New Accrington Bus Station

[Margaret Pilkington]

Neil I think you are right in what you say about councils leading by example.
Up until recently we have had a council whose motives for doing anything were questionable(well, that is unless they showed the esteemed leader in good light...if they didn't, then it seems they weren't done).
This council is new, just finding its feet........and probably with a legacy of issues which are, in a nutshell, thorny.
We have to wait and see.......but I do believe that a good start would be to enforce the No Alcohol areas.
Maundy Grange....now that is a totally different problem. Don't have any ideas as to how that could be sorted. I know that Dorothy started out with the very best intentions, but she is as soft as your pocket and is, as other posters have said, contributing to the problem.
A pile of poo will always attract flies.

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by Neil

Blackburn was busy, very busy really.

Accrington was dead, the shop I wanted and many others were shut.

If you had let me know I would come down and opened up for you

I think there are more national companies in Blackburn than Accrington, they can afford to pay staff to be open 7 days a week. Obviously from a personal point of view we can't do that but it does suprise me the Arndale isn't open on Sundays.

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

What I would like to hear from Graham Jones and from members of the present town council - Ken Moss (when he's back from his hols), Bernard Dawson and Claytonender - is what their views are on this problem and how they think it should be tackled. Is that too much to ask of them?

I never made it on my hols, been working away for most of the month.

It can't be denied that Accrington town centre needs looking at but to be honest I'm probably one of the least qualified people to talk on the subject as I'm nowhere near as familiar with its history as someone like Bernard or Clare.

I've said it before but each time I go into Accrington it extracts money from me and I'd far rather go there than Blackburn if I can help it.

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

I never made it on my hols, been working away for most of the month.

It can't be denied that Accrington town centre needs looking at but to be honest I'm probably one of the least qualified people to talk on the subject as I'm nowhere near as familiar with its history as someone like Bernard or Clare.

I've said it before but each time I go into Accrington it extracts money from me and I'd far rather go there than Blackburn if I can help it.

No holidays, Ken? You're working too hard!

As you have just said, you go into Accrington centre, therefore you're qualified to talk about it. Never mind about the "history", it's what's happening NOW that counts.

Do you accept that, whatever the reason, there's a particular problem with undesirables in the town centre over and above other towns?

What do you think the council should do about it?

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

No holidays, Ken? You're working too hard!

As you have just said, you go into Accrington centre, therefore you're qualified to talk about it. Never mind about the "history", it's what's happening NOW that counts.

Do you accept that, whatever the reason, there's a particular problem with undesirables in the town centre over and above other towns?

What do you think the council should do about it?

They are doing something. Bending over backwards.

Reduced property rates, and giving the Freedom of the Borough to the chief facilitator.

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by garinda

They are doing something. Bending over backwards.

Reduced property rates, and giving the Freedom of the Borough to the chief facilitator.

Is that why none of 'em want to talk about it?

[Atarah]

Am not a councillor, but here are MY plans.
Sorry, market stallholders in Peel Street, NOT your fault, but ... knock the stupid Peel St stalls down. Make the front of the Market Hall and the area between the Market hall/Town Hall suitable for stalls. Then, with Peel Street opened up again, reinstate the bus station back to where it used to be! Problem solved! We SHOULD NOT be putting the bus station AWAY from our Market Hall/outside market. The market/stalls holders are struggling as it is.

[Margaret Pilkington]

My thoughts too Atarah......see my earlier posts on the issues.

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

No holidays, Ken? You're working too hard!

As you have just said, you go into Accrington centre, therefore you're qualified to talk about it. Never mind about the "history", it's what's happening NOW that counts.

Do you accept that, whatever the reason, there's a particular problem with undesirables in the town centre over and above other towns?

What do you think the council should do about it?

Perhaps I've just been very lucky but I've never been tapped up for money or come across anyone I would class as undesirable. All town centres have their fair share of people who simply have little better to do than hang around on benches but I'd say that Accrington's populace is generally representative of the demographic. We're in a depressed area and we could throw all the money in the world into Accrington but it still wouldn't help the people who actually live here if they can't afford to shop there.

To give you an example, I spent three days last week working in Nottingham and I was appalled at the price of items which I could quite easily buy in Accrington or Blackburn for a fraction of the cost. We could fill the high street with Ted Bakers and Harvey Nichols and it wouldn't help one iota. I have to say that wandering around the shops with my friend I felt genuinely poor in comparison with all the people who were handing over hundreds of pounds for everyday items and thinking nothing of it. It was not a very nice feeling being looked down upon because my face didn't fit.

I've worked my way up from nothing to a point where I still count the pennies but I am no longer struggling. I know how it feels to watch people splashing out thousands at places such as Debenhams when I could barely afford milk for my tea. We need to accept that Accrington is not full of well-off people and there is a danger that if the major players do eventually dislodge all the smaller shops then we risk alienating our own residents.

That said, I'm all in favour of attracting bigger names to fill up the empty shops but it needs to be done simultaneously or it will never work. Costa Coffee has made an excellent job of that corner unit and the town looks better for it but we could do with talking to a few more bigger players in order to keep up the improvement.

However, the council can only do so much and the success or failure of local shops must ultimately rest with private enterprise.

[lancsdave]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

However, the council can only do so much and the success or failure of local shops must ultimately rest with private enterprise.

Does that mean we can club together and hire a security firm to clean the streets ?

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

Perhaps I've just been very lucky but I've never been tapped up for money or come across anyone I would class as undesirable. All town centres have their fair share of people who simply have little better to do than hang around on benches but I'd say that Accrington's populace is generally representative of the demographic. We're in a depressed area and we could throw all the money in the world into Accrington but it still wouldn't help the people who actually live here if they can't afford to shop there.

In that case your experience has been different than mine and quite a few people I know including a number of members on here. You say "all town centres have their fair share of people who have little better to do than hang around on benches" but it seems to me that downtown Accrington has more than its fair share who are doing far more than just hanging around. Like Graham you seem to confuse the problems that any small Northern post-industrial town will be suffering at the moment and a problem particular to Accrington.

I remember you once saying that Accy has a good town centre infrastructure for a place its size and I think you're right - it just needs using to its full potential. However, you can't even make a start on realising that potential until that problem is sorted. But as you think that problem doesn't even exist, you're obviously not going to do anything about it.

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

In that case your experience has been different than mine and quite a few people I know including a number of members on here. You say "all town centres have their fair share of people who have little better to do than hang around on benches" but it seems to me that downtown Accrington has more than its fair share who are doing far more than just hanging around. Like Graham you seem to confuse the problems that any small Northern post-industrial town will be suffering at the moment and a problem particular to Accrington.

I remember you once saying that Accy has a good town centre infrastructure for a place its size and I think you're right - it just needs using to its full potential. However, you can't even make a start on realising that potential until that problem is sorted. But as you think that problem doesn't even exist, you're obviously not going to do anything about it.

That's a bit unfair, I never said that it doesn't have problems it's just that I haven't really witnessed them. Enough people are making a noise about it so I'm taking the view that I haven't seen enough of Accrington life to make the best informed judgement.

There's no getting away from the fact that we're in a depressed area which has also taken a further beating from the recession. There's bags of room for improvement but the council doesn't have pots of money to throw at things and private investment is not forthcoming in many areas right now.

The subject keeps coming up time and again however and, although it isn't technically within my remit at HBC, drop me a line with suggestions or comments and I will make sure they are heard by the right people.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

Perhaps I've just been very lucky but I've never been tapped up for money or come across anyone I would class as undesirable. All town centres have their fair share of people who simply have little better to do than hang around on benches but I'd say that Accrington's populace is generally representative of the demographic. We're in a depressed area and we could throw all the money in the world into Accrington but it still wouldn't help the people who actually live here if they can't afford to shop there.

Perhaps the reason yeh aint been tapped is the fact yer a "Non-Smoker"? its lethal to even consider lighting up, particularly on Abbey St, without being a magnet to these people, as i was twice last week as i left me fav coffee shop to have a fag after me brew. i go oer bury once/twice a week n have never had that, nor in blackburn, so i must strongly disagree that its generally representative, no way hose is my view.

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

There's no getting away from the fact that we're in a depressed area which has also taken a further beating from the recession. There's bags of room for improvement but the council doesn't have pots of money to throw at things and private investment is not forthcoming in many areas right now.

Every single person on here is well aware of that, Ken! I and others are not talking about that. As I keep saying, taking into account the situation you describe so well, the worst thing Accrington could have is an additional problem on top.

Anyway, got to nip to Tesco and get a bottle of wine for my afternoon session. I'll be sending you my suggestions later.

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by cashman

Perhaps the reason yeh aint been tapped is the fact yer a "Non-Smoker"? its lethal to even consider lighting up, particularly on Abbey St, without being a magnet to these people, as i was twice last week as i left me fav coffee shop to have a fag after me brew. i go oer bury once/twice a week n have never had that, nor in blackburn, so i must strongly disagree that its generally representative, no way hose is my view.

Well no, I wasn't meaning that being tapped up for things was generally representative of our fine populace, more that if people could afford to shop at the likes of Ted Baker and Harvey Nichols then they would already be here and making a successful go of it.

Surprised that there's no Next though and very disappointed that there isn't a Works bookshop.