Portrait of a County
REGIONAL surveys for the purposes of town-and-country-planning date back to Sir Patrick Geddes' study of Edinburgh in 1910. Many of the regional reports made between the wars contain a mass of useful information. Since 1941, however, the technique has much developed. Planning aims have been widened and clarified, and the science of survey has grown in scope and accuracy. Among the pioneers of this advance has been the West Midland Group on Post- War Reconstruction and Planning, an independent research body of university men, business-men and administrators, aided by funds from a trust. This survey of the County of Herefordshire, the first major undertaking of the group, takes rank as a model of the new technique.
Beginning with the physical facts—geology, geography, soils, climate and scenic character—and the distribution and patterns of human settlement, the survey covers the structure of industry, agri- culture and trade, town and country housing, public services, roads and railways, and social environment. In all these matters it re- veals past changes, indicates trends and makes suggestions for future policy. A reading of the volume and a study of the tables, diagrams and photographs (a number of which are accompanied by analytical diagrams of great value) presents to the mind a picture of a county and of its life fuller than any hitherto obtainable.
It is a picture attractive and disturbing. Herefordshire is essen- tially an agricultural county, with a low density of population. Its county town has 25,00o people, and its fire market towns are well spread out but very small (between 1,500 and 6,000). Hereford City has increased by 50 per cent. since 1871, but other towns are static or declining. the rural population has fallen by 20,000 to its present figure of 7o,00o, and, even if State policy is favourable to agriculture, may fall further through mechanisation. The surplus of births over deaths since 1871 masks the fact that 65,000 people have migrated out of the county in this period. The quality of the soil is generally good, and special crops, such as cider-apples and hops, supplement arable, milk and stock farming. Unemployment is negligible, but the sparseness and dispersal of the population hold back the provision of services and amenities. About half the houses, urban and rural alike, are classified for re- placement. The towns have piped water and sewerage, but the rural areas are without them; to provide them for the whole county is technically possible but would cost £2,000,000. Electricity is more widespread, but its full extension would require a subsidy, at least temporarily. Well-developed bus services give access, though in many parts only weekly, to the market towns, and the astonishingly complete distribution of public telephones reflects much credit on the Post Office. The county library service and Women's Institute organisation also shine out as mitigations of the rural dearth.
Clearly there are great inherent difficulties in providing cultural and social amenities in such a county, where rural incomes prevail and even nucleated villages are few and far between. The group makes valuable proposals for the association of villages and hamlets in the development of these amenities. It offers also positive sug- gestions for agricultural policy, including the amalgamation of the excessively small farms, the provision of finance for improvements, the greater use of ley farming and the extension of survey work and agricultural education- And other carefully-considered ideas are put forward in many fields.
The group recognises that the county needs a greater infusion of industry, and that national policy may require it to be a reception area for dispersal- Here it ls obviously torn between fear and hope. Its ingenious " sieving " and " points " system seems to rule out al- most the whole county as a site for a new town or for substantial industries, mainly for the reason either that the scenery is too good or the soil too productive. If the " points " system took into account pleasantness of environment for industrial workers, the rural advan- tages of more population and the food-produce of home gardeners, it would give very different results. This is no adverse criticism of the survey. A survey without some passion behind it would get nowhere. If the group held an initial bias it has not affected its search for the facts. The data for planning are given fairly, honestly and indeed brilliantly. And without the touch of preciosity noticeable in some previous planning reports, this volume is a joy to look at, and its diagrams and text achieve beauty in their efficient simplicity
and grace. F. J. OSBORN.
Previous page
