'Area board hasn't a clue'

3:27pm Wednesday 13th March 2013 in Letters

I READ with satisfaction that measures of the success of the Christmas market were made in terms of number of visitors, where they came from, how much they spent etc.

I also note that the fire and rescue service and the police always present measures of their effectiveness at area board meetings. Western society leapt ahead of older civilisations due to this scientific approach of rejecting witchcraft and using measurements.

Much mathematics and measurements go into deciding whether and where to build a new road, a new reservoir, a new power station or such.

However, Salisbury appears to be unique in having gone back to witchcraft in the area board deciding to banish the Tuesday market coaches from parking in the New Canal and fully ban cars from evening parking the Market Place.

Did the area board find out how many cars park in the Market Place in the evenings, where the occupants spent their evenings, and how much money they spent?

The area board hasn’t a clue. It has acted democratically on the whims of a small number of people. Nothing wrong with democracy but as the voting for the police commissioners showed, the majority of people want the facts before they are willing to cast their votes.

The area board has not obtained any facts for the vast majority of people to form their opinions. Even when it tried to show the new surface it proposed, it failed and we are not having any of the surfaces which were built as examples.

The area board never collected any data on the economic effects of their decisions, just witchcraft; believe what it says on the magic bottle.

ALAN CLARKE, Salisbury

Comments(1)

rantone says...
9:52pm Wed 13 Mar 13

Alan Clarke raises fair points on how the Area Board addresses local democracy. Often the AB chair uses the I, as in he - and not 'we' as the Area Board. I respect that consultation is expensive to administer and takes time. The result even if reaching out widely will always be met with some cynicism, but this if kept local would be fairer than asking coach load of tourists to sign up for a campaign to 'modernise' an area, when not able to see all the facts. Final plans should always be presented to the public. I suggest that candidates seeking election to the respective councils this May, that they hand out/deliver a questionaire. 1) Maltings- should an area for parking and a transport hub for public transport be in the plans. 2) Councils to quickly explain where the buses which at present use the Bus station depot will now park. Yes or No. A new plan is required along with a review of one-way / pedestrianisation / disabled parking / bus routes and evening parking and quick! 3) Any plans for the 'bus station' should be included with the whole city reorganisation- along with HOW many hotels and shop units are required in the Maltings or the Southampton Gateway area. My question- is the General Post Office in Chipper Lane/ Castle Street still to be a hotel? One thing for sure is that parking WILL return under a future council to the Market Square even if decided on economic grounds alone. If not the City will slowly die and the City Hall and Playhouse with the other venues open in the evening will close along with the new hotels! Time to see who the candidates are in my parish.

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