The Internet and Politics? - Page 2

WillowTheWhisp · 10-10-2006, 19:29

It's probably down to false impressions. Like many people I am all in favour of improvements but HBC seem to waste an awful lot of money improving things to a state where they end up far worse than they were in the first place.

Let's take Broadway as an example. Now if you want to know the absolute heart and dead centre of Accy (sit down that man who said Burnley Road Crem!) I'm sure many people would immediately think of Broadway/Abbey Street/Peel Street/Blackburn Rd. So what do we have here?

A bus station which isn't big enough for the number of buses trying to fit into it, necessitating some buses parking outside of shops and others parking up a side street.

A market cramped and squashed into what was once half of the bus station in order to free up the land where the market once was.

On the land where the market once was we have a development which seems too large and overpowering for the area, and within which there are cheapo shop and empty retail premises despite there already being empty retail premises in other parts of the town centre.

Then we come to the joys and delights of Broadway - will they ever finish retarmaccing the blessed thing? Is it attractive? Personally I don't think so. Compared to Blackburn's Church Street it is a very poor relation.

Project Phoenix aka the regeneration of the area of Accrington along Blackburn Road - the haphazzard way the home owners there were treated is appalling. Some received £30,000 when their homes were purchased by the council. Others only received loans which they will have to pay back should they decide to move from the area?!? It almost sounds like 'Hotel California' - you can check out any time you like but you can never leave.

There has been talk of "doing something" with the canalside area of Church incorporating the old Commercial Hotel - but what and when will anything ever be done?

Then we come to the dreaded Panopticon which was proposed for the top of the Coppice. Amongst the many objections raised was the fear that it would attract more vandalism and the council doesn't seem to be able to prevent vandalism of what we've already got up there - plus the ideas and suggestions put forth would of themselves seem more like vandalising an area dear to the hearts of many of us who grew up here and loved playing up't'Coppie as children or taking our dogs or indeed ourselves for walks up there as adults.

We were told it needed to be on the highest point in the area so that it could be seen from afar - but then one of the ideas put forward would only have been seen from the air, which no doubt the local pigeons would have apppreciated but it would have carved up the land into concentric circles of earth with ditches in between which would surely have become waterlogged and present a danger to anyone who may have slipped whilst climbing over and "enjoyng" the 'High Form'. Why couldn't we have had something decent in a better location? Yet we were told almost in the way a frustratd parent tells a naughty chid. "You'll have what you're given and like it or you'll have nothing at all."

As Tealef said we're not against the concept of regeneration. What we are against is being fobbed of with something totally inappropriate.

Personally, as I have said several times in the past, I would love to see the area around Oak Street/Grange Lane improved and a feature made of the river there. It could be made beautiful, instead it languishes there forgotten and ignored. Why can't that be rejeuvinated and a Panopticon incorporated there? It could become a focal point. And while we're at it maybe they could build somewhere to house the old Arndale Clock that this website was (according to the local rag) supposed to have saved from destruction over two years ago but which has still not seen the light of day since it was removed to make way for that open air under cover cafe.

We were once referred to as the "All Our Yesterdays Brigade" but I don't feel that is a valid criticism. We are not against change, just against change for the worse.

Ianto.W. · 10-10-2006, 19:35

:engsmil: You are right on the button garinda, any fool except a local urk I will not call them council members, any fool can be one of them, I live in a house built in 1840 it was due for demolition in 1974 via C.P.O., my next door neighbour and I fought the council and won, with costs,only four are left in what is now a 'conservation' area.
My advice for what it is worth is fight them, you have nothing to loose only your 'house', my sources inform me that the area round Monk st, Emma St are in the pipeline, good houses with nothing wrong with them, except the geography 'hope that does not cause offence'.
To knock a perfectly good structure down to replace it with rubbish is stupid, but 'councillors' are only interested in getting their names in the record books, not people.
This opinion is mine only.

garinda · 10-10-2006, 23:43

Its only when you travel round the country. that you realise just how unique our Victorian terraced housing stock is.

Its almost unique to this part of Lancashire that they are nearly all stone built, even as near by as Manchester most of them are brick built.

Another unique aspect of their design is the continuous slope of their roofs when they are built onto a steep hill, as can be seen on the streets leading down to Manchester Road. You don't see it anywhere else in the country.

This should be preserved and cherished, and not demolished to make way for more unattractive, cheaply built housing, no different from anywhere else in the country, many of which are then subsequently demolished because they cannot stand the test of time.

There will be so few in the future, rich Londoners will discover their charm and have them as holiday homes...just like Pendy has.

WillowTheWhisp · 10-10-2006, 23:47

I agree with you there 100% Rindy.

garinda · 10-10-2006, 23:51

Lol, whoever the person is who gave me karma for the above post, thank you.

The comment said - 'agree 10%'

Whoever you are, I'll try and fulfil the other 90% next time.

AccyJay · 11-10-2006, 01:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

It not seen the light of day since it was removed to make way for that open air under cover cafe.

This is one thing that has always puzzled me. How come there is no smoking in the Arndale, but people can still smoke in the cafe part? This may seem a bit of a thread wander, but, it just shows what the local council is like.

Do they think that a bit of wood will stop everyone else from breathing in the smoke. I don't think so. If you ask me it's about the money they make in rent for the site.

Less · 11-10-2006, 08:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by AccyJay

This is one thing that has always puzzled me. How come there is no smoking in the Arndale, but people can still smoke in the cafe part? This may seem a bit of a thread wander, but, it just shows what the local council is like.

The Council don't own the Arndale centre, so I don't think it's fair to blame them for this, (less walks away in a state of shock, me defending the council? can't be!)

There are yet more threads somewhere that mention the owners, and the smoking.

garinda · 11-10-2006, 08:07

....and at least they provide safe ashtrays outside, unlike the council.

Mick · 11-10-2006, 08:09

Ianto.W. the houses on monk street Emma st ,Russia,Persia and India street are all coming down but not under the phoenix project ,they come down under the princess st project which is due to start in 2008 (if there is enough money)
I for 1 will be glad they are comming down

WillowTheWhisp · 11-10-2006, 08:31

There was a renewal program where terraced houses were being brought up to a certain standard internally and the exteriors sandblasted; troughings, window and door frames painted; garden walls rebuilt if necessry and little matching sets of railings and garden gates added. The results were very pleasing to the eye and good solid Victorian terraced housing has been given a new lease of life. Why couldn't the same have been done in the Phoenix area? That all seems to have fizzled out now with some streets only partially done which looks silly.

You know that Glaxy ad which says "Why have cotton when you can have silk?" sometimes I think HBC's motto should be "Why have solid oak when you can have thinly veneered chipboard?" However, lets wait and see what goes up where the demolition has taken place.

AccyJay · 11-10-2006, 10:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

However, lets wait and see what goes up where the demolition has taken place.

It'll be a nice new row of "Pound" shops, "Shoe" shops & "Amusment Arcades".

mmmmmmmmmmm HEAVEN.

lol

EDIT

Mustn't forget the betting shops either.

Mick · 11-10-2006, 10:19

We could do with a cybercafe in town too

Tealeaf · 11-10-2006, 10:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by mick

We could do with a cybercafe in town too

A cyberpub would be better!

However, failing that, a cybercafe is just the sort of thing that Accy needs...maybe combined with a decent independent bookshop.

Mick · 11-10-2006, 10:27

we nearly got that with the stag we had a wireless network running for a while shame really

Ianto.W. · 11-10-2006, 10:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by mick

Ianto.W. the houses on monk street Emma st ,Russia,Persia and India street are all coming down but not under the phoenix project ,they come down under the princess st project which is due to start in 2008 (if there is enough money)
I for 1 will be glad they are comming down

Fair enough Mick, our Joe lives on Emma St, he says over his dead body will they knock his house down.
I hope everyone gets market value for their property but is there ever enough money?