From Cllr Tim Swift
Friday, 21 August 2009

I was wondering if there were any comments about the story on the front page of this week's HB Times giving the latest twist in the 'Central Street' saga?

I do not understand why the Cabinet have now decided that they are not willing to accept a 'charge' against properties, if the property owners are saying they are happy with this?

In addition, Calderdale Council are still missing a further problem which is about the lack of any policy about when and how they will use their legal powers to ensure that a scheme to improve and adopt an unadopted street goes ahead.

It is hard to see any evidence that there is a real commitment on the part of the Calderdale council Cabinet to secure improvements to this street.

From Paul D
Tuesday, 25 August 2009

Tim –Calderdale sold off the old adult education centre and the learner pool to a property developer. It then granted planning permission on the site, but as far as I’m aware without inserting a clause that would require the developer to resurface Central Street. That’s not very clever is it? Sort of makes you wonder whether Calderdale stops good honest people from doing their jobs, turns good honest people into fools, or just attracts fools in the first place.

For what it’s worth, I think we should get some wheelbarrows and fill the holes in ourselves. It would take the decision away from those who can’t or won’t make one. It would also remind those elected by one in nine of us not to believe their own publicity. Of course they could help if they wanted - anyone who thinks refurbishing a library 15 years after it needed doing is progress should really get out more anyway. The cabinet could spend their time discussing how to square kicking young people out of youth house with their latest vision for err… youth? Or where to put that irritating swimming pool – you know, the one that was supposed to be built 20 years ago and where the allocated land has already been err… built on. Or whether to block the drains of the paddling pool with builders sand again next year, or clean them out at great expense and try putting water in, like err…. a paddling pool. Or whether to allow people who are not very rich to live here by building some decent social housing – little things like that.

Calderdale MBC – an absolute gem in the crown jewels of civic incompetence. What would we do without it other than prosper.

See also:

Hebweb Forum: What's going on with Central Street?

Hebweb News: The Central Street Saga continues (June 09)

Hebweb News: The Central Street Saga (Jan 09)