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St Matthew's Piece

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki







Coordinates: 52°12′24″N 0°08′25″E / 52.2065796°N 0.1401798°E / 52.2065796; 0.1401798

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St Matthew's Piece is a small park in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England.[1] It was given by the Cambridge Commons Committee to the Mayor of Cambridge, dedicated to the local community’s healthy recreation "for ever" on 23 June 1898.[2][3][4] It is the only official park in Petersfield,[5] the most densely populated ward of the city, as the wards are currently drawn, and one of significant population growth.[6][7]

History

Establishment of St Matthew’s Piece

In 1890 The Mayor, Alderman Wace, recorded receipt of a "memorial signed by the Chairman of a meeting recently held in St. Matthew’s Parish, asking the Council to take steps to provide a recreation ground for that district." As he "received it too late to enter it the agenda paper... it was decided that the matter should be considered at the next meeting of the Council".[8]

Two months later the parish requested Cambridge Town Council to "exercise the powers vested in them under the Public Health and Open Spaces Act of Parliament to acquire a piece of land for the purposes of a public recreation ground". Councillor Spalding said "provision of open spaces was one of the best provisions they could make, not simply for the health of the town but for the morality of the town". A resolution for the establishment of a "recreation ground" was passed, in the interests of the 2,000 children in the "immediate neighbourhood".[9]

The next April a 'special meeting' of Cambridge Town Council approved a report from its 'General Purposes Committee', pursuant to a Council Resolution of 11 September 1890 – for the establishment of a "recreation ground" for children of St Matthew’s Parish. The report recommended that £1,675 (Error when using {{Inflation}}: |index=GBP (parameter 1) not a recognized index.) be made available for the purchase of the freehold of land belonging to Mr E. C. Young. While Councillor S. L. Young found this to be "expensive, considering the neighbourhood", Councillor Nichols thought this "a valuable piece of land, and that the price very reasonable indeed". The land of 1.75 acres (0.71 ha) between Sturton Street and Abbey Walk was agreed to be more suitable than any alternative site. Alderman Ellis concluded that the "ground would be a fine open space for the inhabitants of the neighbourhood".[10] The Council would be "obliged to pay for it out of the revenue" although "the Finance Committee thought [this] would disorganise the finance for the year", so "the Council decided to apply for leave to borrow the money", "trusting to the loan to recoup" the Corporation's revenue for that year.[11]

Six months later “The Finance Committee recommended that application be made to the Local Government Board by the Town Council for permission to borrow [this sum] to complete the purchase of the land which the Council had decided to acquire for the purpose of a recreation ground for the parish of St. Matthew and the neighbourhood. This was agreed to without discussion".[12]

Five weeks later,[lower-alpha 1] Edward Collier Young sold by deed to the City this land on Sturton Street,[13] one of three "indentures of conveyance" during the 1890s.[14]

At the end of May the next year "No Opposition" was reported at an Enquiry held “at the Aldermen's Parlour, Guildhall, Cambridge… on behalf the Local Government Board, in the matter of the application by the Cambridge Town Council for leave to borrow £1,675 for the purpose of purchasing land for public walks and pleasure grounds in St. Matthew District." Justifications for this loan included that although “most parts of Cambridge were well supplied with recreation grounds and open spaces… the district … now in question was an exception, although during the past twenty years it had rapidly developed, and was inhabited chiefly by the working classes." Stress was laid on there being “three schools in the neighbourhood", and an estimated two thousand to “three thousand children, who, out of school hours, had no where to play but in the streets, which proved annoyance". Urgency arose as “most of the sites were being built upon, and… the opportunity would pass away". Rev. J. Hargrove, Vicar of St Matthew’s Church, "also referred to the benefits of a pleasure-ground, both to the children and others".[11] A meeting of the Cambridge Town Council then recorded receipt of a letter “from the Local Government Board, giving their sanction the borrowing by the Corporation of the sum of £1,675 for the purchase of land for the purpose of a recreation ground for the parish of St. Matthew",[15][16] the "sum to be repaid in ten years from the date of borrowing".

In mid-September A report from the Council’s General Purposes Committee was adopted, agreeing to two payments. The first was to Messrs. Alsop & Sons of “about £122 16s, 3d" for “the erection of 165 yards of an unclimbable iron fence… on the east and part of the south sides of the ground purchased" for the St Matthew’s Recreation Ground. The second approved payment was for £l87 10s to Mr. Banyard, for the “erection of a retaining wall to carry the fencing". It was agreed that a “brick wall would have looked better, but the concrete would be more durable much less costly" (£100 less).[16]

Three years later a meeting of Cambridge Town Council was held to determine “What steps had been taken with regard to laying out St. Matthew's Recreation Ground". This seemed to be “a kind of no man’s ground", and “was not at the present moment altogether in a satisfactory state", in that “the ground had become the rendezvous for all kinds of rubbish from all parts of the town". It was further reported that the “Corporation had acted unwisely in building a wall round the ground and doing away with the allotments, which would have brought in a considerable sum of money with which to pay the interest on the cost of the land". One Councillor had "seen persons playing at cards in open daylight on the ground, and the people of that district wanted it a decent place; they wanted their neighbourhood clean, with everything that conduced to the welfare of the inhabitants". Although some urged “that the work of laying out the St. Matthew’s Recreation Ground be commenced forthwith", it was unanimously agreed that “the General Purposes Committee be asked to report on the work required to render the recreation ground suitable for the purposes desired".[17]

Twenty-six months later, after a site visit, the Cambridge Commons Committee agreed to propose that trees be planted along the sides of the Recreation Ground.[18]

A month after, the Cambridge Commons Committee agreed to ask the City Surveyor for an estimate of the cost of 'making up' the northern half of St Matthew’s Piece as a gravelled playground, with bordering trees about 11 feet apart.[19]

The next March, The Cambridge Commons Committee agreed to accept the tender of George Willers for the sum of £29 17s 6d for the planting of trees on the St Matthew’s Recreation Ground.[20]

Two weeks later, a recommendation from the Commons Committee was unanimously adopted by Cambridge Town Council to purchase for £273 the freehold of a piece of land belonging to Mr R. Smith. This adjoined “the piece of ground of St. Matthew's parish to be made into a recreation ground", and would to improve its otherwise “somewhat irregular" shape and ease its laying out.[21]

The establishment of St Matthew’s Piece involved "many delays" but, noting in 1895, "the Commons Committee took the ground over" they, on 23 June 1898, took "great pleasure in handing over St Matthew’s Piece to the Mayor".[2][3][4] The 1898 Mayor, Mr S. R. Ginn, declared St Matthew’s Piece "open for the recreation of the inhabitants for ever".[2][3][4] The City held this land "as custodian and trustee for the public, who were entitled to have free and unrestricted access to it".[14]

Omission from Registration as a Common

Three 1898 records detailed the Commons under the control of the Cambridge Commons Committee as: Parker's Piece; Christ's Pieces; Midsummer Common; Stourbridge Common; Coldham Common; Coe Fen; Sheep's Green; Queens' Green; Petersfield; Empty Common; and "last but not least, St Matthew’s Piece".[2][3][4] However, when the Cambridge Commons were registered, St Matthew’s Piece was not included.[lower-alpha 2]

The Howard Mallett Youth Centre (1965–1968)

A planning application submitted for the erection on St Matthew's Piece of a Youth Centre for the Cambridge City Council’s Education Committee.[22][lower-alpha 3]

Cambridge City Council's architect wrote to Planning Department (then part of the Cambridgeshire County Council) explaining that siting of a Youth Club on "land zoned for Public Open Space" was justified as: 1) the building would be "related to the centre of the area it is to serve"; 2) the use is "complementary to an urban public open space"; 3) an equivalent area of public open space "will be made available in the redevelopment of the adjoining areas to the east".[23][lower-alpha 4]

Planning Approval was then granted for such a Youth Centre by Cambridge City Education Committee.[22][lower-alpha 5]

The Minister of Housing and Local Government then authorised the purchase of 0.91 acre (3683 m2) almost all of the northern half of the Piece, for building a Youth Centre – on condition that it be exchanged for "other land, not being less in area and being equally advantageous to the persons… entitled to rights of common or other rights, and will be vested in the Mayor, Aldermen and Citizens of the City of Cambridge and subject to the like rights, trusts and incidents as attached to the first-mentioned land".[24][lower-alpha 6]

The Compulsory Purchase Order, for this, from the City Council by Cambridgeshire County Council, using its powers under Sections 53 and 90 of the Education Act 1944, was confirmed by the Secretary of State for Education and Science for the establishment of the ‘Cambridge Central Youth Centre’ (later named the Howard Mallett Centre).[25][lower-alpha 7]

Transfer by sale, then accordingly, was effected for £16,500 (Error when using {{Inflation}}: |index=GBP (parameter 1) not a recognized index.).[13][lower-alpha 8]

The Howard Mallett Youth Centre was then opened by the City Council’s Education Department via ceremony attended by Hon. Ald. Howard Mallett.[26][27][28][lower-alpha 9] The centre then provided a range of youth equipment and services for about 30 years.

Adjustments to St Matthew’s Piece

in 1971 re-siting of St Matthew’s Piece along its New Street frontage occurred under a Deed,[29] by which the City Council sold to Cambridgeshire County Council, for £1,250 (Error when using {{Inflation}}: |index=GBP (parameter 1) not a recognized index.) and partial discharge of the latter's obligation to provide land, 92A and 92B New Street together with land, outhouses and other buildings of 300 square yards "or thereabouts".

In the early 1970s housing beyond the old southeast corner of St Matthew’s Piece was taken down,[lower-alpha 10][30] in latest discharge of the land-providing obligation stated above.

Cambridge’s Re-deposited Local Draft Plan: 2004 Proposals Map incorporated the newly formally designated Public Open Space (POS) St Matthew’s Piece.[31][32] This straddles from south of the youth centre to New Street to east of it.[33]

In early 2006 a map by J. Cowin (the City Council's Head of Property & Building Services) demonstrated that only 2,256 square metres (2,698 sq yd) of 'compensatory' open land had been compensated during the early 1970s "to the east" of the original St Matthew's Piece site.[34] The shortfall crystallised when 0.447 hectares (1.1 acres, 4470 m2) (the youth centre and some fringing land) was leased out by Cambridge County Council – first in 1998[35] and again, in 2006.[36][lower-alpha 11]

Northern half (including Centre)

Cambridgeshire Country Council Control (from 1974)

From April 1974 The Local Government Act of two years before reorganized the functions of local government bodies in England & Wales. All responsibilities for the Centre's activities were transferred from the City Council to its legal owner.

City Councillor K. Blencowe in 1997 reported in the related planning matter that two years before notable cuts from the County Council took place as to the Centre, causing "many traditional uses" to "disappear".[37] The later "withdrawal of Cambridge Regional College from daytime use … meant the loss of a substantial part of the Centre's income".[38] Tim Bos, Headteacher at Parkside Community College, reported an unsustainable deficit for the Centre of £90,000.[39]

Building Use (1998–2005)

In September 1996 Dawe Media’s involvement in the Howard Mallett Centre was discussed at Parkside Community College.[40] Tom Holbrook, the firm's appointed architect, wrote in January 1998 that the "proposal has been developed over the last two years with Parkside School".[41]

The next year, the Director of Planning recommended refusal by the committee of the proposal, numbered C/97/1020/FP, on grounds that include: "the harmful impact on the amenity of residents in the densely developed streets surrounding the site" and that the "development would not be at a scale compatible with its surroundings".[42][lower-alpha 12]

A year later, Cambridgeshire County Council agreed a 14-year lease, to Dawe Media, of the Howard Mallett Centre building and the rest of the northern half of St Matthew’s Piece.[35] This led to the setting up of Dawe Media's 'Red Studio' initiative. The lease included a break clause, allowing either party to terminate the lease after 7 years.[32][43] The Howard Mallett Centre thus stopped serving as a Youth Centre.[lower-alpha 13]

Eight months later ensued the first public meeting of the Petersfield Area Community Trust (PACT),[lower-alpha 14] which sought to engage with the 'Red Studio' project and to develop community services and facilities for local residents.[lower-alpha 15]

In the next month Dawe Media received planning approval, allowing change of use of the Centre, from a youth club, to a "broadcasting studio, café-bar, and multi media education centre, and community facility (a class of its own use class)".[44] For the duration of the lease, Dawe Media committed to appoint and fund full-time youthwork that Parkside Community College would coordinate on behalf of the project.[45] The Director of Planning wrote that "such an obligation would be difficult to enforce and much would depend on the willingness of all parties to cooperate in the provision and the management of the facility".[45][lower-alpha 16]

In 2005 after ‘RedTV’ broadcasting activity had ended,[46] and finding disappointment from local residents seeking more youth work;[47] community access to the building;[48] and to the Protected Open Space,[49] Dawe Media surrendered its lease, relieving it from future rents payable, using the break clause.[32][lower-alpha 17]

See also

External links

https://pactcambridge.org Petersfield Area Community Trust, a relevant registered charity

Notes

  1. ↑ 2 December 1891
  2. ↑ The reasons for this remain obscure
  3. ↑ 1965, February 2
  4. ↑ 1965, February 19
  5. ↑ 1965, May 14
  6. ↑ 1966, March 30th
  7. ↑ 1966, April 28
  8. ↑ 1967, March 8
  9. ↑ 1968, March 11
  10. ↑ 1971, March 17
  11. ↑ 2006, February 27
  12. ↑ 1997, October 17th
  13. ↑ 1998, March 11th
  14. ↑ See external links
  15. ↑ 1998, November 2
  16. ↑ 1998, December 7
  17. ↑ 2005, 11 March

References

  1. ↑ Cambridge City Council Parks and playgrounds
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Cambridge Daily News, 24 June 1898, available via the Cambridgeshire Collection, viewed in full 10 November 2020 as [1] (originals [2] [3] [4])
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The Cambridge Chronicle and University Journal, Isle of Ely Herald, and Huntingdonshire Gazette, 24 June 1898, page 8 column 4, available via the British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The Cambridge Independent Press, 24 June 1898, page 5, available via the British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ↑ 2018 Cambridge Local Plan, Appendix C, pp. 271–300
  6. ↑ Map of Cambridge City’s population density by ward, mid-2009, Figure 4 on on page 6 of Cambridgeshire County Council’s most recent Annual demographic and socio-economic report for Cambridge City
  7. ↑ What do Census 2011 and other data sources tell us about Cambridge?, p. 47. Cambridgeshire County Council’s 2015-based Dwelling Stock Forecasts. Table predicts increase in dwellings in Petersfield by 29% by 2041, with about half of that from 2010 until 2021.
  8. ↑ The Cambridge Independent Press, 12 July 1890, page 5, column 5, available via the British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ The Cambridge Independent Press, 13 September 1890, page 5, available via the British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ Cambridge Chronicle and University Journal, Isle of Ely Herald, and Huntingdonshire Gazette, Friday 17 April 1891, page 8, available via the British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 The Cambridge Independent Press', 3 June 1892, page 7, available via the British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ↑ The Cambridge Chronicle and University Journal, Isle of Ely Herald, and Huntingdonshire Gazette, 30 October 1891, page 8 column 4, available via the British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "WP-6-1967DeedOfAcqSMP.pdf". Google Docs.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 History of land at ST MATTHEWS PIECE (extracts from notes written in 2009): Notes from the Head of Property Services, Cambridge City Council.
  15. ↑ The Cambridge Chronicle and University Journal, Isle of Ely Herald, and Huntingdonshire Gazette, 15 July 1892, page 8, available via the British Newspaper Archive.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 The Cambridge Independent Press, 16 September 1892, page 7 column 3, available via the British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ↑ The Cambridge Independent Press, 20 September 1895, page 6, available via the British Newspaper Archive.
  18. ↑ Source: CA:CB/2/CL/3/5/4, pp.549-50, a bound volume of Minutes of the Cambridge Commons Committee, available at the "Cambridgeshire Archives" in Ely, accessed 28 October 2020.
  19. ↑ Source: CA:CB/2/CL/3/5/4, p.555, a bound volume of Minutes of the Cambridge Commons Committee, available at the "Cambridgeshire Archives" in Ely, accessed 28 October 2020.
  20. ↑ Source: CA:CB/2/CL/3/5/4, pp.567-8, a bound volume of Minutes of the Cambridge Commons Committee, available at the "Cambridgeshire Archives" in Ely, accessed 28 October 2020.
  21. ↑ The Cambridge Independent Press, 18 March 1898, page 5, column 4, available via the British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Cambridge City Council’s Planning Portal C/65/0056
  23. ↑ Cambridge City Council’s Planning Portal 06/0567/FUL. A redacted copy of the Architect’s letter is available via a submission dated 20/09/2008 from Glenys Malyon of the Petersfield Area Community Trust (PACT) in the correspondence within its Documents.
  24. ↑ 30 March 1966, H.L.G 24059
  25. ↑ The date of 28 April 1966 is given in ¶1 of the 8 March 1967 Deed of Acquisition for this land.
  26. ↑ Cambridge News, 12 March 1968
  27. ↑ Cambridgeshire Collection 469J
  28. ↑ Cambridgeshire Collection Howard Mallet Club, Official Opening
  29. ↑ Deed of Exchange for 92A & 92B New Street and land adjoining St Matthew’s Piece.
  30. ↑ See the lower right-hand corner of a Photo: Pye Unicam Ltd factory site on York Street
  31. ↑ A 2-page "Schedule of Changes to Proposals Map" (citing Map 4, re Protected Open Space on St Matthew’s Piece) is inserted between pages 156 and 157, accessed 11 November 2020.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 Information in a Report dated 30 June 2005 from the County Council's 'Director of Property and Asset Management' to the 'Corporate Services Service Development Group'; obtained from Cambridgeahire County Council on 17 September 2020 via Freedom of Information Request 1385599.
  33. ↑ Map 4, by James Wilson of the Planning Department, dated 30 May 2006, is available on page 78 of 400 within Correspondence, in Documents on Cambridge City Council’s Planning Portal 06/0567/FUL.
  34. ↑ Extract from a City Council map, of 27 February 2006 by John RO Cowin MRICS, Head of Property & Building Services for Cambridge City Council. File pathname for the original document was, in 2006: N:\PROPERTY\GIS\GENERAL\_st_matthews_piece_total.wor
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Cambridge City Council’s Planning Portal C/97/1020 Map of St Matthew’s Piece, showing the area leased by County Council to Dawe Media 11 March 1998, on p. 8 of the Report by the Director of Planning on C/97/1020/FP.
  36. ↑ A copy of the 125-year ground lease for "business premises at the Howard Mallett Centre", dated 23 January 2006, between Cambridgeshire County Council and Citylife Limited (later: Allia) was obtained from Cambridgeshire County Council on 25 August 2020 via Freedom of Information Request 1385827.
  37. ↑ Cambridge City Council’s Planning Portal C/97/1020 Notes from Public Meeting of 2 December 1997’, on pp. 26–29 within Appendix 1 of the Report of the Director of Planning to the 4 February 1998 meeting of the Planning Sub-Committee of Cambridge City Council regarding C/97/1020/FP
  38. ↑ Cambridge City Council’s Planning Portal C/97/1020 From on p.16 of the Report of the Director of Planning to the 4 February 1998 meeting of the Planning Sub-Committee of Cambridge City Council regarding C/97/1020/FP
  39. ↑ Cambridge City Council’s Planning Portal C/97/1020 ‘Notes from Public Meeting of 2 December 1997’, on pp. 26–29 within Appendix 1 of the Report of the Director of Planning to the 4 February 1998 meeting of the Planning Sub-Committee of Cambridge City Council regarding C/97/1020/FP
  40. ↑ Cambridge City Council’s Planning Portal C/97/1020 ‘Notes from Public Meeting of 2 December 1997’, on pp. 26–29 within Appendix 1 of the Report of the Director of Planning to the 4 February 1998 meeting of the Planning Sub-Committee of Cambridge City Council regarding C/97/1020/FP.
  41. ↑ Cambridge City Council’s Planning Portal C/97/1020 On p. 33, within Appendix 3 of the Report of the Director of Planning to the 4 February 1998 meeting of the Planning Sub-Committee of Cambridge City Council regarding C/97/1020/FP.
  42. ↑ Cambridge City Council’s Planning Portal C/97/1020 Page 25 within the Report of the Director of Planning to the 4 February 1998 meeting of the Planning Sub-Committee of Cambridge City Council regarding C/97/1020/FP.
  43. ↑ Item 6.2 in the notes of a meeting re Red Studio compliance, held Monday 9 February 2004 at the Guildhall.
  44. ↑ Cambridge City Council’s Planning Portal C/97/1020.
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 Cambridge City Council’s Planning Portal C/97/1020 Page 24 within the Report of the Director of Planning to the 4 February 1998 meeting of the Planning Sub-Committee of Cambridge City Council regarding C/97/1020/FP.
  46. ↑ Notes of Red Studio User Group Meeting (RSUG) of 8 December 2003, Item 6.
  47. ↑ Notes of Red Studio User Group Meeting (RSUG), 8 December 2003, Item 11.
  48. ↑ Cambridge City Council’s Planning Portal C/97/1020: Letter of 28 January 1998 from local three Ward Councillors, on p. 39 within Appendix 4 of the Report of the Director of Planning to the 4 February 1998 meeting of the Planning Sub-Committee of Cambridge City Council regarding C/97/1020/FP.
  49. ↑ Notes of a meeting re Red Studio compliance, Monday 9 February 2004, at the Guildhall, Item 5.1.


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