Leeds Civic Trust

Last updated

Leeds Civic Trust
Formation25 October 1965;57 years ago (25 October 1965)
TypeRegistered charity
Registration no.2742348 [1]
Legal status Company limited by guarantee [1]
Purpose Civic society
Headquarters17–19 Wharf Street
Location
Director
Martin Hamilton
Chair of Trustees
Jane Taylor
PublicationOutlook
Staff
3
Website leedscivictrust.org.uk

Leeds Civic Trust is a voluntary organisation and registered charity established in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England in 1965. Affiliated to the national charity Civic Voice, its stated purpose is "to stimulate public interest in and care for the beauty, history, and character of the city and locality, to encourage high standards of design, architecture and town planning; [and] to encourage the development and improvement of features of general public amenity". [1]

Contents

The Trust is independent, funded by public membership, grants, and donations. In addition to its campaigning and educational roles, the Trust comments on planning applications and takes part in planning policy consultations. Other activities include operation of an extensive blue plaque scheme across the city, and the annual organisation of Heritage Open Days at local sites. It is based at 17–19 Wharf Street, a mid-Victorian shop premises in The Calls area of the city centre, now serving as its office and bookshop.

History

St Paul's House, Leeds.jpg
First Cloth Hall, Kirkgate, Leeds (Geograph 4876452).jpg
Former Bank of England - South Parade - geograph.org.uk - 548351.jpg
From top: St Pauls House, First White Cloth Hall, and former Bank of England

The Civic Trust of England, now defunct, established a Leeds branch in 1965 as a response to the attitude it saw the city as having towards historic buildings. The city was in the midst of a transformation as new urban motorways were built (Leeds later branded itself as "Motorway City of the 70s"), including the Inner Ring Road and M621. As part of similar modernisation, old buildings in the city centre, Hunslet and Holbeck were "swept away regardless of their historic value", [2] and the 1964 demolition [3] of Gilbert Scott's Beckett's Bank on Park Row proved one too many. [2]

The Trust was set up with a £50,000 donation from Charles Crabtree, a printing press manufacturer on Water Lane, Holbeck. [4] [5]

By the 1970s, local newspapers were reporting action to save the city's historic buildings as a consequence of lobbying by the Trust. It surveyed every street in the city formed a Heritage at Risk register, with the aim of conserving and preventing the deterioration and demolition of built heritage. The director, Dr Kevin Grady, told the Yorkshire Evening Post in 1971 "we want to identify and highlight buildings at risk of disappearing for any number of reasons - perhaps they are in bad physical condition, or empty ... if a building is neglected it can end up being demolished because it is beyond repair which is how a lot of listed buildings are lost". [6] The Trust avoided conflicts of interest between conservationists and developers by encouraging property owners to seek advice on renovating their buildings and obtaining grants. [6]

It also began to outline a vision of improvements to the city; in 1979 Olav Arnold presented a conference pitch in which he declared Boar Lane a "disaster zone" and the Inner Ring Road "just a litter track", and advocated for a new image as a tourist centre to challenge York and Harrogate, building on undeveloped rough sites, reviving the canals, and more parks and trees. [7]

With proactive campaigns from the 1960s until the present and declarations such as "What we build today is tomorrow's heritage" and "Conserving the best of the past", Leeds Civic Trust has been instrumental in conservation decisions across the city. Buildings it has saved from demolition or insensitive alteration include St Pauls House in Park Square, [8] the former Bank of England on South Parade, the Third White Cloth Hall, Kirkgate Market, and the unified south side of Boar Lane. [9]

The Trust runs the Lower Kirkgate Townscape Heritage Initiative, which collects historical information about the quarter and advocates for the preservation of historic buildings, such as the First White Cloth Hall (1711). [10] [9]

In 2013, volunteers began surveying all 3,000 Grade II listed buildings in the Leeds District, with the goal of creating a photographic and written record of the external condition of each building. [9]

Activities

The Trust works with Leeds City Council, the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Improvement District (LeedsBID), and other partners on many projects while maintaining a "critical friend" relationship with these and other stakeholders. Campaigns and activities include:

Burley Bar Stone Leeds.jpg
William T.Astbury FRS Plaque.jpg
10pts (5642686383).jpg
Central Station Wagon Hoist.jpg
Clockwise from top left: Blue plaques at Burley Bar Stone, Kirkstall Lane, Central station wagon hoist, and Beckett Street Cemetery

Unlike similar civic societies in the UK, Leeds Civic Trust does not own or operate any historic property (save for its own offices and the Bear Pit on Cardigan Road, which it has restored) or museums in the city. It works as an event organiser and pressure group for conservation and to continue good design quality in new-builds. [13]

Blue plaques

Leeds Civic Trust started its blue plaque scheme in 1987 and by March 2020 2019 it had 180 plaques. [14] They can be suggested by the public and sponsored by organisations. Before commemorating a person or building, it is given objective evaluation against specific criteria to ensure it is of high significance. [15] The Blue Plaques record the impact of significant persons in the city's history. The first plaque, the Burley Bar Stone, was unveiled in November 1987 marking one of the medieval gates of Leeds, the stone itself surviving within the building of the Leeds Building Society on Albion Street. [16] The West Bar and East Bar were also marked, and in 2017 the 164th plaque marked the North Bar. [17] All plaques are monitored by members and those in very poor condition are returned to the manufacturer for repainting. [4]

Rainbow Plaque at Charlie's Nightclub, Briggate Charlie's Nightclub Rainbow Plaque.jpg
Rainbow Plaque at Charlie's Nightclub, Briggate

In association with the 2018 Leeds Pride event, the Trust created a trail of Rainbow Plaques to commemorate individuals, significant places and events which have contributed to the LGBT+ history of Leeds. [18]

Caryl Philips unveiling a Leeds Civic Trust Blue Plaque to David Oluwale

On 25 April 2022 Leeds Civic Trust and the David Oluwale Memorial Association organising the unveiling of a blue plaque by Caryl Phillips on Leeds Bridge, commemorating the death of David Oluwale. [19] Hours later the plaque was stolen and West Yorkshire Police established a hate crime investigation. [20] A temporary replacement plaque was damaged days later. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue plaque</span> Commemorative plaque in the United Kingdom

A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker. The term is used in the United Kingdom in two different senses. It may be used narrowly and specifically to refer to the "official" scheme administered by English Heritage, and currently restricted to sites within Greater London; or it may be used less formally to encompass a number of similar schemes administered by organisations throughout the UK. The plaques erected are made in a variety of designs, shapes, materials and colours: some are blue, others are not. However, the term "blue plaque" is often used informally to encompass all such schemes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuthbert Brodrick</span> British architect

Cuthbert Brodrick FRIBA was a British architect, whose most famous building is Leeds Town Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Briggate</span>

Briggate is a pedestrianised principal shopping street in Leeds city centre, England. Historically it was the main street, leading north from Leeds Bridge, and housed markets, merchant's houses and other business premises. It contains many historic buildings, including the oldest in the city, and others from the 19th and early-20th century, including two theatres. It is noted for the yards between some older buildings with alleyways giving access and Victorian shopping arcades, which were restored in late 20th century. The street was pedestrianised in the late-20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millennium Square, Leeds</span>

Millennium Square is a city square in the Civic Quarter of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was Leeds's flagship project to mark the year 2000, and was jointly funded by Leeds City Council and the Millennium Commission. Total cost of production was £12 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeds Kirkgate Market</span> Building in Leeds, England

Kirkgate Market is a market complex on Vicar Lane in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest covered market in Europe and a Grade I listed building. There are currently 800 stalls which attract over 100,000 visitors a week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeds city centre</span> Central business district of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Leeds city centre is the central business district of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is roughly bounded by the Inner Ring Road to the north and the River Aire to the south and can be divided into several quarters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holbeck</span> Inner city area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Holbeck is an inner city area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It begins on the southern edge of Leeds city centre and mainly lies in the LS11 postcode district. The M1 and M621 motorways used to end/begin in Holbeck. Now the M621 is the only motorway that passes through the area since the end of the M1 moved to Hook Moor near Aberford. Since large parts of Holbeck have been vacated in preparation for the regeneration of the area, the district has in large parts suffered from a population exodus. Holbeck had a population of 5,505 in 2011. The district currently falls within the Beeston and Holbeck ward of Leeds City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple Works</span> Former flax mill and listed building in Holbeck, West Yorkshire, England

Temple Works is a former flax mill in Holbeck, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was designed by the engineer James Coombe a former pupil of John Rennie; the painter David Roberts; and the architect Joseph Bonomi the Younger. It was built in the Egyptian Revival style for the industrialist John Marshall between 1836 and 1840 to contain a 240 horsepower double-beam engine by Benjamin Hick. Temple Works is the only Grade I listed building in Holbeck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st White Cloth Hall</span>

The 1st White Cloth Hall is a Grade II* listed building on Kirkgate, in the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeds Bridge</span> Bridge in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Leeds Bridge is a historic river crossing in Leeds, England. The present cast iron road bridge over the River Aire dates from 1870. It is Grade II listed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death of David Oluwale</span> Nigerian homeless person drowned in suspicious circumstances

David Oluwale (1930–1969) was a British Nigerian who drowned in the River Aire in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, in 1969. The events leading to his drowning have been described as "the physical and psychological destruction of a homeless, black man whose brutal, systematic harassment was orchestrated by the Leeds city police force." Oluwale's death resulted in the first successful prosecution of British police officers for involvement in the death of a black person. The precise sequence of events that led to Oluwale entering the river—whether he was deliberately thrown, chased or fell accidentally—have never been officially established, although two independent witnesses testified that they saw uniformed police officers chasing him alongside the river on the night he is believed to have drowned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Rowland Marsden</span> Inventor, philanthropist, and mayor of Leeds, England

Henry Rowland Marsden was a philanthropist and (Liberal) Mayor of Leeds for 1873 to 1875, said to be the most popular Victorian mayor of Leeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of Leeds</span> Buildings of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

The architecture of Leeds, a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England, encompasses a wide range of architectural styles and notable buildings. As with most northern industrial centres, much of Leeds' prominent architecture is of the Victorian era. However, the City of Leeds also contains buildings from as early as the Middle Ages such as Kirkstall Abbey, one of Britain's best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries, as well as examples of 20th century industrial architecture, particularly in the districts of Hunslet and Holbeck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Calls</span> Street and area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

The Calls is an area and street by the River Aire in Leeds city centre, West Yorkshire, England. This district falls within the City and Hunslet ward of the City of Leeds Council. Formerly an area of industry in Leeds, it has now been regenerated with a mixture of uses: primarily offices, residential and leisure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salem Chapel, Leeds</span>

Salem Chapel is a former Congregational church, located on Hunslet Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated opposite the former Tetley's Brewery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Golden Beam</span> Former church and school building in West Yorkshire, England

The Golden Beam is a pub and Grade II listed building located in the Headingley area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was built in c. 1912 for the Church of Christ, Scientist, and was known as the Elinor Lupton Centre from 1986 to 2010 when it was a school arts centre. It was designed by Piet de Jong and William Peel Schofield from the architectural firm Schofield and Berry. Constructed in white Portland stone in a mixed style of Egyptian Revival and Art Deco, it was originally built as a Sunday school in c. 1912–1914, extended in the 1930s with a church building and then used by the Leeds Girls' High School as a theatre and music centre from 1986 until 2010. The structure has architectural significance in the locality due to its distinct style and use of materials; many original features and fittings survive, including the entrance foyer, two staircases and a glazed lantern in the auditorium roof.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">York Civic Trust</span> Heritage organisation based in York, UK

York Civic Trust is a membership organisation and a registered charity based in York, UK. Its primary function is to "preserve, protect and advise on the historic fabric of York". It is based in Fairfax House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aire Park</span> Park in West Yorkshire, England

Aire Park is a planned new public open space in Hunslet, south of the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Being developed by the international real estate organisation Vastint, it will mostly occupy the abandoned brownfield site of the former Tetley's Brewery. It is named after the River Aire, which flows nearby.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Leeds Civic Trust Annual Review 2019
  2. 1 2 Thornton, David (2002), Leeds: The Story of a City, Fort Publishing Ltd, ISBN   978-0-9536576-6-7
  3. ↑ "Beckett's Bank, Park Row - Leeds". Gilbert Scott. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 "Annual Report 2015/16" (PDF). Leeds Civic Trust. September 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  5. ↑ "Leeds Civic Trust". The Secret Library - Leeds Libraries Heritage Blog. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Action to save city's historic buildings". Yorkshire Evening Post . 11 March 1971. p. 9.
  7. ↑ "Action to save city's historic buildings". Yorkshire Evening Post . 22 February 1979. p. 6.
  8. ↑ "Park Square, gardens". Leeds City Council . Retrieved 10 April 2020. Scheduled for demolition in the 1970s, it was saved at the last minute and converted into offices.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Grady, Kevin. "Profile for Heritage Counts 2015". Historic England . Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Conserving our Buildings". Leeds Civic Trust. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  11. ↑ "Development & Transport". Leeds Civic Trust. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  12. ↑ "Shop". Leeds Civic Trust. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  13. ↑ "How the Civic Trust shaped Leeds". Yorkshire Post . 21 October 2015.
  14. ↑ Grady, Kevin; Tyrell, Robert (2020). Blue Plaques of Leeds The Next Collection. Leeds: Leeds Civic Trust. ISBN   978-0-905671-99-4.
  15. ↑ "Blue Plaques Principal Criteria" (PDF). Leeds Civic Trust. 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  16. ↑ Dyson, Peter; Grady, Kevin (2001). Blue Plaques of Leeds. Leeds: Leeds Civic Trust. ISBN   0-905671-22-8.
  17. ↑ "The North Bar Plaque: A Medieval Gateway to Leeds". leedscivictrust.org.uk. 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  18. ↑ "Rainbow plaque trail set for Leeds". Yorkshire Evening Post. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  19. ↑ "David Oluwale: blue plaque for victim of police racism stolen hours after unveiling". The Guardian. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  20. ↑ "Theft of memorial plaque treated as hate crime". BBC News. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  21. ↑ "Replacement David Oluwale memorial plaque damaged". BBC News. 28 April 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2022.

Coordinates: 53°47′43″N1°32′17″W / 53.7952°N 1.5380°W / 53.7952; -1.5380

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.