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Town Centres?


observer

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Don't disagree with that; but you'll find the damage was done by political myopia and short term expediency, and the fickle nature and impatience of public opinion. Unfortunately, there was no vision employed and little or no money to fund it, if they'd had one. The New Town was grafted onto Warrington, without any integrated planning (WBC wasn't even in the tent); the result was a linear road system linking the NT developments rather than a circulatory system for the Town as a whole; with new suburban communities relying on the new craze of "out of Town" retail developments, with a reliance on the car. :(

 

you'd have thought the council leaders would have said something though wouldn't you??? :D

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... and you do?! :roll:

 

I just look at the complete mess the past and present councillors have made of the road system in the town by not screaming loud enough at the New Town Authorities and then by pandering to every minority case since.

 

We seem to spend more bloody money on cycle paths that no one uses and footpaths where none are needed... meanwhile the traffic is backing up everywhere and the road surfaces are falling to bits... we have councillors cooing over the idea of toll bridges and inland ports for boats and saying how great they will be without actually thinking of the impact on the town....

 

If it wasn't so political in local government, we might get something done... instead, we get the main parties sniping at each other instead of doing somnething for the benefit of the town for once

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First of all, the New Town Authority was deliberately designed to be independent of the Local Authority, it's linear "T" pattern road plan was designed to link their new developments East, West & South of the Town rather than constitute an integrated traffic solution for the whole town - they had the money, WBC didn't. The whole concept (in line with contempory thought) was car based; it also coincided with Gov planning relaxations to assist "out of Town" retail developments. The road development involved the building of the politically easy stretches first, and unfortunately left the contentious bits to last - hence, the E-W link across Orford Park was objected to and failed to get planning approval, so the road wasn't completed. Niether was an intended new high level bridge where the current one stands; which would have relieved Stockton Heath of through traffic (largely thanks to LibDum opposition on the then County Council). So "local" Councillors wern't involved in the planning loop, other than representing the objections of various communities. :roll:

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Not enough room on this board - but if your talking specifically about the 20mph nonesense:- most residential streets have now been provided with road humps, which physically prevents speeds above 10mph, never mind 20mph. Congestion at most times on the main roads, plus the profusion of traffic lights, limits speed anyway. And finally, who's going to enforce this - are they going to issue radar guns to every Tom, Dick and Harry? Then there's the expense and clutter of of new speed restriction sign posts, to add to the obstacle course faced by blind pedestrians. So sorry, yet another costly fad, that will no doubt be ignored. :roll: :roll:

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Why are you raking up the past - wasn't that over 35 years ago - whoever made those decisions is probably 6 foot under and pushing up the daffodills?

 

What we should be focused on now is 2012 and beyond with plans for the future or are we stuck in the past?

 

 

Isn't it a question of finding out where we started and how we got to where we are, and trying to put things right?

Decisions shouldn't be made about the future without that knowledge. Unless you are in politics, of course. :roll:

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If you don't sort the roads out, people aren't likely to come.

 

Blimey Peter.... a radical solution; instead of listening to a bunch of cycling maniacs, the council would do well to spend the money attracting vehicles and businesses back..... it will never happen though!

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Warrington Town Centre was killed off when the bunch of councillors accepted Loal transport plan 3

This document effectively kills off motorised vehicular trafic, creates more congestion by ignoring existing bad traffic management ( no attempt to alleviate travel problems except by walking or taking an expensive bus trip) and encourages more building on current green spaces. The so called Orford project is an example of creating out of town development without an adequate road system and is likely to be a disaster. The Castleford estate is a cloud cuckoo project developing the slums of the future. Both move activities away from the town centre and are based on very poor thinking and bad planning.

 

The council aeems incapable of communicating with the electorate and seems to believe in loud voiced minorities shouting over common sense when it comes to spending taxes

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Does that mean we will have a ring road next year??? Geoff, get real. It's great to have ideals, but no good if you can't fulfil them. If you don't sort the roads out, people aren't likely to come. That is a constant. You can't paper over the cracks.

NO

 

We couldn't have a ring road like the one around Coventry's Town Centre where I lived for 3 years - the only reason that was possible was because of the number of bombs dropped and the fact that they were starting from scratch.

 

Where is you blue print, how would you finance it, what would you demolish to make way for the neew infrastructure and at the end of the day would it achieve what you are advocating?

 

I realise that I am lucky where I live. I have relatively quick access to most places. AS far as ring roads go I sometimes use the viaduct and M56 to Walton Hall/Moore. If access from Moore to Gt Sankey was given then that would add a bit more and then from there to jnct 8 that would complete an outer ring road.

 

Are you suggesting an inner ring road as well? <_<

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the only reason that was possible was because of the number of bombs dropped and the fact that they were starting from scratch.

 

but don't forget Geoff, this is Warrington..... no building is sacred to our council, listed nor modern!!.... so nothing to stand in the way! :D

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Yes but it's only been saved until the next time Geoff as with no plans for it that I am aware of it will just sit there and decay until it accidentally catches fire... or there are no elections looming.... and/or it has become a danger....... or a decision to save it gets overturned by another similar application decided by a bigger bunch of muppets :evil:

 

..... and as such Joni's Tower will inevitably be flattened. :(

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