North End / Sandon Rd Developments

[Wormella]

Well there's plans for a doctors surgery and 2 new schools at least, not to mention the knock on effect of more houses - more plumbers, electricians, gas fitters etc More people also mean more heads for hair cutters to cut, nails to make pretty if that's your kind of thing, children to mind, teeth to look at by dentists, eyes to look at by opticians - it goes on (cars to be serviced, people to feed, shops to be better utilised) - every new person moving into the area will need something, that's going to help the local / national economy in some way - even if it's only redistribution of money from somewhere else in the U.K - because people have moved to Stafford because housing is affordable and the commuting links are good.

 

[Lucy]

Good point. but in the economic scheme of things they are low paid and unskilled job, as are most of the service sector jobs, and alot of them are zero hours. In the context of house building and maintaining a good local economy we need to generate jobs that provide a living above subsistance/minimumwage. It would also massively benefit the people of the town to have well-paid jobs available rather than the whole town needing to commute to earn a decent living

However, if no more service sector jobs are created, then it's unlikely more services will be opened, meaning that those people who do live in the town won't have anything to spend their money on. Zero hours contracts are a different matter.

The should you work in the town you live in debate is an interesting one. Apart from one summer job I did at GEC, I've never worked in Stafford, but I want to live there and don't want to live where I work. Yes, maybe I wouldn't command the salary I do now in Stafford, but I choose to do the job I do, and live where I live.

 

[Lucy]

And @Wormella has already put it far more eloquently than I ever could.

 

[Gramaisc]

Good point. but in the economic scheme of things they are low paid and unskilled job,

Whilst I understand your point, I would suggest that working in retail is actually highly skilled, even if many people don't regard it as such.

If I worked in retail, the cops would be called before noon on the first day....

 

[proactive]

It's chicken and egg though isn't it. Cycle paths are sh*te so no-one uses them, so they don't invest, so they're sh*te. In my opinion all developer should be required to build integral cycle paths on all roads liek they do pavements. Model them on the dutch design where even the smallest residential street has a pavement, then a slightly lower down cycle path and then lowest of them all is the road. No shared space for cyclists to die on! If this was enforced everywhere on developers a good cycle network would soon follow, and as the dutch have proved, provide safe cycling and families WILL use it.

Now that really would be an excellent idea.

 

[Steve_b]

So Stafford is getting New This & that! But where are the roads to cope with all these new developments, retail outlets & people coming to Stafford? I guess it won't just be lorries getting stuck on our congested roads.

 

[Ronseal]

The road up there is already chocca. There's got to be something in the pipeline unless the residents are all going to work from home.

 

[kyoto49]

So Stafford is getting New This & that! But where are the roads to cope with all these new developments, retail outlets & people coming to Stafford? I guess it won't just be lorries getting stuck on our congested roads.

What do you suggest the council do? Flatten all the buildings and homes that line the Stone Road, Eccleshall Road, Weston Road, Wolverhampton Road and Newport Road just for easier access? Stafford is confined by the road system and development that long pre-dated cars. If you don't want to sit in a trafic jam find an alternative mode of transport cos the traffic is only going to get worse, and the roads are not going to be changing much given the already identified constraints on their width.....

 

[Steve_b]

What do you suggest the council do? Flatten all the buildings and homes that line the Stone Road, Eccleshall Road, Weston Road, Wolverhampton Road and Newport Road just for easier access? Stafford is confined by the road system and development that long pre-dated cars. If you don't want to sit in a trafic jam find an alternative mode of transport cos the traffic is only going to get worse, and the roads are not going to be changing much given the already identified constraints on their width.....

No need for all that, just build an outer ring road and give traffic an alternative.

 

[proactive]

W

No need for all that, just build an outer ring road and give traffic an alternative.

Have one of those already don't we, it's called the M6...

 

[kyoto49]

No need for all that, just build an outer ring road and give traffic an alternative.

Most traffic is lazy people from the suburbs driving in to the town centre. I'd rather the alternative was proper public transport and cycling provision. The car is an outdated and selfish form of transport

 

[proactive]

Most traffic is lazy people from the suburbs driving in to the town centre. I'd rather the alternative was proper public transport and cycling provision. The car is an outdated and selfish form of transport

Another proven fact of course...

 

[Steve_b]

W

Have one of those already don't we, it's called the M6...

It would be a great outer ring road if it was accessible from Rising Brook, Burton Manor, Weston Downs and Doxey. Would give those estates an alternative outlet.

 

[Steve_b]

I'd rather the alternative was proper public transport and cycling provision.

Unfortunately, we know the council will not be investing in cycle paths, SCC are reducing funds for public transport hence the reduced services. (Stafford's always been reduced a proper bus station) And we're told there is no money for roads. (Except for the Western access road)

 

[kyoto49]

It would be a great outer ring road if it was accessible from Rising Brook, Burton Manor, Weston Downs and Doxey. Would give those estates an alternative outlet.

Outlet to where? By passes only generate more traffic and the inevitale conclusion of further gridlock. The only way to prevent traffic is to get people out of their cars. Road building will never solve congestion, it justs alleviate it temporarily.

 

[Steve_b]

Outlet to where? By passes only generate more traffic and the inevitale conclusion of further gridlock. The only way to prevent traffic is to get people out of their cars. Road building will never solve congestion, it justs alleviate it temporarily.

I think the 1000's of new residents in these new developments will generate more traffic, by passes simply allow people to avoid town centres, helping to reduce congestion in the town.

Outlets to a bypass, and anywhere beyond. But not inwards towards and around town.

The Beaconside road was a bypass (or distributor road). The increased traffic using it isn't because it's a bypass, it's because of all the new developments using it.

 

[alphagamma]

What do you suggest the council do? Flatten all the buildings and homes that line the Stone Road, Eccleshall Road, Weston Road, Wolverhampton Road and Newport Road just for easier access? Stafford is confined by the road system and development that long pre-dated cars. If you don't want to sit in a trafic jam find an alternative mode of transport cos the traffic is only going to get worse, and the roads are not going to be changing much given the already identified constraints on their width.....

Why stop there? The logical way forward would be to demolish Stafford completely, leaving only the three council buildings, the fantastic new shopping centre and the freemasons hall, then start afresh. The homeless can catch HS2 and go to live in Calais or Dover.

 

[kyoto49]

I think the 1000's of new residents in these new developments will generate more traffic, by passes simply allow people to avoid town centres, helping to reduce congestion in the town.

Outlets to a bypass, and anywhere beyond. But not inwards towards and around town.

The Beaconside road was a bypass (or distributor road). The increased traffic using it isn't because it's a bypass, it's because of all the new developments using it.

I'll make it simple for you; car numbers are increasing, population in Stafford and the country is increasing, road space will never be able to keep up no matter how many billions we spend. Beaconside is gridlock every morning, Should we build another Beaconside to alleviate the congestion on the road built to alleviate congestion? Do you not see a problem with your argument?

 

[John Marwood]

I'll make it simple for you; car numbers are increasing, population in Stafford and the country is increasing, road space will never be able to keep up no matter how many billions we spend. Beaconside is gridlock every morning, Should we build another Beaconside to alleviate the congestion on the road built to alleviate congestion? Do you not see a problem with your argument?

Mumbai, Beijing, Beaconside

What we need is a plague

That'll thin things out a bit

 

[proactive]

Mumbai, Beijing, Beaconside

What we need is a plague

That'll thin things out a bit

At last, the voice of reason.