I would like forecast the next major waste of ratepayers' money in the forthcoming 18 months before our local representatives try to claim all the plaudits without accepting any of the brickbats that are sure to follow as a result of the current work taking place in Church Street. Those about to vote for the present shower might like to reflect on the following before doing so.

To be fair the work being carried out in Church Street, does appear to be high quality and when finished will much improve the appearance of the area.

I have no doubt that the forthcoming elections will not have crossed their minds.

They will appear for the grand opening event, Stan Henig and all his colleagues to claim all the credit for the project, smiles and buttonholes spread across the photographic pages of favoured local papers, I do however wonder whether The Citizen will receive an invite!

My projection is that twelve months on our Stanley and his colleagues will be denying all knowledge of granting Planning Permission for the building of a cinema complex right in the middle of the area they have just upgraded, and the subsequent damage that will be caused by the heavy loads the new the pedestrian area will have to bear, but of course the wasted money spent on it, and the repair costs will not be coming out of their increased expenses will it? No of cause not, we the stupid ratepayers will be the ones paying. The trouble with Stanley and his colleagues is that they have placed the horse in front of the cart that often, to our cost not theirs, the poor mare thinks that's where the cart should be.

J Irving

address supplied

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.