Message from the Chairman

First, I should like to thank the executive committee for proposing, and the members present at the AGM for seconding, my nomination as your new Chairman. I feel it a privilege to represent this historic Society and to assist in fulfilling its timelessly relevant objectives of “the preservation and improvement of Petersfield”.

Nationally, it appears to be a time of growing civic and environmental awareness, with articles in the press covering such issues as the takeover of independent shops leading to a “clone town Britain”; and, with the razing of some 40,000 full-grown trees in London over the past five years, headlines decrying this “urban chainsaw massacre”.

Locally, in the space of one month, we are witnessing the demolition of Meon Travel and the arrival of Marks & Spencer in the High Street, the demolition of the old Savoy cinema in Swan Street, and questions over the retention of an ancient oak tree in the grounds of The Petersfield School; within the next few months, the fate of Corrie’s (currently in Frenchman’s Road) and the old South Eastern Farmers’ premises by the station will also be decided.

It was only this month (May 2007) that the Commission on Retail Conservation was published, outlining how local character can be protected from the incursions of the retail giants. Councils, it seems, are powerless to intervene at present: no planning permission needs to be applied for if a retail shop changes use to another type of shop, sandwich bar or café; nor can councils restrict the number of similar outlets or prevent a chain store from taking over an independent shop. Hence the large number of cafes in Petersfield and the presence of three giants of the retail trade. To counter such threats, the Commission has recommended that small shops should be put in a different “use class” from chain stores and supermarkets, and that a “new use” class be created for coffee shops and internet cafes, so that shops could not be converted into them without the planners agreeing.

Of course, the loss of Petersfield’s identity through the disappearance of its old family businesses has been occurring for many years and it accelerated with the completion of the by-pass in 1992, but the recent arrival of Marks & Spencer’s and the imminent expansion of our Tesco store will undoubtedly mean further, and almost unsustainable, pressure on other, smaller, retail outlets in the town.

A further threat exists to the town’s character: landlords are “allowed” to destroy the character of high streets by leaving shops empty for long periods until an upturn in the economy brings with it an inevitable rise in the rental value of properties; councils, for their part, have no powers to bring empty shops back into use in the interim.

As for the loss of trees in our midst, the Society should adopt a position to defend what it rightly considers to be part of its rural heritage. The demolition of the chestnut tree in the Folly Market area in 2005 not only removed the principal garden feature of the ancient burgage plot at the rear of 22 High Street, but it impacted on the surrounding houses and shops as well, leaving a very visible and sensory loss of character over a wide area, thus diminishing the natural attraction of that part of the town. The recent, sudden, vocal debate in the press over the threatened demolition of the oak tree in the grounds of The Petersfield School only demonstrates the depth of feeling within the community towards such a loss of local character.

In the field of planning, many people are unaware that our local councils (Town and District) are powerless to prevent the demolition of non-listed properties, however ancient their origins. This was the case very recently of Meon Travel in the High Street, where the (non-listed) property had Conservation Area and planning permission for its demolition and replacement. (Some historic fabric and an old barrel-vaulted cellar were found there during the demolition, but these had no form of protection. Their presence was recorded on film and has been passed to Petersfield Museum for reference). Indeed, there are four other properties on that side of the High Street, which fall into the same category of non-protected buildings.

Finally, it may not generally be known that councils have no control over the ownership of (even) listed buildings; nor is there any legal duty on an owner to maintain a listed building; this means that any owner-developer, unsympathetic to historical or architectural heritage concerns, may alter or destroy the character of any building with impunity. Only if such buildings are deemed to be “at risk” may the council take any action over them. Optimists among you may be pleased to hear that the EHDC has recently appointed some consultants to carry out an external survey of all the District’s listed buildings over the coming summer. Hold your collective breath!

If you can in any way assist the Society in dealing with these sorts of problems, or if you would like to be part of a small group looking at a particular issue which concerns you, your contribution would be much appreciated. Contact me directly, promote the work of the Society among your neighbours and encourage others to join our enterprise. The loss of every brick or every tree in our town may be the next nail in the coffin of our collective heritage. The Petersfield Society exists to protect all our interests.

David Jeffery