Before questioning it any further, let's look at things from a civic society perspective – from the point of view of those who, (hopefully!) reflect informed and constructive public opinion on issues affecting the local environment. What do we in this movement of a quarter of a million members expect from our architects, planners and urban designers? Is it predictably the same as ever, is it realistic, commercially naïve, safe, challenging, progressive or simply reactionary?

The Civic Trust, established in 1957, certainly espouses 'quality and conviction' in all aspects of the built environment.

How this is translated at a local level by an individual, hard-pressed civic society depends on many factors, not least the age, experience and architectural horizons of those who make up its committee. Developers and their professionals might not always get the reaction they are hoping for. Sometimes it might not be the one they deserve – but how many take the trouble to find out first? Even in Chester where the civic society has a reputation for its robust and constructive attitude to change, very few architects are instructed by their clients to consult the community at an early stage. Perhaps they are trying to avoid unruly public meetings and a torrent of ill-informed letters to the Press. Whereas, in fact, an early approach to the civic society is much more likely to result in a frank and creative exchange with a small number of well-versed representatives who will respect being taken into the developers' confidence.