Broadway - Get yer thinking caps on!

[Tealeaf]

From tonights Telegraph:

Designs on talent
A COMPETITION is being organised to find a design for the redevelopment of Broadway in Accrington after councillors decided to spruce up the town centre site.

The group behind plans for the East Lancashire panopticons - giant works of art in public parks - could be drafted in to help organise the competition, which may see plans selected by December.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) would be helping out with administration, and it is hoped that big names in the architectural world will be attracted thanks to their support, giving Accrington a boost in the process.

If the competition goes ahead, it will run for about 20 weeks, with building work beginning in April next year once funding is secured.

In a report Nigel Rix, director of regeneration group Hyndburn FIRST, says: "It is proposed a design competition is organised through the administrative support of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Winners of the RIBA competitions receive national recognition.

"This should ensure some of the foremost urban designers are attracted, and also raise our national image."

Who fancies putting in an entry?

[Doug]

Any design competition should be judged by the people of Accrington and not the RIBA.

One can only hope that whoever wins that the results fit in with what’s left of our heritage. That said I don't know what’s left over there. I'm hoping to find out soon...I hope I'm not to disappointed. In fact I am hoping I’m not disappointed at all. At the end of the day it’s the people that make a community….

[Tealeaf]

I agree...if it's left to RIBA we'll end up shopping in a tent

[Tealeaf]

I forgot to add....where's the dosh coming from to pay for this?

[Doug]

You know that Back Stabbing Tax you pay on your property.....I bet it goes up again

[Tealeaf]

Say No More! Also from tonights telegraph:

Council rapped over finance
HYNDBURN Council has lost its battle to have an annual government inspection rating overturned and has been rapped for its financial management.

The council was originally told by Audit Commission inspectors if had been graded as a "fair" authority. The council claimed it should have been "good" and lodged an appeal soon after the inspection last autumn.

Council leader Peter Britcliffe, who branded the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) as "a disgrace", said inspectors downgraded Hyndburn from good to fair after discovering a £1.8million budget deficit.

That deficit led to a series of cuts and various sales of council assets to re-balance the books. Coun Britcliffe said the work to claw back the money was not taken into account.

He added: "I think it is a disgrace because originally we were graded as good and were only a couple of points off being an excellent council.

"We discovered there was a budgetary problem, which we put right. Because there was a problem they withheld their verdict and eventually downgraded us, never taking into account that we had resolved the budget problems."

While the council was rapped for its budgetary controls, it was praised for the work it had achieved in other areas, most notably in its environmental and benefits departments.

Mike Thomas, of the Audit Commission, said: "Financial management and controls need to be further developed and strengthened. Residents of Hyndburn will want to know what happens next. We have recommended that the council use CPA to help it work out how to tackle its weaknesses and would expect the council to make its improvement plans public.

"We will be back to report on progress. The end result should be better services for the people of Hyndburn."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said: "This pretty much tells us what we knew, which is that the council has certainly made improvements in recent years.

"It also tells us there is quite a worrying amount of room for improvement."


Well, it can't get any worse, can it?

[Darby]

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

I forgot to add....where's the dosh coming from to pay for this?

"with building work beginning in April next year once funding is secured. "


From whom and payed by whom is probably To be discussed (To Be Decided), which means the Rate / Tax payers.

It might be a good idea to knock down the Council Offices (then the council can spend more money building new ones - Don't mention the Globe!), and build a giant Mushroom in its place as recognition of the attitude of the powers that be to the people of Hyndburn.

(fed on sh*t and kept in the dark!).

Seriously though, after the recent turmoil on Broadway, and now that things are finally coming to-gether, it's typical of the planing department to start ripping up Broadway again, for some obscure reason. Doesn't make any sense to me!

But I am only a mere mortal!

[Doug]

I've thought better of the reply I was going to make....I will see what the people who live there have to say....This could be the excuse that Blackburn’s being waiting for, or is that just me thinking that the B*****'s have this laid out in their Forward Plans..The ones they keep under the table.

[Tealeaf]

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

Designs on talent
AThe group behind plans for the East Lancashire panopticons - giant works of art in public parks - could be drafted in to help organise the competition, which may see plans selected by December.

]

Is'nt this mob (above) the same lot who came up with the idea of bunging the flying saucer on top of the coppice and/or the Hollywood sign? What the hell is going on here? How much money is the Council going to hand over to this lot for some crazy "pie-in-the sky" scheme. Is the council bonkers or am I just going so?..............

[Doug]

We should have a full forum debate on that Tea...

[Doug]

I keep forgetting that my name comes up on these post...Sorry Tealeaf. I did't mean to infer that you where bonkers...lol


I do agree that somthing should be done by the people of accy to stop the waist, and to insure that they have a say on how there town is developed...you need to have some progress, but keep as much of the heritage as possible

[WillowTheWhisp]

er............. what heritage would that be then? Have we got any left?

[Uncle Mick]

After the Coppice debacle, we`ll probably get a UFO crashed into Poundland!!. What about levelling it off, flagging it properly and putting some benches and flowers down or is that not "Forward thinking " enough

[WillowTheWhisp]

Does anyone remember the sunken gardens where Woolies, M&S etc now are?

[lettie]

I'm sure there's a picture of the sunken gardens somewhere in Accy photos. Looked lovely.