Sha Posted August 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 Obs, The money for the town centre regeneration and the improvements of public transport was allocated by central govt, it was the choices made by WBC on how to spend that money which resulted in waste. I just gave my opinion on alternative choices for how to spend the same money. To send out warning letters to the owners of the listed buildings in Bridge street to tell them that they would receive enforcement orders should the buildings not be kept in a good state of repair, and to tell them to remove the plastic tack stuck on the said buildings would hardly cost much. To pay for the cost of paper and ink for these letters savings could be made from cutting the silly surveys 'how do you rate services offered by your council, tick box 1 good. box 2 very good. box 3 excellent. The fact that there is never a box 4 crap, means that most never get returned anyway, so they are a waste of money! As bridge street is only a stones throw from the town hall perhaps one of the councillors could hand deliver them, thus no postage costs. Well that's identified the costs of said proposals! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kennedy Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 When Warrington obtained money from central Govt to regenerate the town centre WBC chose to spend it on the Skittles etc I thought that the money for the Skittles (although I think I am meant to call them The Guardians) came from the sale of the 3Cs waste business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 Correct - and the brain child of one particular Councillor on an ego trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sha Posted August 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 Paul wrote; I thought that the money for the Skittles (although I think I am meant to call them The Guardians) came from the sale of the 3Cs waste business. Yes, Paul you and Obs are right, I stand corrected, the money for the skittles came from the sale of 3C's waste. Whatever, it was the choice of how to spend that money which resulted in the ultimate waste! It could have been put to good use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 Unfortunately, at the time, dissenting voices were in the minority! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 Sha, the problem is that people want to see "nice" things as well as hospitals and dentists and schools for their taxes Can you imagine if all the country ever spent its money on were hospitals and doctors and the NHS (as an example)? That is great if you are sick or if you need the NHS for something; but what if you don't? will you be happy knowing that you have funded a nice new hospital but your town centre looks like a war zone? A war zone that will ultimately deter investment and maybe ultimately lose jobs; maybe your job? Of course not. There has to be balance. I mean Brown and Bliar have pumped billions into the NHS and it is still wanting more. However by pumping billions into it, it has now created a legacy which in future years will see a massive requirement for pension monies for the additional staff that have been taken on (and yes, many are managers on huge salaries which = huge pensions to boot) There is also the PFI schemes that will require billions to cover them in the future (part of the time bomb future that has been set ticking over the past 12 years) On top of that, the NHS still has a huge pension black hole and every year when pay rises are demanded; that adds a few more billion that are required in additional funds.... there is no easy solution, but the more money gets put into it, the deeper the bottomless pit becomes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 So do you think "the skittles" are "nice"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted August 23, 2009 Report Share Posted August 23, 2009 So do you think "the skittles" are "nice"? I think they are a lot nicer than what was there before yes. A lot less of an eyesore than the bloody stadium is but that is my opinion and I guess diversity of opinion is what makes spending public money such a sore point. None of the previous administration got it right (no matter how far back you care to go ) Maybe not ideal; I would have used a local artist to design something more local but there you go. Speaking of the local artists work, whatever happened to the chicken or whatever it was that was on the plinth outside the shopping park where Wickes is on Winwick Street? All that is left are two stumps (which were its legs) and the plinth!!?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted August 24, 2009 Report Share Posted August 24, 2009 Seems the local Chavs didn't appreciate it was "art"! All "art" is subjective, but it helps if a utilitarian approach is employed on our public buildings and spaces - especially when cash is tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vic Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 whatever happened to the chicken or whatever it was that was on the plinth outside the shopping park where Wickes is on Winwick Street? All that is left are two stumps (which were its legs) and the plinth!!??If I recall, the artist wasn't paid, and took a saw to his own work. Now that area is tatty, the flags are cracked, and the stupid plinth is an eyesore. The bird was a fairly stupid idea anyway (maybe that's why he wasn't paid). Back to the OP, at the last Council meeting Cllr Dirir asked the Council to use its best efforts for an alternative plan to protect Bewsey Old Hall for public use "at all costs". Cllr Litton said there was an "emerging master plan" for the area and "all funding avenues would be explored." A pious hope really - as funding avenues already have been explored over the last ... years and no-one can see a viable community use for it, the public inquiry will resume, and the inspector will allow the Urban Splash scheme. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Maybe not ... there's always a glimmer of hope... isn't there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sha Posted September 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 [quote name="vic Back to the OP' date=' at the last Council meeting Cllr Dirir asked the Council to use its best efforts for an alternative plan to protect Bewsey Old Hall for public use "at all costs". Cllr Litton said there was an "emerging master plan" for the area and "all funding avenues would be explored." [/quote] So what then was the response from the rest of the council Vic? Are they actually going to do anything? or are they just going to wait until the Inquiry is over in the hope that it will be passed for development and thus any responsibilities they have towards it will be off-loaded? Any bleatings of "there was nothing we could do" "we would have if we could" are far too well worn in this town, so any excuses for inaction are just not going to wash are they? Considering the importance of Bewsey Old Hall in Warrington's history and it's value as a heritage site one would have expected the towns councillors to have expressed more interest/concern. The silence of the council's leader, Ian Marks, has been especially deafening!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sha Posted September 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 [quote name="vic ............Cllr Litton said there was an "emerging master plan" for the area and "all funding avenues would be explored." A pious hope really - as funding avenues already have been explored over the last ... years and no-one can see a viable community use for it' date=' the public inquiry will resume, and the inspector will allow the Urban Splash scheme.[/quote] Vic, other than the efforts made by a group of concerned residents, what other funding avenues have actually been explored? English Partnerships have not to my knowledge made any real effort at all since aquiring the site!!!!and that's how many years???!!! :roll: The real problem is not that.... 'no-one can see a viable community use for it', it's that EP and Urban Splash can see a very profitable use for it! What I think is really disgraceful, is that in all the years that English Parnerships have managed public land in this town and the resulting massive profits that have been made, they have never managed to find ,(what is ,in comparison to their profits, a pittance) the money to restore Bewsey Old Hall for the communities use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 Considering the importance of Bewsey Old Hall in Warrington's history and it's value as a heritage site one would have expected the towns councillors to have expressed more interest/concern. The silence of the council's leader, Ian Marks, has been especially deafening!!!! "Heritage"??? That isn't even on the radar. Plus it hasn't got a box to tick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sha Posted September 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 Heritage"??? That isn't even on the radar. Plus it hasn't got a box to tick. I agree with you on that one of course Peter! But we better be careful..... if too many people start to criticise them re any particular issue/dept, they then start giving themselves 'awards' or 'stars'....a stategy I find most particularly nauseating!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sha Posted September 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 The public inquiry re-convenes at the end of sept. and yes, Dismayed. there is more than a glimmer of hope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kennedy Posted September 8, 2009 Report Share Posted September 8, 2009 What I think is really disgraceful, is that in all the years that English Parnerships have managed public land in this town and the resulting massive profits that have been made, they have never managed to find ,(what is ,in comparison to their profits, a pittance) the money to restore Bewsey Old Hall for the communities use. Don't know what they did with all of the profits then Sha, because the reason that they became part of the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) was that they were bust. So I guess if they made profits here in Warrington they must have made losses elsewhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sha Posted September 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 I can't say I'm surprised they've gone bust. At the inquiry for Bewsey Old Hall, they stated that they'd paid in the last year; ?7k maintenance, ?20k for repairs due to vandalism and then actually paid ?30k for security!!!! However I am surprised, that after inheriting all the New Town's assets and after all these years of management (housing / commercial development) and having managed only to go bust, that they are now managing the Homes and Communities funds!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted September 17, 2009 Report Share Posted September 17, 2009 Gamekeeper turned poacher? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sha Posted September 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2009 The Public Inquiry for Bewsey Old Hall re-convenes on Wed 30th Sept at 10;00am, at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. Members of the public will be allowed to speak at the discretion of the Government Inspector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tonymailman Posted September 25, 2009 Report Share Posted September 25, 2009 Were you part of the original conservation group like we were back in the mid 90's when we first started this campaign ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sha Posted September 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2009 Were you part of the original conservation group like we were back in the mid 90's when we first started this campaign ? No Independent I wasn't, though I followed your campaign with interest. It was in good hands. Your efforts both then and at present are I'm sure appreciated not only by myself but also by anyone interested in our heritage. After all the efforts put in by the Bewsey Old Hall Conservation Group I found English Partnerships backing of the latest planning application particularly sickening. I am not part of any group campaigning for Bewsey Old Hall, I work independently. Just doing what I can to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted September 25, 2009 Report Share Posted September 25, 2009 Bewsey Old Hall area has two grade II listed buildings and is also classed as an 'ancient monument' site etc etc. There are of course online English Heritage documents etc which describe briefely the significance and detail of each listing but there are NO photographs. WHY IS THIS as surely photographic evidence must have been taken at various stages of investigation over the years... WHY AREN'T THEY AVAILABLE on-line. People should be allowed to actually SEE as well as just READ. The same can be said for many of the other listed buildings, ancient monuments, archaeological sites and other areas of significance. A visual record should be made of ALL sites at first point of listing along with any historical photos (and should be added to at regular intervals as more information is uncovered or passed over) . This along with the all the technical listing terms and descriptions that are currently avaible would make a fascinating on-line museum of our wonderful heritage. Sadly so much of our heritage is rapidly disappearing despite peoples attempts to often save it from those who simply don't care and who are only interested in personal gain. All we, and future generations, will be left with is a short 1/2 page 'listing' description of something that once was Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tonymailman Posted September 25, 2009 Report Share Posted September 25, 2009 Bewsey Old Hall is of EXTREME importance to the heritage of this town, not only just the present 16th/17th centruy hall but the actual site, it was inhabited since around 1260 with the first manor house built by William fitz Almeric le Boteler (7th Lord of Warrington manor), the finds from the excavations in the 80's are of great interest, it's of regional importance also and to see no real support for it to be turned into a place of learning and heritage for future generations to learn from about Warrington's past is an absolute disgrace ! lose this and we have NOTHING ! those who whine about putting money into projects like this are also usually the first ones to say when its gone 'oh we should have saved it now' ........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted September 25, 2009 Report Share Posted September 25, 2009 Well said Independent and I completely agree with your every word !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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