Up to 70million investment for Accrington Town centre.

[Margaret Pilkington]

It is reported in the Lancashire Telegraph that up to 70 million pounds is going to be invested to bring the town centre back to a vibrant .market town.
It is aimed(says the article) at bringing in tourists to revitalise the town centre.
What do you think of this proposal?

[Margaret Pilkington]

Read it here.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.u...0m-investment/

[cashman]

They should make the council pay it, they have ruined it imho.

[Less]

Before anyone asks, what is an escape room:-
https://theescapegame.com/blog/what-is-an-escape-room/

Though being a trendy sort of guy my front room was converted into one of those by the covid lock down for over a year I did allsorts to get out!

[taddy]

[QUOTE=Margaret Pilkington;1262504]It is reported in the Lancashire Telegraph that up to 70 million pounds is going to be invested to bring the town centre back to a vibrant .market town.
It is aimed(says the article) at bringing in tourists to revitalise the town centre.
What do you think of this proposal?

We have plenty of tourists in Accy town centre but only between 20-00 to
24-00 hours when the young ale heads are allowed to ruin riot and to act is if they own the place, when I do go for a pint or three it is now only in the afternoons and in a pub where I know any alcoheads or young lads after bother will be swiftly dealt with.

[Margaret Pilkington]

I know that my thoughts were, on seeing this, that it was about 20 years too late.
They talk about turning the Yorkshire Bank building into a restaurant….or office buildings…..there are suggestions that the Market hall be devoted to small independent traders….or to make space for cultural events….so that begs the question….whose culture?
The town Hall to be refurbished to make it a suitable venue for…..what exactly.
They could spend the whole seventy million and it make not one jot of difference because the area is deprived…..and has been so for a long time.
Who needs more eateries, coffee outlets when the people of the area cannot afford to go out to eat.
Well unless they are going to compete with ‘Spoons’.
The moving of the bus Station to union street killed the market….and the market hall.
The fact that M&S is no longer a presence also had an impact.
People will not come to a town that has so little to offer.
They will stay on the bus and go to other places that have more going for them.

[Less]

Accrington: Town centre masterplan could see £70m investment

I somehow think the power word in the above sentence is...

drum roll please,

'COULD'

[Mark2009]

When did these people last visit Accrington ? I feel it is beyond redemption.
When I read the article about the 70 million, I was surprised to read the phrase " high end retailers " mentioned twice. Can we not have some low end retailers to fill the empty shops? When we were supposed to social distance for covid, I struggled to find anybody to avoid. We were recently in the top 50 worst places to live in the UK in front of Coventry, Barnsley, Middlesborough !
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/172252...-live-england/

[DaveinGermany]

Originally Posted by Mark2009

We were recently in the top 50 worst places to live in the UK in front of Coventry, Barnsley, Middlesborough !

Of those 3 you mention I've been to 2 of them quite often & still do when I can get across . I assume I must be a lost cause.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Yes Less….that is the operative word…..and it is pinned more on hope than on any concept of reality.

Mark….I also think that the town has gone past the point of no return…..much of this has come about by apathetic and lack lustre Councils past and present.
Which high end retailers would want to come to this town.
It isn’t exactly the bum hole of the world, but you can smell it from here.

The plans are pipe dreams and have, in my opinion, very little chance of creating anything that will return the town to its former glory.

[RainbowSix]

You can only polish a turd so much before you have to flush it away.

They would need to get rid of the entire council and get new to be able to do anything decent.
This money will be squandered, wasted and pointless crap will be the result.

70 mil will do nothing, they will squander most of it trying to figure out what to do with it. The people that really need it won't get it, the people that don't deserve it will.

They need to give it to me and I'll make the town better

[Margaret Pilkington]

This escape room thing…..what the people of the local area need to escape from is councils who think they know what we need…..but never really ask what that is…..and if they did what is the betting they would still do what is best for them….and disregard what we could use.
A park and ride system…..why?
What is there to come and see….no decent shops…a market that is a ghost of its former self,
A Market hall that is half empty and what is there is not worth looking at.

Where do they get these ideas?

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

This escape room thing…..what the people of the local area need to escape from is councils who think they know what we need…..but never really ask what that is…..and if they did what is the betting they would still do what is best for them….and disregard what we could use.
A park and ride system…..why?
What is there to come and see….no decent shops…a market that is a ghost of its former self,
A Market hall that is half empty and what is there is not worth looking at.

Where do they get these ideas?

how can you think when youre stupid?

[Margaret Pilkington]

Well, Cashy…..it is what they THINK they are doing…..but really they are massaging their own egos…trying to make themselves look good…..and these suggestions are a great example of how out of touch they are.

[odders]

Complete and utter urine. How much has this cost, I could have sat in a pub and wrote better thoughts on my hand.

Every other development involves catering or something that a average city has struggled supportHow many people go to town just for a brew, what students( has Accy now got a school in town, other than the job cent?). Look at Blackburn ghetto, they have hundreds of cafes, nearly all empty.

And it's a joke, they want to throw money again at the Market Hall and Town Hall. The Arndale is the last on the list. I thought it was meant to be a jewel moving the bus station. Is it they want to put it back

I wouldn't throw money at the town cent, spend it on recreational equipment in parks, schools and education. So when the next generation grows up they can try and right the wrongs of this shameful shambolic society our so called councillors have left us to live through.

Complete overhaul is needed.