BASINGSTOKE HERITAGE SOCIETY

Basingstoke Heritage Society
News for Members no 74
May 2008

ELI LILLY AND STATUTORY LISTING.
Did you see the Gazette report on May 8th?

If so, you will know that we did not succeed in our application to English Heritage to get the Lilly building listed. This is a disappointment but English Heritage comment that although it has strong local architectural interest and historic interest as the first outlet in the UK for Lilly’s pharmaceutical industry, it does not compare for instance with Boots factory in Nottinghamshire of 1932, which is Grade II listed. They acknowledge that the Lilly building does have some good detail – pilasters and stepped parapet and that “its sheer size is striking too”. To be worthy of listing it would need to “be more exuberant in design terms”. However, it is on the council’s Local List of buildings of architectural or historic interest and we must hope that the developer who has acquired the site will respect its local importance.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

This took place on May 8th and there have been no change to the officers of the society which remain as follows

Chairman Brian Lawes
Vice-Chairman Colin Williams
Honorary Secretary Debbie Reavell
Honorary Treasurer Stella Beasley

Other committee members:
Peter Davis, Gordon Bulpitt, Nicola Williams, Hannah Williams, Terry Tilley , Tim Lehane, Chris Comer, Clive Lawson, Keith Leedham

DO COME AND JOIN US AT OUR REGULAR MEETINGS – YOU WILL BE VERY WELCOME.

Boundary Stone

This has now made its way to Milestones Museum and we are very grateful to the Hampshire Museum Service for collecting it from Farleigh and cleaning it up a bit and putting it in Milestones. If you are in Milestones, then look behind where the Romany caravan is – there’s a fence with some sheep and the boundary stone with the cast iron seal of the Borough arms is at the ‘station’ end of this space. Then you have to imagine the choirboys of St Michael’s setting off to walk the boundary from stone to stone and memorising every inch of it!!

Other Matters

=> South View Cemetery - the residents association in South View obtained a POPPI grant from the council to pay for many of the fallen gravestones and monuments to be repaired. Their aim was to tidy up a bit, but not too much. Worth a visit!

=> Old Kempshott Lane – former Worting Infants school - you may know that this building has been demolished. Consent had been given for conversion into flats, but the developer has allowed it to fall down. It is possible that Hants CC had entered into a covenant with the developer insisting on retention of the school but we have not seen evidence of this yet. In a similar situation 390 Worting Road (Old Post Office) has also been demolished where consent had been given only for conversion. We understand the council’s enforcement officers are looking at this.

=> Conservation area retrospective planning applications - we have commented on these where an applicant has gone ahead with works which would not normally have been readily approved – we feel that if a conservation area has been designated then we rely on the support of council officers to make the system work!

All members are welcome to attend meetings of the society.

At most meetings we consider planning applications which fall within the area of concern to the society and agree comments.

Next meetings - Thursday June 5th and July 3rd at Queen Mary's College at 7.30 (go to the main entrance and reception will guide you to the room)

For further information contact Debbie Reavell on 01256 473390
or by e-mail