All town landmarks deserve a chance
After finally seeing the letter written by Sheron Watson thanks to the Facebook group (the campaign to save Northampton’s Historic Gasometers) I thought I would add my thoughts to the issue. Both Sheron and Paul Varnsverry have done a lot of good work to get people to air their views when it comes to both towers, but I do worry it is all in vain.
Councils over the years (of all political persuasions) have a reputation for doing as they wish when it comes to planning. I don’t know many people who wanted to see Notre Dame school brought to the ground, or the Emporium Arcade.
Even when our views are aired it can sometimes seem those in charge do not care what we public think, they seem to think we will just lay down without a fight and accept what they say as gospel.
Well, I don’t think that’s right. I think it is about time councils and those with the “power” listened to us who have the “real” power, us members of the public who put them where they are.
I hope the people in charge of planning take notice of how many letters and members of the public have a view about the gasometer towers. I hope they do the right thing and call for a public debate on these iconic parts of Northampton. Whether you love or hate them, they are part of the town, and surely every landmark deserves a chance?
Nicky Sarti,
Martel Close, St Giles Park,
Duston, Northampton.
A 19th century view to railways
I READ yet another condemnation of HS2 in your paper and it all smacked of 19th century attitudes towards railways.
Until 1966 these people had a mainline railway running roughly where HS2 is to go in the form of the old Great Central main line. This was very short-sightedly ripped up in the 1960s depriving England of a well-engineered north to south main line.
In the 1980s I seem to remember a group of people attempted to rebuild this line but the NIMBYS had their way and it was turned down. If that had been rebuilt HS2 would not have been necessary and stations would probably been provided at Brackley and Woodford Halse.
It’s to the SSS1 at Helmdon – a disused railway cutting I may add –they’ll have 40-50 miles of railway embankment, all fenced off; what’s the problem?
The reasons these people come up with make me laugh, where were their objections when they built the M40?
R V Jones,
Longland Road, Northampton.
No to needle, no to the cube
FURTHER to the article Go ahead for 6.5m cube in the Chronicle & Echo, January 18, having failed to erect the needle at Black Lion Hill, the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation, quango for short, have come up with a bright idea of building a cube as a monument to themselves. There can be no other justification for this money spending project at these austere times and with the infrastructure of the town falling apart. Of course Richard Church is still wearing rose tinted glasses describing the financial crisis as a difficulty. Tell that to the people who will be affected by the cuts.
The Cube may well compliment the new railway station, that from the artist’s impression looks like a clone of Milton Keynes Station.
The abomination to be built on the outskirts of our market town is called regeneration, it doesn’t even fulfil the meaning.
I am not aware of when the consultation period is. But let’s kick this one into touch, like we did the needle.
We shouldn’t be wasting money, wherever it came from.
V Graham-Hole,
Elgin Street, St James, Northampton.
Nothing was too much trouble
As we hear so much criticism of Northampton General Hospital I feel I must write in their praise.
I was taken to NGH on Monday evening with pneumonia, transport was by St John Ambulance and the crew was very capable and reassuring.
My treatment at NGH could not have been better, diagnosis and admission were carried out efficiently, with care and just the right amount of humour. Once on the admissions ward my treatment was explained efficiently and promptly commenced, the staff were caring and nothing seemed to be too much trouble despite the fact the ward was busy.
All I can say is well done to all staff concerned, I at least appreciated your care and attention when I needed it. Thank you all.
Derek Bampkin,
Spinney Hill, Northampton.
PFI money is badly needed
Councillor Brendan Glynane and Brian Hoare of the Lib Dems, in their recent criticism of the failed sell-off of redundant school sites, conveniently forget their party combined with Labour and Conservatives to introduce the whole sorry policy of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme for our schools. That scheme is now unnecessarily costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds and the sell-off of playing fields.
The Lib Dems and Conservatives, led by Labour who introduced this disastrous PFI nonsense, all voted together to saddle the town with this scheme and payments of £863 million for the schools that cost just £235 million to build or refurbish.
The excess in costs of hundreds of millions now goes in huge payments on finance charges, management costs and profits to the PFI private companies and banks, who now have a 30-year stranglehold on our schools. But in addition, many playing fields have been lost and those left are now hired out by the PFI company at extortionate costs that prohibit many clubs from using them. All this is the scandal the Lib Dems are jointly responsible for.
No amount of protesting, after the horse has got through the gate that they helped open, or diverting attention to one part of the above sorry saga can alter the truth concerning the Lib Dems, Tories and Labour’s actions. The councillors and parties involved should be punished and the PFI contract needs to be scrapped and schools brought back under local control.
At a time when massive cuts to living standards, welfare and health are being implemented by this Con-Lib coalition, in order to bale out the banks with the savings, we need the money that is being wasted on PFI schemes to be invested in protecting our services.
Dave Green,
Save Our Public Services.
Public must have their say
Currently there is a public consultation regarding the proposed Northampton Bus Interchange and the closing dates for comments is Friday February 3. For those who are interested in this I would urge you to take part in the consultation and make sure your voice is clearly heard.
For their part I really hope all the relevant agencies (MGWSP, Northamptonshire County Council, Northampton Borough Council, WNDC) listen carefully to what the public have to say and seriously take it on board for their future plans. People will rightly be sceptical about the whole project if they feel it’s just another tick box paper exercise. The future of the town centre is far too important for the public view to be ignored.
When Northampton Labour Party activists talk to people it’s clear they desperately want to see a more modern shopping centre with improved facilities. To do this most recognise and accept Greyfriars Bus Station must be pulled down to make way for an expanded Grosvenor Centre. However, people want to be part of the plans and see it done on their terms so they have a new town centre to enjoy. A few people fear that it will be done on the terms of developers who are really only interested in making a quick buck. Let’s move the vital town centre regeneration forward together.
Councillor Danielle Stone,
Labour, Castle ward, Northampton Borough Council.
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