The city's built environment forum
About Hereford Civic Society
If you can't find what you need here, why not use the search facility?
Search the HCS website
Aims
We are the city's built environment forum and aim to promote better town planning and architecture in Hereford. If the direction of development in Hereford concerns or interests you in any way, join us!
On our website you can read and comment on the latest news and articles about architecture and town planning in Hereford or download our magazine for offline viewing. You can see forthcoming events in our Calendar and subscribe to our RSS feed or news by email. If you have any questions, comments or further ideas, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Hereford Civic Society exists to: -
On our website you can read and comment on the latest news and articles about architecture and town planning in Hereford or download our magazine for offline viewing. You can see forthcoming events in our Calendar and subscribe to our RSS feed or news by email. If you have any questions, comments or further ideas, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Hereford Civic Society exists to: -
- Encourage high standards of architecture and town planning in Hereford
- Stimulate public interest in, and care for the beauty, history and character of the area of the city and it's surroundings
- Encourage the preservation, development and improvement of features of general public amenity or historic interest
- Pursue these ends by means of meetings, exhibitions, lectures and promotion of schemes of a charitable nature
History
The Hereford Civic Society or Trust, as it was originally known, was founded under the patronage of the Herefordshire CPRE in the summer of 1972. For several years the CPRE had taken a broad approach to conservation matters in Herefordshire and regularly expressed concern about developments in Hereford.
In 1972 there were several historic buildings either neglected or threated with demolition within the city. These included the Market Tavern, Bewell House, Drybridge House and two old pubs in Widemarsh Street - the Black Swan and the Essex Arms. Indignation about this neglect, together with the engineering work taking place without public consultation upon Castle Cliffe, led to an informal meeting taking place in a flat in Castle Street where about a dozen interested persons formed a steering group to establish an amenity group for the city.
In 1972 there were several historic buildings either neglected or threated with demolition within the city. These included the Market Tavern, Bewell House, Drybridge House and two old pubs in Widemarsh Street - the Black Swan and the Essex Arms. Indignation about this neglect, together with the engineering work taking place without public consultation upon Castle Cliffe, led to an informal meeting taking place in a flat in Castle Street where about a dozen interested persons formed a steering group to establish an amenity group for the city.
News had also recently reached the Trust of two development plans for the Maylord and Bewell Street areas of the city, submitted by Messrs Taylor Woodrow and Pagebar Investments. The battle lines were drawn, briefs were composed for public inquiries and the Trust became a forceful, if sometimes outspoken, critic of the City Council. Blaming it for its apparent neglect of the historic fabric of the city and its desire to engage in comprehensive re-development. Although well-motivated from the start it took some time for the Trust to learn good manners and to recognise some of the positive achievements brought about by the Council in this era of rapid demographic and economic change.
After consulting the Worcester Civic Society an inaugural meeting was held in the Autumn of 1972 at the Town Hall where a strong committee was elected under the chairmanship of Ian Edynbury, a Geography lecturer at the Hereford College of Education. The secretary of the Trust was David Whitehead, who held the position for 30 years. The first Newsletter was published in June 1973. By this date the Trust had recruited nearly 200 members and had organised its first summer programme of walks and talks.
It also invited the citizens of Hereford to attend a public meeting in the Green Dragon in July to discuss Castle Cliffe, which had featured on BBC Nationwide and in several national newspapers.
It also invited the citizens of Hereford to attend a public meeting in the Green Dragon in July to discuss Castle Cliffe, which had featured on BBC Nationwide and in several national newspapers.
Who's who?
Executive Committee
Hereford Civic Society is managed by an Executive Committee elected at each Annual General Meeting.
You can contact the Executive here.
Hereford Civic Society is managed by an Executive Committee elected at each Annual General Meeting.
You can contact the Executive here.
-
John Bothamley
Chair of the Society
-
Mo Burns
-
Ginny Garman
-
Rob Hattersley
Web manager
-
Julie Orton-Davies
-
Andree Poppleston
-
Hubert Porte
Vice Chair
-
Andy Simmonds
Transport brief co-ordinator
Join us
Join Us
Individual and household
Hereford Civic Society has over 200 individual members. All members receive the newsletter four times a year and can keep in touch with proposed developments in Hereford City and it's environs. Individual members can help to influence the policies of Herefordshire Council through the society.
The individual subscription for a year is £15, students £10, whilst joint membership for two people living in the same household is £25. Renewals are due on 1 September each year. New members joining after 1 March are covered until 1 September the following year.
Corporate
The corporate subscription for a year is £100. Renewals are due on 1 September each year. New corporate members joining after 1 March are covered until 1 September the following year.
Join
We will shortly be trialling online subscriptions. Please email on web@herefordcivicsociety.org.uk and we will notify you as soon as this page is live.
Individual and household
Hereford Civic Society has over 200 individual members. All members receive the newsletter four times a year and can keep in touch with proposed developments in Hereford City and it's environs. Individual members can help to influence the policies of Herefordshire Council through the society.
The individual subscription for a year is £15, students £10, whilst joint membership for two people living in the same household is £25. Renewals are due on 1 September each year. New members joining after 1 March are covered until 1 September the following year.
Corporate
The corporate subscription for a year is £100. Renewals are due on 1 September each year. New corporate members joining after 1 March are covered until 1 September the following year.
Join
We will shortly be trialling online subscriptions. Please email on web@herefordcivicsociety.org.uk and we will notify you as soon as this page is live.
Downloads
FILES AND DOWNLOADS
Here you can find downloads of general files relevant to the Society. Magazine download can be found here.
Here you can find downloads of general files relevant to the Society. Magazine download can be found here.
Hereford Civic Society Constitution (pdf document) - revised December 2010
Download, print and post the membership form to join the HCS
Links
Local links
These are provided for information only and Hereford Civic Society makes no claims as to the accuracy of external websites. Inclusion does not necessarily signify approval or endorsement of the Society. They are listed in alphabetical order.
Links to other local Civic Societies can be found on the front page.
These are provided for information only and Hereford Civic Society makes no claims as to the accuracy of external websites. Inclusion does not necessarily signify approval or endorsement of the Society. They are listed in alphabetical order.
Links to other local Civic Societies can be found on the front page.
Regional news from the BBC
Campaigning for cyclists in and around Hereford
Celebration, Education, Recreation: A Park for People
Our MP is Jesse Norman
Home of the Mappa Mundi
Parish Council for the City of Hereford
Free weekly paper
Herefordshire weekly paper
Herefordshire's unitary authority
Find out about individual planning applications and the Council's grand strategy for the city here
Making Fairtrade Herefordshire's habit
Thinking globally, acting in Herefordshire
Support the City Centre: Don't Build a New One
Local political party for Herefordshire - local election only
Our sister organisation in Ledbury
Rail users group campaigning for improvements
The Village in the City
Other links
These are provided for information only and Hereford Civic Society makes no claims as to the accuracy of external websites. Inclusion does not necessarily signify approval or endorsement of the Society.
These are provided for information only and Hereford Civic Society makes no claims as to the accuracy of external websites. Inclusion does not necessarily signify approval or endorsement of the Society.
Independent research into city economies (link from Mo Burns)
The national network of local civic societies
Powered by MySociety.org, Fix My Street is an easy way to report any local street problems to the appropriate authority
Very useful for reference for the role of ICT with voluntary and community organisations like ours
The whole doc is pretty good but for a quick indication of the role ICT can play in campaigning and consultation -take a look at page 9, 10, 11 and 17
URBAN FORUM is an umbrella body for community and voluntary groups with interests in urban and regional policy, especially regeneration. It was set up in 1994 as the national voluntary organisation through which local and central government could relate to the community and voluntary sectors on such issues.
