Context 166 - November 2020

C O N T E X T 1 6 6 : N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 0 19 Oxford strongly expressed both for and against. It was only in 1972 that it was finally abandoned when the council adopted a Balanced Transport Policy that sought to discourage all non-essential traffic in the city centre by establishing bus lanes along the main routes, building park- and-ride sites around the edge of the city, and closing some central streets to traffic altogether. However, although traffic has been restricted in the High Street ever since, it was only during the recent Covid-19 lockdown that its full archi- tectural splendour could be enjoyed without disturbance again. The road controversy engaged both town and gown alike. One of the leading roles in the debate was taken by the Oxford Preservation Trust (OPT). It had been formed as long ago as 1926 with the stated objective of guiding ‘the development of Oxford, as to preserve and increase the beauty of the city and its surround- ing neighbourhood’. From the beginning it was proactive and one of its first actions was to purchase land at Boars Hill in order to protect the distant view of the city skyline from the south. Over the years other key areas of land have been bought by the trust or donated by its supporters. In 1952 they gave to the city 180 acres of land at Shotover Hill to the east as per- manent open space, and in 1959 they presented the city with a further 50 acres at South Park on the hill between Oxford and Headington. They continue to purchase other areas of land around the city that are vulnerable to development, and they carry out a variety of other activities that protect its character, promote good design and safeguard the green belt. Between 1946 and 1948 the secretary was John Betjeman. One of the issues that he had to deal with was the future of Oxford prison. This was located within the medieval castle and the lease was due to expire in 1950, when the site would revert to the county council. In the event, the prison did not close until 1996. After a period when its only use was as a film venue, in 2004 the OPT, in partnership with the enlight- ened developer Trevor Osborne and Oxfordshire County Council, spearheaded a major regen- eration scheme with the creation of a new retail quarter, the conversion of the prison into a hotel and the restoration of the castle by the trust as a visitor attraction. It was an extraordinarily ambitious project for a voluntary organisation, but with the assistance of a substantial grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund the scheme was successfully opened in May 2006. This was not the first time that the trust had directly intervened to secure a desirable out- come in planning terms. In 1970, when the city council was completing the redevelopment of the St Ebbes area in line with the Sharp report, the OPT had purchased a row of three of the most historic houses to prevent their demolition. They established their offices in one of them, where they remain to this day. The campaign to preserve the houses saw two other amenity societies working in concert with the trust. The Oxford Architectural and Historical Society (OAHS) had been established as long ago as 1839. These two venerable societies were joined by the Oxford Civic Society, which had only just been founded in 1969. The impetus for yet another society was explained by James Stevens Curl, its first chair- man: ‘because a few citizens of Oxford became very worried by the erosion of the historic city’s character by the systemic destruction of the The High Street looking west during Covid-19 lockdown (Photo: Thom Airs, May 2020)