Kingsdown Conservation Group

Kingsdown Conservation Group is an informal membership association of local people who care about Kingsdown and the way it looks. KCG was set up in 1971, following the Residents’ Association’s successful fight against the City Council’s plans to demolish large parts of this historic Georgian suburb - back in the days when some buildings looked like this:

The threats are different today — and the Council now shares our aims and supports our work — but no less worrying. The neighbouring hospital continues to produce plans for poorly-designed temporary buildings and over-development of sites it wants to sell, the University has major expansion plans, and the various controlled parking schemes come and go with the seasons. Add to that the regular attempts to put profitable buildings on the remaining open land, or large gardens, and you can see that it needs constant vigilance. See the big issues page for more information.

On the positive side, local residents have successfully opposed several of the most inappropriate planning applications, worked to restore the old granite setts at the West End of Somerset Street, and to plant flowers on Montague Green (both helped by the Council). Kingsdown Community Society, a not-for-profit company owned by local residents, developed houses and flats at the top of Marlborough Hill, and there are proposals to improve the junction of St. Matthew’s Road and Clevedon Terrace.

So look around the site, consider joining KCG if you haven’t already, and let us know what you think needs doing next in the area.

Thanks to the people who have helped us with this site, especially to Peter Ferne who hosts it and looks after the technical side, and Penny Mellor for lending us her extensive collection of local photos to scan in and for permission to quote from her two excellent books (see link on the right ==>>)

Kingsdown Conservation Group is an informal membership association of local people who care about Kingsdown and the way it looks. KCG was set up in 1971, following the Residents’ Association’s successful fight against the City Council’s plans to demolish large parts of this historic Georgian suburb - back in the days when some buildings looked like this:

The threats are different today — and the Council now shares our aims and supports our work — but no less worrying. The neighbouring hospital continues to produce plans for poorly-designed temporary buildings and over-development of sites it wants to sell, the University has major expansion plans, and the various controlled parking schemes come and go with the seasons. Add to that the regular attempts to put profitable buildings on the remaining open land, or large gardens, and you can see that it needs constant vigilance. See the big issues page for more information.

On the positive side, local residents have successfully opposed several of the most inappropriate planning applications, worked to restore the old granite setts at the West End of Somerset Street, and to plant flowers on Montague Green (both helped by the Council). Kingsdown Community Society, a not-for-profit company owned by local residents, developed houses and flats at the top of Marlborough Hill, and there are proposals to improve the junction of St. Matthew’s Road and Clevedon Terrace.

So look around the site, consider joining KCG if you haven’t already, and let us know what you think needs doing next in the area.

Thanks to the people who have helped us with this site, especially to Peter Ferne who hosts it and looks after the technical side, and Penny Mellor for lending us her extensive collection of local photos to scan in and for permission to quote from her two excellent books (see link on the right ==>>)