O/T Bad news for Lancaster

[greenshrimp]

What a shame http://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/lancasternews/BREAKING-NEWS-Centros-scheme-rejected.5931651.jp for the future of Lancaster.

Might have actually seen some development, employment and something good come to the town and maybe even attract a few visitors.....oh well.

[Christies Child]

...and as the 'shopper' in my life has just said 'encourage more and more people to shop in Kendal or Preston where the choice and personal service, especially in Kendal is far better!

[George Dawes]

i copied n pasted this important bit off the secretary of state

Code: Select all

Main issues
12. The Secretary of State considers that the main issues in this case are:
a) The relationship of the proposal to the development plan;
b) Retail matters;
c) Highways and related matters;
d) Heritage matters.

ive been following this for a bit now, i even said far back as 12months ago, what i waste of money on such a eyesore if finished after id seen the plans and map-design


Lancaster is a historic city and as a hell of a lot of character and for me as a good town center already, the only bit about the overlook map plan what made any sense was the area and car-parks around the dukes play house what could do with landscaping into a bigger carpark

[Plain Peter]

I'm a fairly infrequent visitor to the area these days.
Lancaster during daylight hours 7/7 is gridlock.
You can hardly call it a car park, cos you can't get a space.
Logistically, it's in an impossible geographic position, compunded by the continued expansion of the University.
Scale it down a mighty bit.
Take the University away from the town, ply on the history and beauty of the area.
Use the awesome natural resources available to the full, remembering that Lancaster and district was thriving not too long since.
It's simply overgrown itself, needs to stand back, and then re-invent.

[George Dawes]

the M6 link bypass to Morecambe would benefit Lancaster just aswell, thats why i think that money on the Lancaster development could be spent of better things

[Plain Peter]

the M6 link bypass to Morecambe would benefit Lancaster just aswell, thats why i think that money on the Lancaster development could be spent of better things

I'm trying to find the right way to spell DawZi
I think, but willing to be proved wrong, that the budgets for one v t'other are light years apart.

[Keith]

remembering that Lancaster and district was thriving not too long since.

I think it is all relative Peter, to me thirty years was quite a long time ago and to many on this forum, more than a life time ago. For older folk the late seventies wasn't that long ago... have you considered a political career with the MBI's? You'd fit right in...

[Plain Peter]

I think it is all relative Peter, to me thirty years was quite a long time ago and to many on this forum, more than a life time ago. For older folk the late seventies wasn't that long ago... have you considered a political career with the MBI's? You'd fit right in...

Indeed.
How old is the brick against the lug hole?
Or t'internet?
Or hundreds of other modern high tech gadgets?
Hundreds of years of steady prosperity have suddenly become obsolete due to the demand of today's must have now culture.
What does MBI mean?
I'm a realist.
Remember Brian, and his vision of a great big block of apartments obscuring the view over Central Prom.
His vision was to attract young professionals into investing into this brick wall.
What would we have had with the recession?
An half built building?
Empty flats?
More vandalsim
In all probability had it happened, this vision (brick wall) would have turned into buy-to-let, and all sorts of riff-raff (can I say that?) descending on the area.

[Keith]

I think it is all relative Peter, to me thirty years was quite a long time ago and to many on this forum, more than a life time ago. For older folk the late seventies wasn't that long ago... have you considered a political career with the MBI's? You'd fit right in...

Indeed.
How old is the brick against the lug hole?
Or t'internet?
Or hundreds of other modern high tech gadgets?
Hundreds of years of steady prosperity have suddenly become obsolete due to the demand of today's must have now culture.
What does MBI mean?
I'm a realist.
Remember Brian, and his vision of a great big block of apartments obscuring the view over Central Prom.
His vision was to attract young professionals into investing into this brick wall.
What would we have had with the recession?
An half built building?
Empty flats?
More vandalsim
In all probability had it happened, this vision (brick wall) would have turned into buy-to-let, and all sorts of riff-raff (can I say that?) descending on the area.

I always enjoy 2am posts!

[Weetabix Kid]

Lancaster's a great city if you love dirty, old, unsafe abanded old derelict buidlings......

[Plain Peter]

I always enjoy 2am posts!

See, you even live in computer time - it was 0100 .
Like the great scribes in history, my most inspired pieces of literary excellence come when all sensible folk are asleep

[Joel Ninety]

I have a solution.

If we need to keep the character of the city and bring in more retail options, why not turn the castle into a shopping centre?

We can put all the prisoners on the oil rig out in the bay.

[Christies Child]

I'm begining to think that the entire area has a death wish.

FFS move with the times or be left behind.

Thank goodness the football club have a progressive attitude.

My brother in law is a local businessman who is frustrated at the attitude of some in power and almost all those who want power! At every stage of developemnt he has to negotiate hurdles and is now asking the question 'is it worth it'..?

[RedRedWine1]

Lancaster's a great city if you love dirty, old, unsafe abanded old derelict buidlings......

Here here, what we really what is more modern architectural eye-sores like the new Kingsway development. CC if your relative has to go through endless red tape in order to avoid another building as ugly as the one that has been put up then I for one am glad. Who ever gave the go ahead for that project needs to take a hard look at themselves. Coming off the motorway it is the first thing you notice on approach to Lancaster, and it's an absolute mess.

Lancaster is a small City, we don't need more high street shops part of a national chain that clutter each big City Centre. Next, TK Maxx, Topman, McDonalds, Boots, M&S, BHS, HMV etc can be found in each city/town accross the country. Manchester, Preston, Liverpool and the more established shopping centres have such shops in abundance. If you live in these places, what would attract you to Lancaster when the same shop is on your doorstep? Probably the traditional markets and Georgian architecture, not more crap shops. The City should concentrate differentiating itself from big shopping centres which it can never compete with.

Improve what it already has in terms of shops, expand market days, promote itself better and avoid the clambering for massive retail developments seen everywhere else. Oh, and save millions £££.

[Christies Child]

Lancaster's a great city if you love dirty, old, unsafe abanded old derelict buidlings......

Here here, what we really what is more modern architectural eye-sores like the new Kingsway development. CC if your relative has to go through endless red tape in order to avoid another building as ugly as the one that has been put up then I for one am glad. Who ever gave the go ahead for that project needs to take a hard look at themselves. Coming off the motorway it is the first thing you notice on approach to Lancaster, and it's an absolute mess.

Lancaster is a small City, we don't need more high street shops part of a national chain that clutter each big City Centre. Next, TK Maxx, Topman, McDonalds, Boots, M&S, BHS, HMV etc can be found in each city/town accross the country. Manchester, Preston, Liverpool and the more established shopping centres have such shops in abundance. If you live in these places, what would attract you to Lancaster when the same shop is on your doorstep? Probably the traditional markets and Georgian architecture, not more crap shops. The City should concentrate differentiating itself from big shopping centres which it can never compete with.

Improve what it already has in terms of shops, expand market days, promote itself better and avoid the clambering for massive retail developments seen everywhere else. Oh, and save millions £££.

It's all a matter of taste. I for one think that the new Kingsway building is quite good. At least it's tried to be different and architecturally has achieved a lot of acclaim within the design profession.

My BinL is a small shopkeeper who has wanted to expand. But at every hurdle it seems that he and other smaller shops are presented with obstacles .

If as you suggest the City should become a haven for smaller more specialist shops I totally agree. But unfortuntely the attitude of the powers that be is to go for the larger national chains (Un)Fortunately they appear to want to give the City a wide berth.

[P/T Indie]

I could think of a nice bit of waste land on the prom where some of these shops could be built if Lancaster don't wont them.

[George Dawes]

Lancaster is a small City, we don't need more high street shops part of a national chain that clutter each big City Centre. Next, TK Maxx, Topman, McDonalds, Boots, M&S, BHS, HMV etc can be found in each city/town accross the country. Manchester, Preston, Liverpool and the more established shopping centres have such shops in abundance. If you live in these places, what would attract you to Lancaster when the same shop is on your doorstep? Probably the traditional markets and Georgian architecture, not more crap shops. The City should concentrate differentiating itself from big shopping centres which it can never compete with.

totally agree and they all sell the exact same stuff on the shelf's, a lad i know from work last week? went down to the Trafford center and bought a suit from Next, i said you could have bought the same one in Morecambe, and then he said it took him nearly 5hrs to get back


Lancaster should stay like York and Chester and Kendal for that matter and keep its old charm

[ezz]

Lancaster can't really grow anyway, it's like a city in a snow globe. There just isn't enough room to develop without causing short term chaos. First thing first get the by-pass finished so people aren't scared to actually drive to the city center without being stuck in dead lock traffic.
Luckily for me I live close enough to Bare Lane train station, 7minute journey £1.70 return.....fantastic deal.

[bigreddog]

I could think of a nice bit of waste land on the prom where some of these shops could be built if Lancaster don't wont them.

Amen to that. Unfortunately Lancaster has it's tree hugging luddites, we've got ours.

I'd just love it if politicians of all persuasons would recognise that it's their role to create the environment for private enterprise to thrive and provide jobs, rather than coming up with empty excuses why they shouldn't be there in the first place.

In our case it's always the old chestnut about " leisure facilities" which is code for " I haven't really got a clue what the alternative is, but I'd rather propose something that wouldn't make a profit or attract investment in a month of sundays than support this development."

[shrimper]

Lancaster's a great city if you love dirty, old, unsafe abanded old derelict buidlings......

Here here, what we really what is more modern architectural eye-sores like the new Kingsway development. CC if your relative has to go through endless red tape in order to avoid another building as ugly as the one that has been put up then I for one am glad. Who ever gave the go ahead for that project needs to take a hard look at themselves. Coming off the motorway it is the first thing you notice on approach to Lancaster, and it's an absolute mess.

Lancaster is a small City, we don't need more high street shops part of a national chain that clutter each big City Centre. Next, TK Maxx, Topman, McDonalds, Boots, M&S, BHS, HMV etc can be found in each city/town accross the country. Manchester, Preston, Liverpool and the more established shopping centres have such shops in abundance. If you live in these places, what would attract you to Lancaster when the same shop is on your doorstep? Probably the traditional markets and Georgian architecture, not more crap shops. The City should concentrate differentiating itself from big shopping centres which it can never compete with.

Improve what it already has in terms of shops, expand market days, promote itself better and avoid the clambering for massive retail developments seen everywhere else. Oh, and save millions £££.

While I think you make a good point about differentiating, I too am growing to quite like the Kingsway building and would one day like to have a look inside just out of interest.

And on the other point I've highlighted I suppose the argument is that with, say, a Debenhams in Lancaster those people from our area and the surrounding districts who currently go to other towns and cities to shop might do so a bit less and spend more locally.

[Dave (Barra)]

As mentioned previously, Lancaster should aim to be more like Kendal - nice range of independent shops, artisan food places etc etc rather than a scaled down version of Anytown.

How you go about doing that, I'm not really sure.

[durhamshrimp]

I think it is all relative Peter, to me thirty years was quite a long time ago and to many on this forum, more than a life time ago. For older folk the late seventies wasn't that long ago... have you considered a political career with the MBI's? You'd fit right in...

Indeed.
How old is the brick against the lug hole?
Or t'internet?
Or hundreds of other modern high tech gadgets?
Hundreds of years of steady prosperity have suddenly become obsolete due to the demand of today's must have now culture.
What does MBI mean?
I'm a realist.
Remember Brian, and his vision of a great big block of apartments obscuring the view over Central Prom.
His vision was to attract young professionals into investing into this brick wall.

What would we have had with the recession?
An half built building?
Empty flats?
More vandalsim
In all probability had it happened, this vision (brick wall) would have turned into buy-to-let, and all sorts of riff-raff (can I say that?) descending on the area.

Glug glug glug ! Ever thought about adding a breathalyser to your PC so it only works when you're not pissed?

[durhamshrimp]

Lancaster is a small City, we don't need more high street shops part of a national chain that clutter each big City Centre. Next, TK Maxx, Topman, McDonalds, Boots, M&S, BHS, HMV etc can be found in each city/town accross the country. Manchester, Preston, Liverpool and the more established shopping centres have such shops in abundance. If you live in these places, what would attract you to Lancaster when the same shop is on your doorstep? Probably the traditional markets and Georgian architecture, not more crap shops. The City should concentrate differentiating itself from big shopping centres which it can never compete with.

totally agree and they all sell the exact same stuff on the shelf's, a lad i know from work last week? went down to the Trafford center and bought a suit from Next, i said you could have bought the same one in Morecambe, and then he said it took him nearly 5hrs to get back


Lancaster should stay like York and Chester and Kendal for that matter and keep its old charm

Living in a city that has that sort of appeal (Durham), I can honestly say people are dreaming if they think that is something Lancaster can achieve.

[mrpotatohead]

I bloomin' love Lancashire me
I were born here, I were raised here
And I thought I were gonna die here

That's until work come to me and said
We got a new plant down south
your gonna have to move down there for work
To Coventry! BOOOOOOOOOO!

Well I didn't know what to do for best
So I thought I'd have a bit of a stroll around
Get some memories
See if I can figure out what I'm going for dee.

I kissed my girl
By PC World
I dropped me crisps
Outside WH Smiths
They chopped down that tree
To build a KFC
Good!

In this Lancashire Town
This Lancashire Town
We both held hands
Outside Matalan's
I tucked in me vest
Outside the old Nat West

I dreamt of Gherkins
Outside Dorothy Perkins
In this Lancashire Town
My Lancashire Town

Oh it's all changed since my day
I'll tell you that for nowt
Used to be Dixons down the road
It's now Curry Digi Kill

Theres a one way system down by leslies pie shop
It's chaos there at three o'clock
Can't get through, not for love nor money

Used to be all fields at the bottom of my road
Well that's still there National Trust has seen to that

All the pubs have funny names
Like Fashion and Which
Not seen a Pig & Albert for years

I sighed a sigh
Passing MFI
I received a text
Getting socks from Next
I bought Die Hard 3
In the sale at HMV
Oh yes
In this Lancashire Town
A lovely Lancashire town

When they knocked down th'Argos
I stood and cried
But then they built a TK Maxx
So that's alreet
I ate my onion rings
Outside a Burger King
In this Lancashire Town
What a Lancashire town

Well with so many eye-watering beautiful memories
How could I move?
I were born here
I were raised here
And I'll be buried here
Next to me greyhounds and me whippets at the bottom of the garden
I can't do this
I wont do it

Then I thought about that text that I got off Brian in Next
It says it's double money down in Coventry
So I had another look round
And thought sod the lot of you's
Double money
I'm off next week
Ta-ra

[Plain Peter]

While I think you make a good point about differentiating, I too am growing to quite like the Kingsway building and would one day like to have a look inside just out of interest.

Isn't it's core a car park?