Views on town centre future:

PPPPPP

Well-Known Forumite
The money sbc spent on riverside was well under 2 million and a great investment. It would have cost as much to get tesco car park back in use and look and what we would have been left with, instead for the same cost we are getting major investment, development, brand stores, enhancement of a run down area and a shed load of employment. Huge cock up by the council there then.......rolling of eyes.

You make it sound as though a couple of million quid is loose change. Surely the point is how the old Tesco carpark was left derelict for years, within a brown envelope's throw of the council office.
 

McPhee

Well-Known Forumite
In context, 2 million quid is pocket change. I'm definitely with Gareth on this one - at this point it would seem the council have done a decent job in securing the Riverside development.

Actually, I'd go as far as to say they are doing a pretty good job of development and planning all round at the moment. Stafford in 2020 will look very different from how it does today, and I see little to suggest that it won't be an overall net improvement.
 

PPPPPP

Well-Known Forumite
In context, 2 million quid is pocket change. I'm definitely with Gareth on this one - at this point it would seem the council have done a decent job in securing the Riverside development.

Actually, I'd go as far as to say they are doing a pretty good job of development and planning all round at the moment. Stafford in 2020 will look very different from how it does today, and I see little to suggest that it won't be an overall net improvement.


Having got to where we are now, could they make it worse?
 

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
Could not have put it better myself.

Augfornov I think the key road is "prep work" in fact there will be more temp parking spaces added at north walls before anything else to make up for the loss of 2/3 of the riversid eparking whihc will be closed entirely soon, in fact the article only mentions tree felling at the time which has been comleted. Plans have since being approved for extending parking and the demolition of the aforementioned buildings early autumn time.
 

PPPPPP

Well-Known Forumite
By the look of it they're doing the same with the Riverslide block. Wasn't the present leader of the council a key figure in the 'save Stafford castle' group back in the 1970s, after they'd knocked it down?
 

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
Wow some really do not know their facts on here. It was not SBC who had anything to do with stafford castle becoming derelict in fact it was them who saved what was left being bulldozed completely. It took years for lord stafford to get rid of it as neither SBC or national heritage would take it on it was so bad and unsafe thanks to poor upkeep by the stokes family and lord stafford.
by the time SBC had in their hands the top half of the castle had gone, was surrounded by barbed wire fencing and absolutely laced in graffiti. Someone died at the castle in the 60s I think and it was recommended it was trashed. It was here that SBC and partners took it on and made it safe for us to enjoy events at the castle such as Shakespeare and music festivals. So lets not talk utter shite, if we're going to blame people blame to right ones.
 

Augfornov

A few posts under my belt
Why is expressing a view that may or may not be 100% accurate talking utter shite, I for one talk a lot of shite doesn't mean I'm always wrong.
 

PPPPPP

Well-Known Forumite
Wow some really do not know their facts on here. It was not SBC who had anything to do with stafford castle becoming derelict in fact it was them who saved what was left being bulldozed completely. It took years for lord stafford to get rid of it as neither SBC or national heritage would take it on it was so bad and unsafe thanks to poor upkeep by the stokes family and lord stafford.
by the time SBC had in their hands the top half of the castle had gone, was surrounded by barbed wire fencing and absolutely laced in graffiti. Someone died at the castle in the 60s I think and it was recommended it was trashed. It was here that SBC and partners took it on and made it safe for us to enjoy events at the castle such as Shakespeare and music festivals. So lets not talk utter shite, if we're going to blame people blame to right ones.


Which facts were wrong, exactly, and why is it that nothing is ever the council's fault, in your eyes? Talking of shite, isn't it ironic that the castle is literally surrounded by it now? Who's to blame for that?
 

Steve_b

Well-Known Forumite
. It took years for lord stafford to get rid of it as neither SBC or national heritage would take it on it was so bad...
...by the time SBC had in their hands the top half of the castle had gone, was surrounded by barbed wire fencing and absolutely laced in graffiti.
My point exactly, 'by the time' if only they had acted earlier there may have been more of the Castle to save?

On another subject, Stafford Market, there are plans (suggestions) to return it to its original site in Stafford Market. So how about we save 20 years (or so) and move our Library back into the 'Library building' as nothing seems to be happening there now? I wouldn't want to see more of our heritage left to decay and eventually destroyed.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
I'd love to take a look inside the old library, but the amount of skips that were used during the brief flurry of activity I'm worried what is left.
 

Sir BoD

Well-Known Forumite
I'd love to take a look inside the old library, but the amount of skips that were used during the brief flurry of activity I'm worried what is left.
There are some photos up on the Stafford Remembered - youth of the 70's and 80's - Stafford uk group, which were taken mid last year.
If you're already a member, just search for the words 'The old library today' and they'll come up.
 
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