RIPON CIVIC SOCIETY BOUNDARIES

The Chairman has written the following letter to a number of local parish councils, setting out how the Society will interact with them as we extend our boundaries:

• 
  At our Annual General Meeting in November the members of Ripon Civic Society voted to change its constitution so that our ‘area of interest’ was changed from ‘the City of Ripon’ to ‘the City of Ripon and surrounding area.’ The change has been approved by the Charity Commission and means that for the first time the Society will be able to make its voice heard, where appropriate, on planning and environmental matters outside the city. I enclose our current leaflet to give you a flavour of what we do.
  
  The purpose of this letter is to assure you that it is not our intention to comment on matters within your parish without regard to local feeling. What we aim to do is to be available to you to offer our help and advice on significant matters that you feel would benefit from wider support.
  
  So if your council would like us to discuss important planning matters with you, please let us know, and if we feel we are able, we will add our voice to yours. Of course, we cannot guarantee that we shall always see eye to eye with you, but we shall ensure that we have all the facts before we make any public comment on a matter.
  
  The change also means that for the first time our Annual Awards will be open to projects outside the city of Ripon. The Awards are held each year in October, and around Easter-time we begin to look for the winners. So if you have any developments or projects that have been completed within the three years up to 30 April 2011 that you think could be considered for awards, we should be pleased to hear. You can find a complete list of the Award categories – and other information about the Society – on our website – http://www.riponcivicsociety.org.uk/.
  
  Please let me know if you have any comments or questions about these changes, or if you want more information about the Awards. We look forward to working with you.

RIPON A SHINING EXAMPLE

A new report from English Heritage called 'Valuing Places; Good Practice in Conservation Areas' has just been published - and Ripon is one of the shining examples provided. Our committee member Richard Taylor is quoted, in his capacity as Chairman of the Ripon Museum Trust, as saying 'In a small place, you have to be resourceful to make things happen.'

The Ripon Gazette has asked for a comment, so this is what Chairman David Winpenny has sent:

• 'It’s excellent that the improvements to Ripon have been recognised by English Heritage as good examples of what can be achieved when different agencies and groups work together. The English Heritage document looks back over what has been achieved – which is a great deal, and the Civic Society has always been at the forefront of such changes. But Ripon cannot rest on these laurels – it’s too easy to slip back into old ways. There is still much than can be done to make the city even better, and the Society will continue to push for further improvement. '

The full report can be downloaded at http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/publications/valuing-places/valuing-places-good-practice-conservation-areas.pdf

Where the column went

Actually, it wasn't the column that went but the author. The regular Civic Society column in the Ripon Gazette did not appear for the first two weeks of January 2011 as the writer was away lecturing. Now, though, the column will reappear, starting on Friday. It's good to be back - keep reading!

Cabmen's Shelter to go for repair

News today that the Cabmen's Shelter will be taken from the Market Square for repair on Wednesday (16 Dec) and will be returned by the end of February. At last there seems to be some resolution of this sorry saga. Now, we need to see a regular maintenance programme put in place so that it never again gets into such a dreadful state.

EGM APPROVES BOUNDARY CHANGES

At the EGM of the Society last night members voted to accept the change to the constitution that will alter the boundaries of the Society. Our ‘area of benefit’ will now be ‘the city of Ripon and surrounding villages’. Thank you to everyone who gave their views and especially to the members who turned out on a freezing night to vote. We are very grateful.

At the Member’s meeting before the EGM we presented Barrie Price, former President of the Society, with a painting by local artist Alan Matthews of Ripon’s Spa Baths. Barrie retired at the Society’s AGM in November.

TALK FEATURES IN YORKSHIRE POST

The next talk to the Society, by Vice President Maurice Taylor, is featured in today's Yorkshire Post. The article about the talk, on 'Historic Houses around Ripon', is illustrated with pictures of Markenfield Hall and of Norton Conyers. We may need more chairs out on 2 December!

Eric Wright Group celebrates Civic Society Award

You can read about the reaction to the latest award from the Society to the Eric Wright Group, designers and constructors of the new Booth's supermarket complex, on the Group's website; http://www.ericwright.co.uk/news/eric-wright-wins-best-new-building-award-two-years-running/