Civic Society of St Ives - 1968 to 1972

Civic Society of St Ives - 1968 to 1972

In July 1968, St Ives was a modest market town on the River Ouse, still adjusting to the rapid changes of the post-war decades. The town’s population was growing, new housing estates were expanding to the north, and traffic through the centre had become a pressing problem.

Alongside these pressures, there was an increasing awareness of heritage and conservation, spurred in part by national debates about the loss of historic buildings and landscapes. It was in this atmosphere that local residents began to discuss forming a Civic Society, a body that could give voice to concerns about the town’s future.

The spark for action was a proposal by Huntingdonshire County Council to drive a relief road across Hemingford Meadow to the west of the town. The road, if built, would cut across one of the most treasured approaches to St Ives, threatening views from the medieval bridge towards the parish church and damaging the riverside setting that gave the town its distinctive character.

County Surveyor's western route, across Holt Island and Hemingford Meadow.

This possibility brought together a group of residents who believed that St Ives needed an organised society to protect its interests and, more broadly, to engage the community in thinking about its future. The Civic Society of St Ives was the result.

The Threat to St Ives

St Ives Town Council first called for a by-pass in 1936. By the mid-1960s congestion had become severe, with traffic volumes tripling in just 15 years. The medieval bridge in the town centre, little wider than a cart, was long regarded as the worst traffic bottleneck in Cambridgeshire, being the only river crossing for several miles.

With a one-way traffic light system in place, an average of 11,000 vehicles crossed the bridge each day, creating long queues through the centre and beyond the southern side. There were also fears over the bridge’s condition. To reassure the public, the County Council sent divers down twice a year to inspect its foundations.

St Ives bridge before the relief road was built.

In 1961, the railway track that crossed the Great Ouse a hundred yards east of St Ives bridge was decommissioned. Humphrey Warren, local businessman and former national rower, gathered support for turning the disused line into a second road crossing. A letter demanding action, signed by Humphrey and his associates, appeared in the Hunts Post. 

Scheduled for demolition, the British Transport Commission offered the bridge and approaches to the County Council for £15,000 (today £280,000). With the scrap value a mere £200 (£4,000), many questioned why such a prohibitive price was set.

The likely answer was that even if converted, the railway bridge would only ever serve as a temporary fix. Long-term relief would depend on a proper by-pass, though that seemed far in the future. For many in St Ives, even a temporary solution would have been welcomed. The Council passed on the offer. The railway bridge was demolished, and the town lost what might have been a valuable second crossing of the Ouse.

A western route was considered as early as 1953. By 1965, the issue was taken more seriously. A St Ives by-pass became the single most expensive project on the County Council’s capital programme. Soon after, the County Planning Officer produced what he considered was a practical solution, based on the earlier western route.

Though it had yet to receive formal approval, the proposed route alarmed the few St Ivians who discovered it. Plans showed a bridge and viaduct stretching from Ramsey Road, across Ingle Holt Island, the river, and Hemingford Meadow, before joining the road at Armes Corner. They feared it would ruin the town’s unique landscape. Daniel Defoe wrote in 1724 Here are the most beautiful meadows on the banks of the river Ouse, that I think are to be seen in any part of England. The Council’s plan threatened to erase that view forever.

The Highways Department image of proposed by-pass from end of Ramsey Road.

The Founding 10

There were likely private discussions between the eight who gathered for the first meeting at Barnes House on Thursday 11 July 1968. Each founder brought skills relevant to opposing the proposed by-pass. So who were those eight?

Present were Jack Davies, a teacher who became curator of the Norris Museum from 1964 until his death in 1974, and Sheila Day, part of the Day family, who provided an unbroken line of clerks to the Borough Guardians and Town Council from 1837 to 1953. She did extensive community service, served as a magistrate, and was a noted supporter of nature and the countryside.

Mrs G. M. Green, who's husband Michael was an architect and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and gave an important speech at the first public meeting. Mary Grove was a member of the Grove family of doctors who cared for the health of St Ives for more than 80 years from 1866. Mary was elected a Town Councillor in 1956, and served as Mayor of St Ives in 1962. She also sat as a Justice of the Peace.

Molly Harrison was an architect. Dr Kenneth Mellanby CBE was Director of Monks Wood Experimental Station. Jean Mellanby, was a local ecologist and author of four books on nature. Hugh O'Neill was an architect based in the Broadway, St Ives.

Further discussions followed in August, when additional figures became involved. Humphrey Warren, now a County Councillor and President of St Ives Rowing Club, became the Society’s first Chairman. Bill Harrison, brother of Molly Harrison, became Secretary. A civil engineer, he specialised in highways.

Five of the Founding 10.

The founding group moved quickly. They secured the Free Church room for a public meeting, arranged speakers, and prepared publicity. The Mayor was invited to preside, and notices were printed to advertise the event. Letters were sent to local organisations—the Chamber of Trade, Ratepayers’ Association, Rotarians, Women’s Institute, and churches—urging their members to attend. Handbills were distributed in shops and displayed at the History Exhibition in the Corn Exchange. By late September, the stage was set.

A Public Meeting

The inaugural public meeting was held at 8.00pm on Friday 27 September 1968 in the Free Church room, 2–3 Free Church Passage. About 60 were expected to attend, but 150 crowded in, a sizeable gathering for the town. The Mayor of St Ives, Councillor Ethel Cuttill, opened proceedings. She spoke warmly of the town’s character and expressed her hope that its essential qualities would be preserved even as it grew and changed. Her support gave the new venture a degree of official recognition from the outset.

Humphrey Warren explained the purpose of the proposed Society. It would be concerned with the preservation, restoration, alteration, and development of St Ives, and would provide a forum where elected bodies, professionals, and the public could discuss issues openly. Decisions would rest with members, not outside authorities, and the Society would not act as a “rubber stamp”. This emphasis on independence and openness proved persuasive. When the resolution to form the Society was put, it was carried unanimously.

After the formal vote, officers were elected. Humphrey Warren became Chairman, Bill Harrison Secretary, and Miss Scott Treasurer. A committee of seven was appointed. Those seven were Mary Grove, Hugh O’Neill, Jean Mellanby, George Clay, Colonel Munro, J. P. Wilkinson, and K. C. Digby.

Architect Michael Green, himself a native of St Ives, then gave a talk entitled The Threat to St Ives. He argued that the western route would destroy the landscape setting that made the town unique. Illustrated with photographs, he compared older buildings that had been lost with their modern replacements and warned that the same fate awaited the meadow and riverside if the plan went ahead. His intervention helped to frame the bypass not only as a transport issue but also as a matter of heritage and identity.

First Officials and Committee

The constitution adopted by the Society was based on the model prepared by the Civic Trust, with some adjustments. Subscriptions were set at ten shillings per year (today £7.50), with no concessions for junior members or life subscriptions. The committee was to consist of three officers and up to nine other members, with five forming a quorum. So there were two vacancies to fill. The Annual General Meeting would be held in October each year, and at least fourteen days’ notice was required for general meetings.

The early officers and committee members brought a mix of skills. Humphrey Warren was an experienced local politician and businessman. Bill Harrison's speciality was road civil engineering. Committee members such as Mary Grove and Jean Mellanby were active in planning and publicity. Hugh O’Neill offered the professional insight of an architect. The presence of Colonel Munro and others gave the Society additional standing in the community. Within weeks of its founding, the Society had already gathered more than a hundred paid-up members, an impressive start for a voluntary organisation.

The Battle Starts

From the beginning, the Society was determined not to be a single-issue group. At the same time, it could not ignore the bypass proposal that had prompted its creation. The committee agreed that study groups should be formed to consider the conservation of buildings, the layout of estates, and the state of footpaths. This approach widened the Society’s remit, but the bypass remained central.

In October 1968, the Society invited the Assistant Editor of the Architectural Review, Mr Timothy Rock, to speak. He presented slides and commentary on St Ives’ built environment. The meeting drew around 100 people and reinforced the view that the bridge, the Waits, and the riverside were of great importance. Arguments against the western route multiplied; it would cut the town in two, bring heavy traffic near schools and the library, and undermine residential streets. An alternative eastern route could follow the line of the disused railway and serve industrial areas better.

Later that year the County Planning Officer, L G Robinson, attended a meeting of the Society to defend the western route with maps and diagrams. He insisted it was superior on grounds of aesthetics, disturbance, traffic and cost, yet admitted it had not been approved. Questioned for over an hour, Society members challenged the assumptions behind the plan, asked for traffic census details, and pressed for alternatives. Even Councillor Collinson, Chairman of the County Planning Committee, admitted to being impressed by the quality of the debate and promised that the eastern option would be considered. For the Society, this was an early sign that their efforts were having an effect.

Routine of Meetings

Alongside campaigning, the Society developed a schedule of open meetings that gave members a chance to learn and discuss wider issues. In December 1968, a discussion was held on the bypass, accompanied by the distribution of a questionnaire to members. In February 1969, the planning consultant Robert Turner spoke on the future of market towns, emphasising the importance of managing growth without destroying character. In April of the same year, a meeting discussed the historic footpath to Houghton, with contributions from the Ramblers’ Association and naturalists’ groups.

Questionnaire distributed to members, December 1968.

By 1969, the Society had formed further study groups, which distributed reports to members and, in some cases, to local councils and national bodies. One study concluded that the town’s river frontage required careful management to preserve views and accommodate industry without damaging the setting. Another explored options for tree planting, recommending species and sites that would enhance the town’s appearance. These initiatives showed that the Society was willing to look beyond immediate issues to the longer-term shaping of St Ives.

By early 1969, there were over 110 members. Meetings attracted audiences ranging from 50 to 120 people. The Society established itself as a recognised forum for civic discussion, drawing in speakers from across the region and beyond.

Partial Success

In early 1969, the Society produced a detailed report advocating an eastern bypass. Copies were sent to members of the County Council, the Borough Council, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, and the Civic Trust. When voting papers from December were tallied, 136 members supported the eastern route, while only four backed the western option. The evidence was strong enough to be noted by officials, and Lord Kennet, a junior minister, acknowledged the Society’s representations in correspondence.

The County Council was asked to study and cost both routes in detail. This marked a shift; until then, only the western route had been seriously developed. The Society had succeeded in opening up the debate and ensuring that alternatives were given due consideration. Although the Borough Council initially voted against the eastern option, the fact that the matter was under review was itself a victory of sorts.

Behind the scenes, the Society also secured offers of legal assistance. A barrister specialising in planning cases and a solicitor both agreed to provide services at nominal fees should a Public Inquiry be called. This gave the Society confidence that it could pursue its case at the highest levels if necessary.

Awaiting the Inquiry

In the next two years the Civic Society became a fixture of town life. It organised talks on topics ranging from heraldry to the navigation of the River Ouse, and continued to monitor planning issues closely. The Quay, Market Hill, and other parts of the town centre were subjects of discussion.

The Society took action on buildings at risk of demolition, such as Fourways and two adjacent cottages on the corner of Church Passage, the Nook abutting Barnes House in Church Street, and the Borough Council's plans to demolish the cottages in Crown Walk. At the same time, the bypass remained unresolved. Correspondence with ministries continued, and members awaited news of whether the matter would go to a Public Inquiry.

The three routes considered by the Public Inquiry.

By 1972, that stage had arrived. A Public Inquiry was held in St Ives Corn Exchange in October to consider one western route and two eastern alternatives. The Society presented its case formally. Although the western route was no longer certain, nor was an eastern option assured. The County Council and other interested parties also put forward their arguments. The following documents were submitted to the Inquiry (click to view).

Civic Society's Proof of Evidence
County Council Statement
County Planning Officer's Report
County Surveyor's Evidence Report
St Ives Rowing Club Submission
Needingworth Road Objectors

The Society’s first five years had brought recognition, a growing membership, and success in forcing the bypass debate into the open. Yet the outcome still depended on decisions beyond their control. The story of the Civic Society’s first five years closed, with the town anxiously awaiting the outcome of the Public Inquiry.

To view the Society's minutes for this period, click Civic Society of St Ives minutes 1968-1972.

Not yet a member of the Civic Society of St Ives? Join and support their work to preserve and enhance the beauty of the town. Membership costs just £10 a year for individuals or £15 for households. Members receive a monthly newsletter on what's happening in St Ives, an annual report, and free entry to monthly talks from September to May. To find out more, click here.