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reproduced below is the text from the second newsletter circulated within Whittington in Dec 1999 to report on the Trusts first year. Whittington Castle Preservation Trust NEWS UPDATE - THE FIRST TWELVE MONTHS PUBLIC MEETING 8 DECEMBER 1999 About 40 villagers attended the meeting called by the Trust to report on progress made during the year and to seek view on the recommendations in the WS Atkins Feasibility Study Report. Trust chairman, Colin Robinson gave a concise report on the activities and achievements of the past 12 months—see inside page for details. He paid tribute to the valuable work done by the Friends of Whittington Castle. Keith Griffiths then gave a view of the recommendations for future uses of the castle site and buildings, followed by Nathan Blanchard, Oswestry Borough Council’s Conservation Officer who spoke about the landscaping options identified by the consultants. Colin completed the presentations with a brief look at the future—the probable next steps, estimated costs and negotiations currently under way for acquisition of the castle by the Trust. He also announced the successful funding of £18,000 worth of urgent repair works. There was then a lively open session with the opportunity for everyone to contribute. There was general acceptance of the consultants report, but quite a few important points were registered. These included the apparently low estimate of visitor numbers, the suitability of the gatehouse accommodation for some proposed uses and that the kitchen facilities needed to be adequate for a large range of activities. There was an absolute need to retain car parking and for proper interpretation of the site. The value of the site compared with the offered purchase price was strongly challenged. It was suggested that the buildings might also be useful if licensed for weddings. There was also a desire to see young people involved again on site as soon as possible. A major message for the Trust was that communication between the Trust and the community was inadequate—this newsletter is one move in the attempt to put this right! Things to Do!
TRUST GAINS MILLENNIUM COMPUTER GRANT This newsletter has been compiled using the new computer equipment purchase as a result of a grant awarded via the Millennium Festival Awards for All programme from the Heritage Lottery Fund The Trust was successful in their application submitted in May this year with the award of £3,015 being announced in September. The equipment includes a powerful PC, printer, scanner and digital camera. It’s purpose is for Trust administration, publicity material and publications. The camera will be particularly useful in capturing a record of the castle during the stages of the Trust’s project. Future grant applications will also be able to have a more professional appearance. THE WS ATKINS FEASIBILITY SCOPING STUDY The title is a bit of a mouthful—but it’s production was vital to the future success of the Trust in gaining grant aid for work at the castle. It was produced by a professional team comprising archaeologists, architects, a structural engineer, quantity surveyor and a tourism/leisure consultant. The Report contains a variety of essential information, but most likely to impact on the community are the recommendations for future uses of the castle site and buildings and those for landscape treatment of the site. These are both dealt with in other articles in this newsletter. The rest of the report contains a detailed description of the site in architectural and archaeological terms, the importance of the site and the nature of the risk to it and, importantly, a condition survey and statement of the major repairs required. There are some useful illustrations of the extent of the Ancient Monument—far larger than most of us at first realise. Finally, the Trust now want your views. Some were gained at the public meeting, but why not contact Colin Robinson (658328) or Keith Griffiths (662116) if you have something to say. A full copy of the W S Atkins report is available for inspection at the Trust’s registered office, Castle Gallery, Castle Street, Whittington. Landscaping Options The Castle site is perhaps the most prominent and important single feature in the very centre of the village. The aim of the proposals in the consultants report is to maintain current public access and enhance the experience of people visiting the site. This includes improving the visual appreciation of the site, improving physical access, preserving the archaeological remains for the future, enhancing understanding of the significance of the site—and in the long term to reassemble the elements of the ancient monument under a single management scheme. The essential element is to restore the integrity of the historic character of the whole site and ensure that the archaeological remains become the dominant feature. To achieve this, it is proposed to:
Recommended use of the Site &"Buildings The WS Atkins report considered 15 possible uses for the gatehouse and site. Each was evaluated against parameters including community impact, costs, potential income and access issues. From this analysis came the following recommended uses for further consideration:
Some options, e.g. car boot sales could be too controversial to consider, even though they might generate a good income. What do you think? It is clear from the consultants report that there is no single source of income that will meet day-to-day running costs. It has to be a mix of activities which will work well together. The other conclusion was that, at least in the early years, there will be a need for voluntary support to run most of the activities. The levels of income would not be viable for a commercial undertaking. Nevertheless, the consultants estimate that a mixture of the recommended activities would generate about £17,000 per year, just sufficient to sustain the project. However, given the low margin for error (and say discounting frequent car boot sales because of the likely disruption), it will also be necessary to find new sources of funding. One suggestion at the recent public meeting was the use of the gatehouse for civil weddings. The other point worth remembering before being too disappointed is that W S Atkins were deliberately being cautious - i.e. they would estimate costs on the high side and income on the low side. This is only sensible and prudent when the Trust has to build a robust and credible business case based on the chosen recommendations. The Trust needs as many views of people in the village as possible. Although the final legal responsibility is with the Trust, it wants to take everyone’s views into account when making it’s decisions. Let a member of the Trust know your views now! The Next Steps PROJECT PHASING
TOTAL £750,000+ ACTION PLAN
Preservation Trust The Trust was established in 1998 with the following formal objects: "to preserve for the benefit of the people of the Parish of Whittington, Shropshire and of the nation (the "beneficiaries"), the historic, architectural and constructional heritage that may exist in and around the Parish of Whittington, Shropshire ("the area of benefit") in buildings (including any building as defined in Section 36 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990) of particular beauty or historical, architectural or constructional interest, the restoration, renovation and conservation of gardens, parkland planned landscapes and estates directly related to such buildings, including, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing acquiring, renovating, restoring and utilising for the benefit of the beneficiaries the structure, curtilages , site and environs of Whittington Castle, Whittington, Shropshire and to educate the general public in the geography, history, natural history, architecture and economic and social history of the area of benefit". The members of the Trust are Colin Robinson, Keith Griffiths, Alec Hayward, Helen Hughes, Sylvia Ray, David North, David Ellis, Tim Wroughton Craig, Kirsty Wroughton Craig, Marion Lycett, David Lloyd, Whittington Parish Council and Oswestry Borough Council. Registered Office: Castle Gallery, Castle Street, Whittington, Shropshire SY11 4DF A Company Registered in England & Wales and Limited by Guarantee. Company Registration No. 3688770 Registered Charity No. 1075248 Trust Officers Chairman: Colin Robinson Tel 01691 658328 Treasurer: Marion Lycett Tel 01691 662296 Secretary: Keith Griffiths Tel 01691 662116 THE TRUST’S ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE
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Last modified: May 06, 2002 |
