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| Stone Formation Archive 1975 |
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 Stone Formations news, views, gallery and archive brought to you by Weird Wiltshire Introduction Latest News News Archive Stonehenge Stonehenge Project Stonehenge 360 Avebury Saviours Stones Village Solstice Wayland Smithy Long Barrow Woodhenge Gallery Summer Solstice Gallery 2002 Summer Solstice Gallery 2004 Postcards Wallpaper Links  |
First published November 14, 1975 A plan to demolish residential property within the prehistoric stone circle at Avebury and to rehouse the inhabitants at Avebury Truslow has never been abandoned, it was claimed at Devizes yesterday. Coun John Bowman told Kennet Council planning and development committee that the plan was still part of the county development scheme and the intention not to demolish the whole of the village had "never been categorically denied". "The parish of Avebury is extremely worried about its future," he said, "and it has not been consulted about it." He urged that the council should take steps to ensure in any policy review that the whole of Avebury should be reconsidered. "I am very shocked that the county council appear never to have opposed the idea of demolishing the whole village," he said. But in a letter to Coun Bowman, Mr George McDonic, the county planning officer, said that although reference was made in a 1952 report to two 'long-term objectives' of the National Trust and Ministry of Works to clear all buildings from inside the stone circle, it 'does not form part of the county development plan'. He pointed out that the National Trust now owned more than 1,000 acres of land at Avebury, and he found their attitude 'extraordinary'. When land was needed for a car park they refused to give any, and the county council had to obtain it from the church. Mr Roy Payne, Kennet's planning director, said that he was shortly due to meet the National Trust's local technical officer to discuss certain matters and he would raise the point made by Coun Bowman with him. Coun Dr Tim Maurice queried whether the National Trust ever intended to turn Avebury into 'a glorified Stonehenge standing in its own grounds'. Coun Dr Maurice said it would be incredible if a body like the National Trust, devoted to preservation, should take such a line. The committee agreed that steps should be taken to obtain information about the intentions of the National Trust and all-round clarification about the future of Avebury village. Rather than make any reductions in existing services for economy reasons, the council was urged that it would be far better to keep them going. Coun Donald Blanchard said it was better to 'hang on as best we can to keep the present services going and to forget all about a reduction, if it is humanly possible'. Earlier, the committee chairman, Coun Reginald Holledge, stressed that it was their 'duty to economise to the absolute limit in the national interest'. Coun Michael May, the finance committee chairman, said the estimates were based on the existing establishment and there was 'no built-in intention to reduce services'. When some councillors hinted the Devizes car parking charges might be increased, Coun May said he understood that they were going to consider whether charges might be effectively introduced elsewhere in the district, like Marlborough and Pewsey. Mr Harry Hanlon, senior accountant, said the charges varied in Devizes according to the situation of the parks, either 2p for the outer ones or 5p for the central ones. "I would have thought that a minimum of 5p is reasonable today," said Coun Holledge. Planning director Mr Roy Payne said that car parking was a joint function with the county council which already had a working party looking at parking policy throughout Wiltshire. Back to 1975 index |
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