I'd certainly consider an independent this time round.
Any word on if BB plans to stand again?
BB stood for parliament 'last time' (the constituency of Newbury, which roughly speaking is West Berkshire). Like user23 sarcastically implied, the May elections are local elections, so it would be down to which ward he stood in and if you happen to be of the same one.
I hope Brian does stand, and I've already said I wouldn't put anyone up against him. He is a good bloke and has something to offer the council, whether you agree with him or not. If he does stand, I guess it will be Victoria?
I hope Brian does stand, and I've already said I wouldn't put anyone up against him. He is a good bloke and has something to offer the council, whether you agree with him or not. If he does stand, I guess it will be Victoria?
What do you mean, you've already said you wouldn't put anyone up against him?
What do you mean, you've already said you wouldn't put anyone up against him?
I made a case at the Labour Party meeting for working with and supporting certain candidates. As the campaign manager, I made that call and the party backed me.
I made a case at the Labour Party meeting for working with and supporting certain candidates. As the campaign manager, I made that call and the party backed me.
If the Labour Party / You (there seems to be little difference) and the Newbury Retail Association have been making clandestine deals behind the scenes it's probably not the best idea for the Labour Party / You publicise it on the forum of the bloke that runs the Newbury Retail Association.
If the Labour Party / You (there seems to be little difference) and the Newbury Retail Association have been making clandestine deals behind the scenes it's probably not the best idea for the Labour Party / You publicise it on the forum of the bloke that runs the Newbury Retail Association.
We've made no deals with Brian, I've said if he does stand we will not field a candidate against him. What's wrong with that? By the way, should you be posting on here during work hours?
We've made no deals with Brian, I've said if he does stand we will not field a candidate against him. What's wrong with that? By the way, should you be posting on here during work hours?
You say you've made no deals, then go on to outline the deal you made with him / the Retail Association.
Day off today Dickie. But then every day's a day off for you, isn't it.
You say you've made no deals, then go on to outline the deal you made with him / the Retail Association.
Day off today Dickie. But then every day's a day off for you, isn't it.
What deal have I made directly with Brian? I said to him that we wouldn't put a candidate up against hime if he stood. He has yet to tell me if he is standing or not, but I should think and hope that he would.
There is no such thing as a day off when you run your own business.
I hope Brian does stand, and I've already said I wouldn't put anyone up against him. He is a good bloke and has something to offer the council, whether you agree with him or not. If he does stand, I guess it will be Victoria?
I doubt anyone would consider a labour candidate a rival around here ... particularly as you are the only one we have heard of Richard !
We'll have to wait and see, but the feedback we are getting from people on the door step is amazing. If everyone who says they will vote Labour actually does it, we will win 30 seats. Obviously it doesn't always go to plan, so we're taking nothing for granted.
We'll have to wait and see, but the feedback we are getting from people on the door step is amazing. If everyone who says they will vote Labour actually does it, we will win 30 seats. Obviously it doesn't always go to plan, so we're taking nothing for granted.
I think you'll find that people will say anything to get rid of people on their doorstep.
I hope Brian does stand, and I've already said I wouldn't put anyone up against him. He is a good bloke and has something to offer the council, whether you agree with him or not. If he does stand, I guess it will be Victoria?
Decision hasn't been made yet, but I am quite happy to stand on my own two feet without denying the Labour suporters the opportunity of voting. The more people that vote, the better.
As I said at the General Election, you should vote for the person not the party. (Perhaps thats why I only got 158 votes).
Decision hasn't been made yet, but I am quite happy to stand on my own two feet without denying the Labour suporters the opportunity of voting. The more people that vote, the better.
Don't most wards elect two councillors? In which case Labour should field at least one candidate alongside you Brian - so those wishing to vote against the ConDems can use both their votes.
Don't most wards elect two councillors? In which case Labour should field at least one candidate alongside you Brian - so those wishing to vote against the ConDems can use both their votes.
The Libdems are pretty much finished nationally unless they dump Clegg. Politics isn't a rational business and Clegg has managed to turn himself into a figure of hate and ridicule in pretty much equal measure. Unless his party get rid of him, and it's probably too late for that, he'll drag them all down and I can't see there will be any way back for them. Clegg should have made student fees and the NHS red lines in the coalition agreement but he didn't.
I think that the only hope for the Libdems locally is if they manage to differentiate themselves from the national party. But the Conservatives locally have been reasonably competent, and have kept council tax under control, so there's very little for the Libdems to attack. When they attempt to do so, on Sandleford Park for example, they are barely credible. The're also making a big mistake, in my view, in clinging on to David Rendel. Nice chap but, to put it diplomatically, it's time to move on.
So far as BrianB is concerned, I wonder to what extent he represents public opinion. For example, my guess is that the majority of people see the Parkway development as a good thing and think it will be far better than the unsightly wasteland that it will replace.
My guess is that the silent majority either approve of it or don't object. Clearly most of there regular posters here disagree with me but there are only about 12 of you (cue predictable 'but everyone I know hates it too' responses) and that's not enough to win a council seat.
I think it's unlikely that Labour will win any seats here. But if they can differentiate themselves from 'New Labour' (Blair, Mandelson, Brown etc: the crew who attempted to grab the centre right spot which the Condems have now occupied while ramping up public sector spending like there was no tomorrow) they might stand a chance. The centre left spot is now their's for the taking and it's possible that the Tories, UKIP and Libdems will compete for the centre right ground and all end up losers.
...my guess is that the majority of people see the Parkway development as a good thing and think it will be far better than the unsightly wasteland that it will replace.
My guess is that the silent majority either approve of it or don't object. Clearly most of there regular posters here disagree with me but there are only about 12 of you (cue predictable 'but everyone I know hates it too' responses)
Bingo! No-one else on here thinks that's the case though.
Rather than state the obvious that every one hates Parkway I will state that of the people I meet ( both local and from a far ) none have a good word FOR it.
And as for the council tax being well handled, NO council is allowed to raise the council tax, as decreed by the coalition goverment, part of the cuts.
The Government agreed to fund anything yupto a 2.5% increase this year, so West Berks went for the 2.5% increase. We'll have to pay that next year, plus an additional percentage I guess?
Rather than state the obvious that every one hates Parkway I will state that of the people I meet ( both local and from a far ) none have a good word FOR it.
Crikey, this is bad news for the developers. I wonder if they realise that there are such strong feelings. You don't know anyone who actually likes the development, you say? Do you think that, nevertheless, they'll visit the shops when they open or do they feel so strongly that they'll boycott the whole thing? I'd genuinely like to know.
Crikey, this is bad news for the developers. I wonder if they realise that there are such strong feelings. You don't know anyone who actually likes the development, you say? Do you think that, nevertheless, they'll visit the shops when they open or do they feel so strongly that they'll boycott the whole thing? I'd genuinely like to know.
I don't think many dislike the thought of lots of nice new shops in town, they just dislike the disruption whilst it's happening.
The same things happens with people complaining about the state of the roads, then complaining about the roadworks fixing the roads.
People I talk to don't really care about the extra shops, most feeling that Newbury is pretty well supplied with shops already. However, what many feel is that Parkway is just too big, certainly too high. And many regret the loss of most of Park Way and all that surface parking.
A smaller scale of development would (IMO) have been a far better use of the space.
And many regret the loss of most of Park Way and all that surface parking.
What was there that was of such great worth then, apart from the parking which is replaced by the new car park? The place was a complete dump. How anyone can actually "regret the loss" of that is incredible.
What was there that was of such great worth then, apart from the parking which is replaced by the new car park? The place was a complete dump. How anyone can actually "regret the loss" of that is incredible.
What we have now is not what was 'sold', it is also utterly overbearing and probably has had a devastating effect on the park.
What was there that was of such great worth then, apart from the parking which is replaced by the new car park? The place was a complete dump. How anyone can actually "regret the loss" of that is incredible.
The loss of Park Way is felt in two ways - first that the convenient parking has gone forever to be replaced by a subterranean multistorey (a form of parking hated by most) and second that Victoria Park is now separated from huge buildings by no more than a narrow roadway. Maintaining the full width of Park Way would have gone some way to reducing the effect of the overbearing montrosity of a building.
For instance there was no need to build an 8 storey tower of flats in order to provide more retail space.
It's not the idea of redeveloping a derelict area that people object to, it's the total overkill of the design that is being built.
What was there that was of such great worth then, apart from the parking which is replaced by the new car park? The place was a complete dump. How anyone can actually "regret the loss" of that is incredible.
Exactly, Parkway was a dump before hand. I can understand how some might be a bit short sighted and complain about the works, but to regret the loss of what was little more than wasteland is incredible.
Exactly, Parkway was a dump before hand. I can understand how some might be a bit short sighted and complain about the works, but to regret the loss of what was little more than wasteland is incredible.
It was, I agree, but the bone of contention is that the development we have is overbearing and looms over the area and the park. Underground parking is abysmal and will become a scary part of Newbury. The only good bit has been altered by the developers and approved by our planners, I would say to the detriment of the site and the reduced viewpoint of the apartments. I know we could have done better but greed and ego have taken their slice of the pie. Not unlike the cinema I might add.
Exactly, Parkway was a dump before hand. I can understand how some might be a bit short sighted and complain about the works, but to regret the loss of what was little more than wasteland is incredible.
To you a waste land, to others, open space.
I think the current structure is a feckin' disgrace. At least it serves to help me decide who I vote for at local election time. Almost anyone but the Lib Dems or the Tories.
Exactly, Parkway was a dump before hand. I can understand how some might be a bit short sighted and complain about the works, but to regret the loss of what was little more than wasteland is incredible.
Park Way was a street - a nice wide road with some parking in the middle, hardly a dump.
To the west of it were many vacant lots - vacant because WBC had predetermined a long time ago (when they were NDC) that it should be developed as a over-sized shopping complex, otherwise it would have been redeveloped years ago in a smaller-scale way (or not demolished in the first place). I guess it's one way to get the public onside - make an area look appalling enough for long enough and they'll accept almost anything on it.
I was out last night on a "ladies night". One of my friends stated "I can't wait for Parkway to open .... it's really exciting". I nearly fell off my chair Then I started wondering, has a poll been carried out recently ? Is Parkway really wanted by most, are we just a bunch of whingers ?? answers on a postcards please .......
I think most people are looking forward to the opening, and what it can potentially bring to the town. The ill feeling on here is more to do with the process that led to it's construction, and the visual effect it will create. No matter what anyone says, it is going to open this year. We have to support it now, otherwise we will be left with an empty shopping centre, which is potentially an even bigger eyesore!!!
Doesn't mean it was the right thing at the right time though. We need to learn lessons from our planning strategy (i.e. make it up as we go) and ensure that any growth in future is responsible, and that the infrastructure to go with it is provider by the developer.
Seriously, you hope it fails? You want to walk through Parkway and it be full of empty shops? A development that, not only is large, but also be of no ecomonic benefit? What kind of logic is that? Is it just so that you can say that you were right?
There have been many attempts to regenerate Park Way over the years.
There was a good scheme in the year 2000, but that failed when Camp Hopsons pulled out of negotiations.
Just after that the leader of West Berkshire Council Mr Gerald Vernon Jackson (a previous Mayor of Newbury) persuaded a development company called Blue to buy up land in Park Way with a view to a development. They bought virtually all of the land apart from that owned by West Berkshire Council and devised the following scheme:
Not quite as ambitious as the current carbuncle, but it was expandable and would have been completed in 2005. It also retained the car parking element in Park Way.
This scheme did not fit with Visionaries and so it was rejected (Mr Vernon Jackson moved to Portsmouth).
We have then seen years of negotiations and upheaval, until we reach the present day with the current scheme due to open in the autumn. Although if the John Lewis store goes ahead, it won't be fully open until spring 2012. As I understand it at the moment, John Lewis have still not signed up, although their planning permission has been approved.
I certainly don't want it to fail, but the construction of Park Way has been detrimental to trade in Newbury over the last 2 to 3 years.
So are you saying you were in favour of the 'Blue' scheme, but not the SLI one?
It wasn't perfect, but it would have provided the larger units to encourage more/different stores into town. It wouldn't have drained Victoria Park and it was expandable. Also it would have been trading before Christmas 2005. In other words we have lost 6 years during which time shoppers have drifted away to other towns (This of course will be disputed by the visionaries).
Reading the PDF, the problem of shoppers going elsewhere was already rife. The size of the units - I'm sure SLI is building whatever size will suit them best.
Are you saying the Council vetoed the plans for Blues plans?
Seriously, you hope it fails? You want to walk through Parkway and it be full of empty shops? A development that, not only is large, but also be of no ecomonic benefit? What kind of logic is that? Is it just so that you can say that you were right?
It is nothing to do with being right. Being successful or not doesn't change my opinion of the current development. Seeing it fail might mean a reduced likelihood other such schemes being started.
I think the schemes like the cinema and Parkway are obscene and makes a joke of other planning applications that have been denied for reasons of scale and aesthetics.
Just after that the leader of West Berkshire Council Mr Gerald Vernon Jackson (a previous Mayor of Newbury) persuaded a development company called Blue to buy up land in Park Way with a view to a development. They bought virtually all of the land apart from that owned by West Berkshire Council and devised the following scheme:
Looking at page four of the artists impression shows how dated that design looks already though. The clock tower section looks more like the 90's Priory Meadow shopping centre where I used to live.
I do tend to agree with people that the current design is too big. I often feel glad that I don't live in one of the houses along by the nursery. There wasn't much of a view before, but now there is a large light-blocking shopping centre. That said though, I do think that there is little to be gained in building a shopping centre that isn't as good as those in other nearby towns. Reading and Basingstoke are still bigger, of course, but Parkway will be big enough for people to spend a day here, so it's size does make it a real alternative. It's no good building a shopping centre (always a devisive subject) and have potential shoppers still decide to go elsewhere because it's not a big enough draw.
I think that the size issue could be resolved by removing the need to build houses there as well. That would remove the tower block, and the need for it to be more than a single storey high, with the possible exception of the main anchor stores.
I think that the size issue could be resolved by removing the need to build houses there as well. That would remove the tower block, and the need for it to be more than a single storey high, with the possible exception of the main anchor stores.
I don't think there was any requirement to build housing into the scheme - it was just a way of increasing the potential value of the build. As usual it's all about the money.
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