The Origins of the St Ives Civic Society

The Civic Society was formed in September 1968 because of a new road proposal. At the time, all traffic heading south through Hilton towards St Neots and London along with many of those travelling to Cambridge, had to go via Bridge Street, across the Town Bridge and onto London Road. The turn into Bridge Street and the narrowness of the adjacent streets was difficult for buses and heavy lorries.

In the summer of 1968, Cambridgeshire County Council Came up with a proposal to alleviate these problems: to extend Ramsey Road over Holt Island and the river through Hemingford Meadow. This suggestion upset a considerable percentage of the population already concerned with what they saw as the town losing its character with historic buildings being demolished.

A small group of interested residents called a meeting that September with the idea of starting a Civic Society to oppose the road proposal to preserve the town’s heritage. They thought that 60 people might attend, in fact 150 came, over 100 of whom joined that evening.
The Hunts Post reported that the Civic Society would “embrace a broad study of the town, its people, its commerce, its buildings and its recreations.”

The Society set out to study the Riverside area and to oppose the plan for what was known as the Western Bypass. The opposition to the new road was not universally welcomed and the Society was heavily criticised by some. An alternative Eastern bypass suggestion was proposed but concern that the Eastern route might result in Cromwell Terrace being demolished but the closure of the St Ives to March railway line in 1967 provided an alternative.

After three years of correspondence between the Society, the County Council and central government, the Department of the Environment called a public inquiry. The Society needed professional help, including planning consultants and consultant engineers to present the case for the Eastern route and funding. £1321 was raised, the equivalent today is nearly £22,000. The government Minster ruled against the Western route, in favour of the Eastern one.

In 1980 the new road, named Harrison Way after the Society’s first secretary, and the bridge were opened. A triumph on many levels.