If you could change one thing about the 'ford......

[BBC]

Following on from gone2seed touching on certain local issues in the rant thread, if you could make one decisive action for change in our beloved town, what would it be?

For me personally i would sack whoever does the road planning in Stafford, send them to somewhere awful (rugeley maybe!?) and start afresh on sorting out the county town's road system. Most, if not all roundabouts would be abolished. As would half the unnecessary traffic lights and speed humps that litter our roads. I would start by reversing the completely pointless, dangerous, abortion of a job that was carried out at a cost of £170k, to the broadeye roundabout towards the end of last year!

So forumites lets have your constructive suggestions on the things you would like to change about the town. Whatever the topic and significance, big or small, lets hear it!

 

[victoriab]

I would like to see less chain stores - not an achievable wish I know. Stafford town is completely faceless, there are hardly any of its 'own' shops left.

 

[rich upsetter]

I would like to see less chain stores - not an achievable wish I know. Stafford town is completely faceless, there are hardly any of its 'own' shops left.

basically this is because the town planners who set the council tax rates set it at such high rates that small business' nearly bankrupt themselves trying to get a good location near the town centre.
whole heartedly agree with bbc about the town planners again. ive been for years about them. whoever thought it was a good idea to build the ring road, thus garotting the town centre, and any expansion needs a good twatting.

we need a benevolent business man with a truck load of cash and altruistic nature to do summat like the custard factory in brum. develop a big building and support start up business', & charge minimal rates. thus we would have some independent stores to go to, and a young business centre which encourage would be entrepreneurs to stay in the bright lights of stafford, rather than bugger off out of here.

basically id like to line up all the useless twunts within the council, put them in stocks in back to the future square and throw rotten veg at them, along with the chavs/asbos.

 

[MISS T]

The alarming rate at which the new housing developments are happening. Wherever there is land, bang, new homes! What concerns me more is with this the local schools will suffer. Rather than build a new school the class sizes just increase, not good for pupils or teachers. Last year Stafford nearly lost two primary schools, and with the numbers set to grow over the next 10 years I would like to see what this means for the future of Staffords schools.

 

[Augustus Gloop]

The alarming rate at which the new housing developments are happening. Wherever there is land, bang, new homes! What concerns me more is with this the local schools will suffer. Rather than build a new school the class sizes just increase, not good for pupils or teachers. Last year Stafford nearly lost two primary schools, and with the numbers set to grow over the next 10 years I would like to see what this means for the future of Staffords schools.

Couldn't agree more Miss T.

I'd like to adjust the somewhat narrow outlook certain folk in the ford have as well. Never have I had the pleasure of meeting - or stumbling across - so many bigots, bullys and twats in such a small area. Quite remarkable.

 

[TENSHON]

for someone that doesn't get out much that says a lot really.

 

[Augustus Gloop]

for someone that doesn't get out much that says a lot really.

Not really. I get out plenty. So you've lost I'm there I'm afraid.

I unfortunately come into contact with a lot of local folk be it via my job or out and about that seem comfortable with racist and/or homophobic ideologies or harbour a very narrow outlook towards others. Which is unfortunate since I don't have many other complaints.

 

[taitou]

I really like to see that complex built opposite Asda.. From what I've heard, it would have a decent size cinema, more clubs (hopefully another metal/rock club) and various shops, restaurants etc. Basically, I'd just like more stuff to do in Stafford.

 

[victoriab]

What complex opposite Asda - the big open space bit?

 

[Andreas Rex]

What complex opposite Asda - the big open space bit?

There was some huge-ass plan in one of the local rags about a year ago, talking about a 9 storey monstrosity with completely unnecessary stuff packed tightly into it. Sounded more definite than the Castle Wharf development. Worrying.

 

[victoriab]

I hate all of that. I know it's probably just that I don't want anything to change and I'd like everything to be as it was 15 years ago...but really, there's so many pieces of nice calm bare areas that they cannot leave untouched. The area next to the M6 at junction 14 is a prime example. That whole stretch up to the pub and the car dealer pisses me off every time I pass it. Grrrr.

 

[MISS T]

I'd take half the traffic lights away in a puff of smoke. Have you seen the amount of not-yet-working lights assembled on the Lichfield Road in prepartion for the new retail site?

 

[Sofa]

I have to agree with noir2985 - the developments at both of the junctions on the motorway are quite freaky.

Having spent eleven years away until last summer, I find the housing developments at the former Lotus, BRC and other former industral sites completely bizzare.

But don't forget peeps - this is only the beginning - in ten year's time we will be having the same discussion about how things are now. But as long as there's the Forum in ten year's time everything is going to be alright!

I'm a Staffordian...

 

[rich upsetter]

dont know how i feel about all this, stafford needs some improvements granted and i applaud actual improvements, but it always seems to be along the line of "lets build some more stuff that we already have but dont promote/havent exploited properly in the past". the high street is basically dying on its arse in general, but by building more shopping precincts/buildings just encourages more bigger shops and makes it harder for un-chain stores. the council/planning dept overprice business rates so hardly any independent stores can afford to compete, and therefore make the high street more interesting and attractive to tourists, which its so keen on trumpetting.
plus, how many towns have a river running through them, and how many of them actually use it to make the town more pleasurable? the river sow is a hole, with a half hearted attempt to bank up the rivers and it still floods, but they went ahead and built the houses/flats alongside it anyway. i cant see this new development being thought through properly, and if they do build a new cinema the apollo, crap as it is, will close, and there goes another slice of stafford history. even if it is an independent business and responsible for its own investment it would be nice if the council could recognise stafford heritage and helps them redevelop it in stafford terms.
the old courts shop is now being turned into a shopping precint, whilst building another 3 stories above it for apartments. they 'developed' the sheridan centre and its literally NO improvement on what it was before.
unless summats looked at properely, stafford might just end up being a town full of empty shops.

i could go on but...sigh.
sorry, im here all day.

 

[Augustus Gloop]

Not wanting to worry you Rich but I spoke to one of the lead town planners at the weekend, his comments re Stafford over the next 10 years were quite frightening. The number of houses that they are committed to building is quite staggering and the arrivial of 'super' road networks (??) isn't far off either. It's all about access you see. So he tells me anyway.

It won't be long before the road networks are buggered further and a large faceless shopping centre arrives smack bang in the middle of a large roundabout. In fact we'll be like Milton Keynes.

How depressing.

 

[victoriab]

If 'super' road networks means a ring road and one way system then I'm never coming back.

 

[db]

If 'super' road networks means a ring road and one way system then I'm never coming back.

i farking hope not.. i'm moving back from sheffield so i can get away from its godawful one way systems

In fact we'll be like Milton Keynes.

this is a harrowing prediction.. i hope to god it never gets that bad

 

[BBC]

Milton Keynes.

Wash your mouth out Gloop!

 

[TENSHON]

i don't know who these town planners are, but i'm guessing they're thick as pig shite. that coupled with the blinkered bureaucracy of the local authorities is a recipe for disaster. i've always wonder why they've never capitalised on the land that runs alongside the train line that leads from the station to the queensville/B&Q site.

 

[gon2seed]

I think I'd like to change the reticence of the inhabitants. Very conservative (small C) bunch on the whole, makes it difficult to get anything going. Having spent time in a number of towns of a similar size, people just seem much more inward looking. Stafford Festival is a classic example, lots of daft stuff going on over the years in the Market Square, all completely free, but the majority of folk stood over by Boots and watched rather than get involved in any sillyness. I've been to other festivals in small market towns, and you'd be fighting off the punters all wanting a piece of the action.

Probably haven't expressed myself too well, I don't really know what the vibe is here, but people definiteley have a conventional streak.

Lets all be a little all a little more outgoing and a little more daring! oooo! I may even put pelargoniums in my hanging baskets this year!