museum at the Old Fire Station. As well as housing a collection of fire engines, displays and exhibitions, there were plans for a café, shop and sponsor’s room. The society were backing these plans, describing them as “A Unique Tourist Attraction”. Unfortunately, the scheme came to nothing. The building was however saved, for the time being, being converted into a rather poor restaurant, which subsequently closed, leaving the building now vacant.
Other Articles
The magazine also celebrates the recent designation of London Road Cemetery as a Conservation Area, noting that “much work (is) needed to retore it to its former glory”.
By comparison, the society deplored what it saw as the decimation of Whitley Common, cut up by the Styvechale Bypass and the Racquets Centre and then facing proposals for a new hotel, “which if built, will dominate what remains of a local river walk, near Abbey Road.” This appears to be another unsuccessful campaign as the site is now occupied by the Ibis Hotel and the Whitley Business Park.
Another page is dedicated to support for the National Federation for the Blind’s campaign to bring back traditional pavements, with particular attention to High Street, which had recently been re-surfaced as a single level without pavements.
The society also commended the efforts of two local Friends Groups. The Friends of Wyken Slough were commended for stopping the decline of this local beauty spot stating that “their plans and interest in the area auger well for the future”. The Friends of Brandon Wood were fighting to stop the Forestry Commission owned woodland being used for sand and gravel extraction. They had recently held a seminar to discuss the situation.
The magazine also included a page on other local societies, listing eight such groups. These included WARNACT (the Warwickshire Nature Conservation Trust), which is now Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and The Coventry Countryside Project, the listed contact being one of our current members.
The magazine closes with a page of adverts from sponsors. Of the eight companies / shops listed, only one appears to still be in existence today.
You can download a copy of the magazine here.
