Bazj Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Speaking of Reindeer - Observer's friend wrote to Thumper (john Prescot) just over 8 years ago trying to stop the development of the Halliwell Jones Stadium. Well I never wanted a stadium Geoff and I am sure there were more people like me than there were in favour. Rugby is still a minority sport in the town regardless of what some may like to believe. If a stadium was to be built, it should have gone up near the motorway at Birchwood where it would have direct motorway access and away from an already overcrowded road system. But that would have meant that Tesco wouldn't have funded the project I guess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McBain Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 The "Tesco + Stadium" model for ramming through inappropriate retail development is now well established. Most recent example was at St. Helens. Typical format is to find a sport that is unable to manage its financial affairs in a competent manner (because if it could then it would be capable of providing its own facilities) and then tack a supermarket onto a "sports development" proposal. Sport England falls over itself at the thought of oodles of money being spent on "sport" and tells the town-centre first lobby to button their lips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Thanks McB for providing an expert opinion on the reality of the planning system! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xyz Posted February 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Well, I've looked on the WBC website at the out of focus plans and compared them with the one that originally appeared in the Guardian, 2002. Where I can read what it says, the plans have obviously changed a lot since 2002. I wonder which one was the one presented to the public when WBC "consulted" us? Incidentally, leaflets advertising the public meeting at the park were only pushed through letterboxes on the afternoon of the meeting. So you arrived home from work just in time to realise what you'd missed. The website plans give the impression the project is between Winwick Road and Orford Park, yet the recent Guardian still said the main access and car park would be off Hallfields Road ie where the bandstand used to be. What isn't clear is just what the true, latest, plans look like and what is going where. For such a major project, WBC are very poor on clear up to date information. Joni Mitchell and Big Yellow Taxi comes to mind. "You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryLightweight Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 I'm sorry but i think this is one giant waste of taxpayers money...are any of the people involved in this project even in Warrington and if they are do they stand upside down with their heads in a bucket of sand? Who will benefit from it all in the long run ( and dont say the kids in the town ) , because the teenagers in this town are divided by sub areas. Do you seriously expect the Orford teens, who will see this as theirs seeing as it is in the old Orford Park...to happily play alongside the Longford teens? They hate each other...always have and probably always will. "Hurray we have a ?24m battleground" they will yell as they smash each others heads into the new Gym walls ^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 I'm sorry but i think this is one giant waste of taxpayers money...are any of the people involved in this project even in Warrington and if they are do they stand upside down with their heads in a bucket of sand? Who will benefit from it all in the long run ( and dont say the kids in the town ) , because the teenagers in this town are divided by sub areas. Do you seriously expect the Orford teens, who will see this as theirs seeing as it is in the old Orford Park...to happily play alongside the Longford teens? They hate each other...always have and probably always will. "Hurray we have a ?24m battleground" they will yell as they smash each others heads into the new Gym walls ^^ Welcome back Larry Lightweight!! Sorry have to disagree - this is not just tax payers money - it is football foundation funding and will provide top class training facilities which hopefully will help clubs like Warrington Town become more successful and in turn boost the local economy. It has long been proved that those with the best facilities produce the best sports men and women - this is a great opportunity for the people of Orford and Warrington to have first class community facilities on their door step. If you give the kids the right facilities and encouragement they will stand a better chance of success. If you give them nowt they will hang around street corners and turn to crime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
safeway56 Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Here in Newton we've got the local park replete with football pitch..basketball court...tennis courts...skateboard park yet the young still hang round street corners looking for mischief..In the last two years the noble youth of this town have burned out my camper van, stolen the car I got to replace it and then they vandalised the second replacement too!! Three vehicles in a matter of weeks. It seems the pimply oiks prefer to run wild finding more and more novel ways of causing grief. Two nights ago they smashed up the bus stop across the road from me. It got so bad I put my house up for sale but who'd want to live around here ? You'd be safer in the Gaza Strip. It's a total waste of time providing facilities for these yobs...they don't want to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 They "don't want to know", because they are now largely spoilt obese brats, excused physical contact sports at school, that have spent their early years in front of the TV or PC, eating junk food, without any idea or inclination to engage in physical exercise - this prepares them for a future as a "fan", a sit down athlete, who knows all about the game but can't physically play it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Here in Newton we've got the local park replete with football pitch..basketball court...tennis courts...skateboard park yet the young still hang round street corners looking for mischief..In the last two years the noble youth of this town have burned out my camper van, stolen the car I got to replace it and then they vandalised the second replacement too!! Three vehicles in a matter of weeks. It seems the pimply oiks prefer to run wild finding more and more novel ways of causing grief. Two nights ago they smashed up the bus stop across the road from me. It got so bad I put my house up for sale but who'd want to live around here ? You'd be safer in the Gaza Strip. It's a total waste of time providing facilities for these yobs...they don't want to know. So lets just give up on everything! No wonder this country is in such a mess. No good having the facilities without the infrastructure to run them and encourage participation. Young people respond to encourgaement better than they do to beging negative. Be negative to a young person and they will respond in a negative manner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 or, free ourselves of this elf and safety and litigation nonesense and ensure kids are made to do PT at school and learn the basics of various sports - tut, tut we had boxing, swimming and rugby teams in Junior School. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Larry L is correct as is Gary. Yes we need the facilities, but we also need to do away with all the restrictions that deter the volunteers. Without volunteers, nothing will work. The whole system needs looking at. Providing facilities, is only the start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 What are these restrictions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgusted Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 or, free ourselves of this elf and safety and litigation nonesense and ensure kids are made to do PT at school and learn the basics of various sports There seems to be a misconception that schools don't do sports anymore, if anything they do even more now, my lad for eg. does free running, a "elf & safety" nightmare if ever there was one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Does he do "Rugby" at school? And the big tester - "boxing"? No chance - cos if little Jonny gets hurt - Mom and Dad are straight into suing the School - thus complete inertia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 What's "free" running? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 What's "free" running? Jumping up buildings and doing somersaults and things!! There are a few lads that do it round Westbrook and a couple of lads in town near the White Hart. Developed by the French as a quick way of running away from an enemy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 Where do you all get the strange idea that children don't do sport at school anymore? They certainly do swimming, rugby, gymnastics as well as football, basketball, netball etc etc. If you also advocate that they do such activities unsupervised and without propper risk assessments then you are in cloud cookoo land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 I would suggest that people in glass houses don't throw stones. Risk assessment has been the downfall of many activities. I don't see many kids doing a risk assessment before having a kick-about in the street or on the park. A modern day terminology that spread like a rash from doing dangerous things. Risk assessment was automatic a few years ago, until the namby-pamby's took over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 There are still cases where no "risk assessments" are made - the two fell walkers and the girl that sledged her way into a barbed wire fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 True and unfortunately that's what Pete is advocating. The poor father who let his daughter and friends sledge last week must be devasted. As a school governor I can't support Pete's view as I must have the safety of the children at the forefront of my mind. Once this has been done then they can get on and enjoy their sports. Accidents will always happen but I don't see it as being 'namby pamby' to minimise them. If that's the tag that I must wear then so be it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 Not quite Geoff; the importation of the "litigation culture" and the beaurocracy of elf and safety, has created total inertia in all our public institutions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 That's probably because where that occurs they are being put off because they must do a risk assessment. Nothing wrong with that. Once they get over this fear then they will find that it is not such an ownerus taks. They are probably put off by the press reporting on such litigation or solicitors advertising on TV and local radio suggesting that loads of money can be won for free if you use their services. By all means people should be compensated if they are injured whilst taking part but surely that is the role of the insurance company. As a race organiser I had to comply with ridgid Risk Assessments before my events could go ahead and because I did I was covered by my insurance for over ?1 million. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 One of the guys that died was a local in his 60's. His assessment must surely have been his experience. Yes people sadly, do get hurt. My point, is that all decisions have been taken out of the hands of the participants in any walk of life. We no longer have the "University of Life" education nor the school of knocks. People/children have to learn themselves by experimenting, and finding out what pain is. It's all part of growing up. Geoff, As a school Governor, I would have that it would be more beneficial to make sure that the parents and teachers taught the children to automatically do a mental risk assessment, not wrap them up in cotton wool. WHY would you have to get insurance for the running events? IF people entered, the onus should be on them to look where they are running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 I can't believe what I have just read 1. We still have the University of Hard Knocks. 2. A school must safeguard children at all costs. 3. As a race organiser I want to produce a safe and secure event so that my customers finish tired but happy and return the following year. Hopefully the Orford Project and all it's participating partners will not be following your advice otherwise there are going to be a great number of accidents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 Perhaps that is why this country is not very good at sport. Too busy making sure that no-one gets hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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