Save Roman Southwell - Protesters celebrate as school site homes scheme is blocked

THE rejection of plans to build 29 homes on a former school site has been hailed as a victory for "the will of the people".

A construction firm wanted to build the homes on Southwell Minster School's old Church Street site.

The site is considered to be of huge historic significance as it is home to the remains of one of the largest Roman villas in the UK.

Councillors on Newark and Sherwood District Council's planning committee last night turned down the proposals, to the relief of protesters.

After the meeting, Southwell resident Brendan Haigh expressed his delight, though admitted he is concerned more plans could be submitted. "I'm absolutely delighted with the result," he said. "It represents the will of the people.

"It would have been absolutely awful if the application had gone through, but this may not be the end of the story."

The authority had been expected to approve the proposals ahead of the meeting.

But Councillor Paul Handley, who represents Southwell North, told the meeting it was very important the plans were rejected because they didn't follow the authority's planning guidelines.

He said: "Also important to mention is that there are a lot of listed buildings in the immediate area.

"Of all the buildings surrounding it, only two have been built in the last 50 years."

Councillor Roger Dobson, of Southwell Town Council, also spoke out against the plans.

He said: "I've spoken on numerous occasions for the council, but I've never felt as passionately as on this occasion.

"There are a substantial number of people in the community who oppose it.

"The site is not only of local importance, but of national importance."

Earlier this year, the Reverend Professor Martin Henig of Oxford University said the site could be "a five-star educational and tourist resource for the town".

The proposals were submitted by Caunton Properties Ltd. They immediately found opposition from people living in the area.

A petition calling for the site to be protected from development was signed by more than 3,499 people. Campaigners said they wanted the site to remain clear and for information boards to be put up.

Southwell Town Council also objected to the proposals.

Roman remains were discovered under parts of Southwell in the 1790s. Baths which formed part of a villa were uncovered when a site in Church Street was cleared for the building of the original Southwell Minster School in 1959. The site closed down and was later destroyed by a large fire in October 2007.

No one from Caunton Properties Ltd was available for comment last night.

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Protesters-celebrate-school-site-homes-scheme/story-13797388-detail/story.html

Save Roman Southwell - Homes rethink rejected

Councillors have reiterated their opposition to plans for housing on a site of national historic significance, despite a surprise suggestion they should support the scheme.

Mrs Sue Rodgers told colleagues on Southwell Town Council’s planning committee that the archaeology at the former Church Street site of The Minster School was better left in the ground, and she proposed they support the application for homes.

Caunton Properties Ltd wants to build 29 homes on the site, where excavations have found nationally important Roman remains.

The planning committee previously unanimously objected to the suggested housing, and discussed the matter again because of amendments to the planning application.

Mrs Rodgers, a member of Nottinghamshire County Council’s archaeology team, said she did not believe the site should be excavated further.

“As far as I’m concerned archaeology is much safer left in the ground than it is dug up and any archaeology is the destruction of the layers built up over time.

“What the developer is planning would significantly protect the remains and all the buildings put up would have very detailed archaeological mitigation against them, and if anything was found then building would stop.

“Much as we would all like to see archaeologists in there over the next 20 years carefully digging away to see what’s down there I think it is safer where it is.

“It’s going to go completely against the grain but I propose we support the application.”

Mrs Rodgers said the town should be concentrating on tracking down archaeology that was excavated in 1959 and had been lost over the years.

Mr Roger Dobson said the council should again submit its very strong objections.

He said: “The area is totally unsuitable for housing as it is in an outstanding area of heritage surrounded by outstanding heritage with the minster, the archbishops’ palace and the prebendal houses.”

He thought more of the site should be excavated to possibly reveal more about the link between the Roman occupation of Southwell and the building of the minster.

He said: “Why should we leave a story that is capable, with more archaeology over the years, of being told.

Mr Peter Harris said if the plans were for land near any other cathedral in any other area they would be immediately rejected.

Mrs Lyn Harris said she accepted the archaeology would be safer in the ground, but was concerned if houses were built the archaeology could be disturbed by home-owners building small extensions or conservatories.

Mrs Kate Ashworth thought it would be more pleasant to maintain the land as an open space.

Newark and Sherwood District Council will decide the application.

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Homes-rethink-rejected

Save Roman Southwell - Once-in-a-lifetime chance for heritage

Roman remains in Southwell could be used for education and tourism if they are preserved, a group campaigning against development has claimed.

The Save Roman Southwell campaign wants to see the former Church Street site of the Minster School protected.

It is appealing for the site to be made a heritage area incorporating Southwell Minster, the Archbishop’s Palace and the prebendal houses on Church Street and Westgate.

Experts believe the remains site, later used as an Anglo Saxon cemetery, could provide the link between the Roman occupation of Southwell, the origins of Christianity in the town, and the building of the minster.

Mr Trevor Wight, of Save Roman Southwell, told the town council that the Roman remains were of significant archaeological importance and formed part of the historic core of the town.

He said: “We feel the historic core should be extended to create a tourist destination of local and national importance.

“What we envisage is a Roman heritage park including the archaeological remains linking with the other parts of the historic core.

“The building blocks are there because you have got the minster nearby with its own marketing and visitor guides.”

Mr Wight said they wanted the land returned to the community, which could preserve the remains and make the site usable before providing interpretation boards and a visual representation of the remains.

He said they then hoped to open the site up for archaeological investigation from experts and the community and finally create an educational facility and expose some of the remains, although this was likely to be very expensive.

Mr Wight said: “We have here a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and if we don’t take it now it will be gone.

“We have the opportunity to create a unique, attractive tourist centre on the site.

“We want to create a more complete package of tourism attractions and this has the potential not just to enhance tourism in Southwell, but tourism in Nottinghamshire.”

Caunton Properties Ltd has submitted plans for 29 homes on the site.

The plans have been delayed from going before Newark and Sherwood District Council’s planning committee several times but it is believed they will be decided by Christmas.

The Save Roman Southwell campaign and Southwell Town Council are against the application.

A member of the campaign group, Mr Peter Kent, said English Heritage was still against making the site a Scheduled Ancient Monument, which would protect it from development.

He said the group believed the site had more surprises to reveal and, if development was allowed, the remains would be lost forever.

Caunton Properties Ltd has told the town council it is considering selling the land to an Irish syndicate regardless of the outcome of the planning application.

 

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Once-in-a-lifetime-chance-for-heritage

Save Roman Southwell - 2,500 fight to save villa site

A PETITION to protect a rare archeological site in Southwell has been signed by more than 2,500 people.

The Save Roman Southwell (SRS) campaign was set up to oppose a planning application to build 29 houses on most of the old Minster school site.

The site in Church Street is home to the remains of one of the largest Roman villas in the UK, which protesters argue is key to understanding Southwell's origins.

Newark and Sherwood District Council is considering the proposal by Caunton Properties Ltd, who were unavailable for comment, to build houses next to the remains.

The SRS campaign says it is not only about stopping developments in the town, but also about creating a tourist attraction.

Southwell Heritage Trust member Trevor Wight said: "This groundswell of opinion puts the responsibility on all of us to make sure the mistakes of the past, when important heritage was destroyed, are not repeated."

SRS wants to return the site to community ownership and put up information boards.

Experts say that the site is of national importance.

The Rev Prof Martin Henig of Oxford University said: "This could be a five-star educational and tourist resource for the town.''

From: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/2-500-fight-save-villa-site/story-13004425-detail/story.html

News - Campaign launched to save remains (Southwell)

A campaign has been launched to try to protect the site of Southwell’s Roman remains from development.



Save Roman Southwell, run by local heritage groups with the support of the Chapter of Southwell Minster, wants the Church Street site turned into a Roman heritage park.


Campaigners hope the land could be brought back into public ownership and form part of an outstanding heritage area including the neighbouring Bishop’s Palace, prebendal houses, Saracen’s Head Hotel and Southwell Minster.

Caunton Properties Ltd is looking to build 29 homes on the former Minster School site.


However, some experts claim the site is of national importance, believing the archaeological remains could provide a link between Roman Southwell, a Saxon church build on the site and the creation of Southwell Minster.


Professor Warwick Rodwell, archaeologist and architectural historian to Westminster Abbey said the development would be an act of cultural vandalism.


Mr Peter Kent, of Save Roman Southwell, said: “The emergence of an Anglo-Saxon church and the later Norman Minster from a high-status Roman complex presents a unique tourism, heritage and educational opportunity.

“There is considerable scope to develop the unique story of Southwell’s growth through the ages by incorporating the components of the historic core into an Outstanding Heritage Area.”


The group aims to acquire and landscape the site together with the adjoining Orchard site — recently bought by the town council.


Further development of the Roman Heritage Park would include interpretation boards, a facility for community investigation, digs, educational projects and visits.


The groups hope as many people as possible will join them to campaign for Newark and Sherwood District Council to reject Caunton Properties’ Limited application.


Petitions will be held online and in the town. People are also being encouraged to write to the district council opposing the development.


The groups leading the campaign are Southwell Community Archaeology Group, Southwell Civic Society, Southwell Heritage Trust and Southwell Local History Society.


People can support the campaign online through a Facebook site, which should be online within days at www.facebook.com/SaveRomanSouthwell


Links to the online petition will be available at www.southwellacrchaeology.org.uk www.southwellcivicsociety.com or www.southwellhistorysociety.co.uk


From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Campaign-launched-to-save-remains