October-December
Local employer British Aerospace faced being charged with bribery after paying out millions of pounds to win contracts in foreign countries. Tears were flowing from staff as Pontins closed its doors: it’s fate unknown but a housing development is expected.
But fear not! A mind-boggling proposal to build a ski dome on central car park was proposed and amidst a conference of buzzwords and bullshit the site was signed over to a developer to perform preliminary legwork to determine feasibility.
There were calls to keep the bus station after it was announced that it would be converted into shops. Shame they wont just knock it down. A £4000 toilet was constructed at the Winter Gardens for the Queen to use at the Royal Variety Performance, but it’s unknown whether she actually curled one out in it.
Councillors waxed hysterical about the drinking culture in Blackpool – welcoming new powers to ban places from selling booze 24 hours a day. Seemingly the fact that there are only two places that even have a 24 hour license and both are supermarkets does not wash, because people drinking at home might cause trouble – but only if they bought booze outside the old licensing hours. Bonkers.
“Even though we don’t have any pubs or clubs with 24-hour licences… (people) can be drinking at home and causing trouble around where they live.
In the old days there was a curb on this, and there were certain hours between which the supermarkets could not sell alcohol and I would like to see a return to that. There should be a cut off time. ” - Cllr Henry Mitchell
The British National Party moved their annual conference to Hindley Green in Wigan after three years in Blackpool .
China nuked everyone in the final of the World Fireworks Championship and Cllr Ron Bell was bombed out by calls from Labour’s Cllr Simon Blackburn that he had failed to uphold the Council’s integrity in relation to Kensingtongate.
“I’am not surprised to have been referred by the Labour group for what is a completely insidious and spurious complaint.
This is typically the old style Labour way of dealing with things by attacking people’s character even when unfounded and is no more than their attempt to prop up a failing government and an unpopular local MP.
I’m sure the people of Blackpool will see it for exactly that.” - Cllr Ron Bell
Some excellent points yet again Phil, I really do hope the snowdome goes ahead it is just the sort of modern attraction Blackpool needs. I went to Manchester today and as always it stunned me with its utter brilliance and it makes me realise how behind Blackpool is. They take old buildings and turn them into modern attractive places a fine example of this is The Printworks but if we tried to do that in the Winter Gardens or old Post Office the heritage/NIMBY brigade would never allow it. I share your disappointment at Talbot Rd bus station being saved, I was distraught when I heard that news, it needs demolishing.
Hamish just gets funnier by the minute, he clearly has no idea what goes into being a barrister. For starters you need a law degree (£ ? thousand) or a conversion course (£5,000+) which takes 3-4 years or more then the year-long Bar Vocational Course (another £10-12k) then you have to do a pupillage (apprenticeship) which are extremely competitive and apparently only 1/3 of applicants will get one the others often have to pursue other law avenues such as being a solicitor. So if Hamish wants to be a barrister then good luck to him but with all I have said above I don’t believe it will happen especially not as he is ‘broke’ again. Hopefully actually studying the law will make him realise that the smoking ban DOES NOT breach the Human Rights Act.
Royal Variety was a fantastic event great positive publicity for Blackpool (fuck you Jim Davidson and Paul Daniels) and a very enjoyable show would have loved to have watched it at the Winter Gardens rather than on TV.
I also agree about the ‘retail revolution’ Houndshill is much much better than before but still lagging behind everywhere else. I managed to do 90% of my Xmas shopping in Blackpool the rest in Manchester and Trafford but I was not very impressed with the late night shopping, it was too quiet and there was no decent places to eat other than McDonalds, KFC, Subway etc etc all Birley Street’s cafes and restaurants had closed up between 4 and 5 just as brilliance is coming on. We left Manchester today about 1830 and all the top restaurants/cafes; Caffe Nero, Cafe Rouge, Printworks, Zizzi, Pizza Express were all booming and welcoming evening trade. I desperately want to see a retail revolution in Blackpool but I do not feel enough effort is being made. This Government is not helping Blackpool so for fuck sake get the private sector in and invest.
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“They take old buildings and turn them into modern attractive places a fine example of this is The Printworks but if we tried to do that in the Winter Gardens or old Post Office the heritage/NIMBY brigade would never allow it.”
As a fully paid up member of the heritage brigade I’d disagree with that – heritage is about preserving beautiful facades wherever possible and any exceptional bits of interiors – it is possible to do so, but is a bit more expensive than flattening everything and putting modern breeze-block tat up instead. A good architect would be able to rework these buildings back into use – Manchester’s “Urban Splash” do very good work in this area (and did the Midland Hotel up at Morecambe). Blackpool’s motto is “Progress” but at the moment it’s neither looking after the best of its past, nor developing it’s future at anywhere near a great enough rate.
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I apologise if that remark came out wrong Frustrated I didn’t mean to offend anyone but sometimes buildings are protected for the wrong reasons. Like there was a heritage group calling for Talbot Rd bus station to be saved, but I like many people in Blackpool think its an eyesore. I completely agree truly magnificent buildings and structures should be preserved. I am just frustrated with the lack of progress and modernisation in Blackpool. I want a 21st century town and it doesn’t seem to be getting there anytime soon.
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Well said Frustrated I wish some people would understand to make areas grow and develop it is not just about building new and forgetting the past. The bus station is a prime example why we must not just rip up and build new. In the 70s the bus station was a wonderful modern piece of design now its rubbish I can’t imagine this being said about the post office or the winter gardens. TB often goes on about the printworks which goes to show how the modern and new can live together even how important it is to combine the two if you want developments to last longer then a generation. I was involved with the installation of the Imax at the printworks and I know how important this long term renewal was to the over all design the same is being done across the country using the old and giving it rebirth. Another one of the companies I work for is doing a more exciting project in Bristol called Paintworks but the core is the same using old to bring in the new. It should be said there was not local (nimby) protests about these projects.
It does astound me people who can’t see the merits of a opposing argument I should put it down to youth, I am in my 40s so I guess I am middle age now, but I don’t want to demean young people as must have exciting and challenging ideas. I don’t think you can completely ignore what people like Paul Daniels and Peter Davidson say about Blackpool. When I was growing up in Blackpool a lot of young unknowns where performing in Blackpool some became household names some didn’t but the point was there were places where these unknowns could perform there isn’t anymore. Where are the comedy clubs the theatres that small bands can fill this was what sort of made Blackpool special in the past but now we seem to want Blackpool to be special by having a great shopping centre and starbucks like every other town in the country.
I think the closing of Hamish pubs are no lost to Blackpool I don’t think the smoking ban should be reverse. However there is something to be admired about someone who goes beyond moaning about something a tries to reverse a law which he feels is unjust. I know TB hates the man but the truth is until recently he did run some successful business so you should sneer at him when he says he plans to study law. Many older people have done it just because you go past 50 doesn’t mean you can’t start a new career many people are doing it.
I went to Preston to get my Christmas shopping and got it all from the hi-tech stuff to the transformers. I also found the experience enjoyable I listen to the carol singers we brought some roast chestnuts from the street vendors and mulled wine even looked at the second-hand books stalls in the market only mention this as TB pointed out Blackpool weren’t offering any of this.
As for the BNP they have had a good year but I still can’t see how people think NG had a good QT to me he looked like a giggling monkey.
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Some very interesting points Tom and I do agree. I am not saying we should flatten every old building and build new flatpack clones of every other town/city centre. I do appreciate heritage and history, it just pains me to see every other town/city moving forward with exciting projects like Bristol has, they have Cabots Circus and now Paintworks (will have to look this up sounds interesting) but Blackpool has had nothing like that. We have magnificent buildings like the old Post Office which will just be left empty if something isn’t done. Like I say I have nothing against heritage of history I am simply fed up with Blackpool being stuck in the past and not moving forward. I see no reason why we can’t mix old and new, I just wish we could get the investment and developers to make it happen.
Another very good point you make; you are right I can’t stand Jim Davidson and Paul Daniels I hate them and you couldn’t pay me to watch them. But I do agree there is a lack of venues in Blackpool. Our own Little Boots constantly (to my great dismay as I am a big fan) plays in Preston because we don’t have a medium sized music venue which I think should be seen as a wake up call.
As for Hamish I was not saying he shouldn’t consider a career change. I am very strong supporter of mature students hoping to be one myself in the future and I am furious about the way Labour is making university more and more expensive for mature stuents/career changers. Eventhough I can’t stand the man because of his pro-smoking stance I do applaud his ambition, I was simply pointing out how I feel it is a bit of a knee jerk reaction. Like “I am fed up with the law in this country, I know I’ll be a lawyer” without considering the practical and financial constraints of such a move. I was simply saying if he is ‘broke’ how can he afford it? The age thing doesn’t come into it for me. I am all for people in their 50s changing career when I did my nurse training many students were in their 30s, 40s and 50s.
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I’ve just had a look at Paintworks and its looks fantastic just the sort of modern exciting ambitious project I
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Apologies my keyboard is playing up
I’ve just had a look at Paintworks and its looks fantastic just the sort of modern exciting ambitious project I would love to see in Blackpool. Anyone who is interested check these out
http://www.paintworksbristol.co.uk
http://www.mailboxlife.com/ (Another exciting project in Birmingham)
http://www.thegreatnorthern.com/ (One in Manchester)
Here is what could be done, I just wish the private sector would invest in Blackpool
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I hope the BNP do well in the elections next year.
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You don’t have to be a fan of Paul Daniels or Jim Davidson to listen to their point of view. After all they had to start from nothing and work themselves up which they did in part thanks to Blackpool. So when they point out what they feel are the failings here we should listen to them judge what they say and not just dismiss it as simple anti-Blackpool feelings.
How would you suggest HH changes what he feels is an unjust law if not to enter politics or to become a lawyer and challenge it in the courts?
I do wish I could have offered something to paintwork but as there nothing that needs a computer engineer I couldn’t. The wonderful thing about this it’s not a new idea but an old one being revisited and now with people being more concerned about where they live and work this time it may fly. I do feel its more exciting then anything Manchester has done because of what the core idea is the community living and working with the commercial.
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The thing is though 80% of the country does not see the smoking ban as an ‘unjust’ law it is there for a reason a very good reason which I strongly support. Like I said I admire his ambition but I feel he is being unrealistic when he is supposedly ‘broke’, law is a notoriously expensive profession to enter. The ban is not going to overturned whether he is a barrister or not. I have studied the human rights act and the smoking ban does not breach any article of it.
I agree totally Paintworks is a brilliant idea if only there was people in high places in Blackpool with the ambition to pull such projects off, but with jobsworths like Steve Weaver in charge nothing is happening.
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I am not suggesting that the smoking ban should be overturned what I asked was if you thought a law was unjust how would you go about changing it. I suggest you would do what HH is doing public awareness, political arena and law courts. The man shouldn’t be derided for this I am not saying we should support him but neither should we mock him. As for him being broke well he may be but if you are determined there are always ways to generate money.
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I understand what you are saying, its just personally I have very strong views against smoking and I love the smoking ban and I don’t take kindly to a man campaigning to overturn it and who sticks up two fingers to medical evidence and the law. He has gone around saying there is no medical evidence for the dangers of smoking, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about and makes things up as he goes along and he blasted Blackpool regeneration works as a waste of money that’s why I have a go at him. I am sick of the Gazette giving him a propaganda platform they shouldn’t be taking his side and treating him like a hero.
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I think we all know that you cannot crusade and get a (European?) law changed on your own.
I will say that nowhere apart from the UK has banned it completely. In every European place I have been to since the ban was introduced, it seems to be optional.. I guess the sentiment was planted by Euroland and it’s up to governments to implement.
We have a nanny government so we get nanny policy.
HH can do what he likes but he’ll never get them to revoke the law.
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nanny government, bordering on bully goverment?
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I hope I didn’t sound like I was having a go at you personally TB – it was just me stating my view in response to how I read yours – nothing more. I don’t mind people disagreeing with me – and I’m certainly prepared to listen to other viewpoints and consider them fully.
Does the bus station need saving? Well I can’t stand it, but that doesn’t mean it should necessarily be flattened. Is it a special example of what it is? Can it be well maintained to bring it back to its “glory days”? – if both answers aren’t a resounding yes, then yes it should be flattened. I think the argument to save it may have more to do with the money needed as part of the redevelopment rather than heritage groups campaigning for it to be saved. And whatever goes up I hope it won’t be a clone of what’s in every other town in the UK if not the world – that isn’t progress it’s copying and it won’t make Blackpool (or any other town you can mention) special in the least.
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It needs flattening! It’s horrible. Part of the reason it’s horrible is that it’s too big and casts a dark shadow over the area.
Okay you could install tons of floodlights all around it to make it look like a space ship had just landed. That might be cool. But it would still be a problem building in a problem area full of problem people.
Buses hardly use it anyway, it seems mostly council workers and traffic wardens, oh, and it’s also where town hall staff park for free!
Putting shops in it is a non starter because there are plenty of empty premises in better locations than that so why would anyone want to walk out of the way to the bus station?
My view is demolish it and put a park there, since the town lacks any green areas at all and I think that’s sad. I also think a park might stimulate an area for cafes and bars.
The sort of thing they wanted to achieve with St. Johns, except they ballsed it up, and a park would be refreshing and a symbol that Blackpool was moving on from it’s past.
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I would keep the post office and move the town hall workers into it as their new offices then they could be next to BCH’s new place whenever that gets finished. I think it could also work as a bar or restaurant, such as Pizza Express.
It would also remove the need to waste 200 million quid on a crap project around the railway station.
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I walked past the town hall yesterday, why do they need new offices, it looks fine to me?
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Oh no of course not, I understand completely what you are saying, my choice of words was not exactly well thought out. Like I say if anything my biggest frustration is the lack of ambition and progress in Blackpool and I am not blaming that on heritage groups. If anything I blame the useless jobsworths like Alan Cavill (probably the biggest pessimist in Blackpool) and Steve Weaver who are doing nothing to move things forward. I personally hate Talbot Rd bus station and Wilkinsons (building not the shop) and would love to see the back of them. Preston is a fine example of where they just want to flatten everything for nothing. Preston bus station is one of the few things its actually known for yet the idiotic council wants to flatten it for a fancy shop noone in Preston will even shop at all for this ridiculous ’3rd city vision’. Preston bus station just needs a bit of work its not in the same state as Talbot Rd. Preston is just a clone town.
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well said TB, they are the common denominator, get rid of Helen France as well
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Here is a letter off the gasjet site dated 23/12:
“Housing plans are flawed
I agree with Mark Owens (The Gazette December 17) regarding
impending problems on the A585.
I attended a meeting of the local residents and local council
representatives and it was
mentioned up to 120 extra wagons a day would be using the local roads.
The council amended this figure to approximately 80 with
assurances the wagons would have to travel via the Eros roundabout in Fleetwood. Wagons and transport presently leaving the old ICI site do not follow this code.
As Mark Owens mentions this will gridlock Fleetwood, Thornton and most local roads.
The extra 500 houses that are to be built on the old power station site has not been clarified.
It is to be believed that contaminated top spoil will be removed to a safe location away from the local area, however this has not taken into account the man-made underground shaft and tunnels that still store asbestos.
As an ex-power station employee I know this was identified a few years ago by excavation and the shafts then filled in.
It is common knowledge to most of the local community and I
believe it conveniently does not
appear on the risk assessment that is at present in force for the current demolition and removal of spoil. Therefore I believe houses could still be built on a contaminated site.
We all know the risk of asbestos but those responsible now will not be around to answer in the future.
I think that a footpath which could also be used as a cycle track is required down Amounderness Way but it should be away from the dual carriageway.
name and address supplied”
Its the bit about the asbestos that interests me, can the counci get away with this? ie not include within the risk assessment? Can someoen advise here, Phil?
Thanks
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Saw it the first time you spammed it, no I’ve no idea but I assume they can get away with it because they are doing.
Either that or the asbestos risk is insignificant enough to ignore it.
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I want to explore this issue Phil to use as a weapon against WBC Planning,they have to be stopped.
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I’d recommend contacting counterbalance via their website. They might not be able to help – but they will sure know people who can for pointers as to where to start.
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I’d prefer it if you email me stuff like that so I can make a topic rather than keep pasting it, off topic, on the latest post til someone takes notice!
Maybe I should do what NQH did and give you a column!!
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apologies Phil, its something I feel strongly anout, in future I will email you direct.
Thanks
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cheers frustrated!
down with WBC!
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