Joined by a few others and in the light of the decision of 20th June 2012 that the new Prudhoe Town centre would go ahead, I have set up a Facebook page Take Pride in Prudhoe 2012. This builds on a previous Facebook page I participated in called Take Pride in Prudhoe but which was hijacked by a Turkish gentleman and which it has proved impossible to return to local admin. The flavour of the page is to celebrate the whole of Prudhoe, to offer a safe debating space for all polite viewpoints, and to be ready to ask difficult questions of the new development but also to document its progress as it changes the face of Prudhoe.
I
am looking at the Hexham Courant 29th June at a story from the week
before this week's storm. Page 5 reports on a downpour resulting in
another sewage spill in the Castlefield woods. What baffles me is that
along with many others last November I attended a public meeting where
the new West Area Highways Engineer stood up and said Prudhoe needs a
detailed drainage study, it would takes three years and there should be
no major development meantime. This was stood on its head on the 20th
June 2012. What are the options? Is the story wrong? Did I mishear with
many others the man at the meeting? It then leads into another debate
which a neighbour took me aside over today. Why are these decisions
taken at meetings in Hexham? Would Hexham stand for the planning meeting
about their new shopping developments taking place in Prudhoe? This
gentleman told me how he felt utterly unrepresented in this decision
taking. To Take Pride in Prudhoe the population must feel that someone
takes notice of them. Take Pride in Prudhoe could translate into Take
Notice of Prudhoe.
I
anticipate that someone in favour of the development will say as the
report says, the new surge tank will solve the problem. Firstly I think I
am right in saying that such features built on Castlefields itself have
had their own problems. Secondly the
heat of my criticism would be removed by the county putting up the
Highway's Engineer who spoke last November and having him say "that in
his professional judgement against which he would stake his reputation
that the present plan for the new development will either improve
Prudhoe's drainage or not change it in any regard". If the man is happy
to put that on record the strength of anyone's concern about drainage
and the development is reduced.
I am an author, curator, dealer interested in the ephemera of travel and transport amongst many other enthusiasms. I am married to a wonderful wife and mother and our daughter Clare is already a National Trust life member. We hold or link to some exceptional resources as the main website shows. We do a lot of work with on-line auctions. Our interests are very eclectic as the range of blogs that we follow shows. Because we follow a blog do not immediately assume it is a 100% endorsement!
No comments:
Post a Comment