I've been a resident on St. Ignatius square only for a short time, just over a year and a half? maybe a little longer I'm not sure. However I know the square has some residents that have lived here nearly 40 years.... perhaps there are some others who have lived here longer?
However as many of the residents will know it has been designated a conservation area in 1982. The key reasons provided are presented in a report I found online [here] if you click on the word in brackets it will start to download the file.
The main effects of this resulted in the properties becoming grade 2 listed buildings. This means that the 'cosmetic appearance' of the buildings and the square are to be preserved. Although these constraints often cause headaches when renovation and repairs are to be undertaken, the positive effect results in sustaining property values, aesthetic appeal of the square and of course the preservation of our history.
So what is the purpose of this blog? Well I thought it would be a chance, and a method of sharing the current work being undertaken on the square. One of the main areas that has always been an issue, are the trees that have banked the pavements. At the time of planting the trees were poorly selected, through conversation with an expert his opinion was that many varieties were better suited to a park, or even forestation areas. This resulted in many 'flags' - the heavy stones that make the pavement, becoming uneven through the roots spreading producing various trip hazards.
Last year the council started to repair some of this damage. It resulted in the roots becoming stunted, and some of the flag stones removed and replaced with 'Black top' - This of course was not in keeping with the conservation order, and perhaps was only a temporary repair. However just recently the work has started to rectify this and start to replace the trees and flag stones.
Which of course brings me on to the point of this blog. I myself am a recent graduate of the towns University in Photography, and thought as this was literally happening on my doorstep. I could provide a document of the transformation. So this is the start, and I would please welcome any residents or interested people to add their comments and suggestions.
I think part of producing this is sharing our experiences, and also a window into the work being produced. I look forward to your comments.
All the best, David.
