Andrew Rutter, Winchester's first conservation officer, has died at the age of 93. A trained architect, he worked in planning for Hampshire county council before taking on the conservation role.
Rutter held the position from 1974 until his retirement in 1998, championing Winchester’s old buildings and landscapes. He was known for his ability to visualise the effects of planning applications and inform councillors of potential consequences.
During his tenure, Rutter and his team addressed challenges from the re-routing of the M3 motorway through a chalk valley near Winchester in the early 1990s. He contributed to reducing most of the potential destructive environmental impacts of the original plan, with the exception of the cutting through Twyford Down.
Born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, Rutter later wrote the book Winchester, Heart of a City (2009), documenting the features of Winchester’s conservation area. He was also a supporter of the local Quaker initiative, Friends of the Family.