At a small informal meeting held on 9th April 1973 it was decided that a Civic Society should be established locally, concentrating on Beeston but with interest also in the surrounding area.  Membership would be open to anyone interested in improving the local environment.

At that meeting the founding members proposed to study and comment upon the following issues;

  • Parks and open spaces
  • Planting of trees
  • High Road – its buildings, the traffic, and amenities for pedestrians
  • Development of the area between the High Road and Middle Street
  • Traffic problems in the Queens Road / Station Road locality
  • Problems concerning vehicles and transport around the Plessey works
  • Preservation of the Crown Inn, Middle Street
  • Design of buildings and amenities, e.g. the footpath through Beeston Fields Golf Course, the Bramcote Grange estate, the new office building on Middle street  / Hallams Road
  • The bank of the River Trent
  • The siting and amenities of a new community school
  • Litter

The first public General Meeting was held on 27th November, and included the adoption of the constitution and election of the first committee, followed by a talk on “Planning in Beeston – Present and Future” given jointly by Mr S.C. Moppett, The Engineer, Surveyor and Planning Officer of Beeston and Stapleford U.D.C. and Mr C.Daybell, Principal Assistant to the Director of Planning in Broxtowe.  

The Society quickly became involved and influential in a diverse array of subjects such as, Planning (support of the “good”, opposing the “bad”), improvement of Public Spaces and Amenities (including the Nottingham and Beeston Canal, Open Spaces and Childrens Play Areas), Trees (their protection and replacement – including the planting of trees on the Middle Street / Chilwell Road corner), Waste land (renewal of use), Conservation Areas (the increase in designation) and identifying Buildings of Merit (in 1973 there were only three buildings which were Listed) – also The Grange was saved from demolition circa 1976.  The Society produced detailed responses to the “Nottinghamshire Structure Plan – Beeston” (1974) and the “Beeston Town Centre Plan” (1975) (which resulted in the pedestrianisation of the High Road and the formal paving of The Square.   

Beeston and District Civic Society is a Registered Charity (Number 503241). For a more formal statement of our aims please read our constitution.