I LIVE in the heart of the West End of Morecambe and my home might well be demolished in planned redevelopment.
In fact, if you live anywhere in the West End there is a chance that demolition of your house has been discussed. Have you been consulted? I haven't.
We will be told it is not practical to consult with local people until the experts have come up with options for us to choose between - but who are these experts?
There was a recent competition to select who would develop the plan for the area, with the winning bid coming from BDP Consultants. But they had not even seen the West End until after they were selected.
They were working off statistics that were four years out of date and the fact that they know what run down areas look like. I believe they were pleasantly surprised when they saw the area, though we won't really know until someone decides to tell us.
English Partnerships, Lancaster City Council, the Regional Development Agency, housing corporations, Geraldine Smith MP - the list of decision makers is diverse. But the one thing they have in common is that not one of them lives in the West End.
If you live here and want a say, get in touch with your local councillor (they won't know what is happening either) before we are presented with a completed plan, given just one chance to say we hate it at a public meeting and are then told we have been consulted.
Chas Ambler, Morecambe.
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