Lancaster to be ruined

[Nemesis]

It seems theat the 'elected representatives' have voted for the Centros scheme.

A sad day for what is still one of the unspoilt places in the country.

Still, developers will make a pot of cash. What will they care? And Lancaster will get a department store.

There are pictures etc on the SAVE website.

http://www.savebritainsheritage.org

 

[Schoolmarm]

GODDAMMIT!

 

[shelli]

http://www.itsourcity.org.uk/News/VL.html

sequence of events speaks for itself

nightmare - Have joined SAVE (about bloody time Says Nemesis!!)

Apart from ruining many historically important former industrial buildings - Won't there also be implications for the Kendal Lancaster canal in all this ?


Shelli

 

[Nemesis]

It won't be without a fight.

Interesting snippet though - that the 'It's Our City Too' group started by request from local councillors...

The 'Historic Buildings Consultant' (ha!) hired to rubbish the area is, I believe, our old pal Dr Chris Miele, who was shown for what he is at the Smithfield inquiry. Or his underling. 'Miele' is a 'Director'.

 

[shelli]

he should stick to making washing machines !

sorry - cant help self - it's a form of tourettes

 

[Nemesis]

He should stick... no better not.

Montagu Evans - just for the record.

http://www.itsourcity.org.uk/planning/2008/Apps/App1-Covering%20Letter.pdf

Not on the side of historic buildings... IMHO and allegedly of course.


http://www.itsourcity.org.uk/planning/2008/MasterplanDocs/App1-PPG15Assessment.pdf


http://www.itsourcity.org.uk/planning/2008/MasterplanDocs/App1-PPG%2015%20Assessment%20Appendices.pdf

 

[biffvernon]

The nice thing about a financial disaster is that developers stop developing. Work on the new Penrith shopping mall/Sainsbury has stopped.

All of us are in some way being affected by the credit crunch as banks reign in their commitments to property markets. Penrith New Squares is no exception. Citing concerns with the current state of the market particularly the commercial and residential sectors as its reason, National Australia Bank has withdrawn its project funding for Penrith New Squares.
Lowther Manelli therefore regrets to announce that due to circumstances outside of its reasonable control, the development of Penrith New Squares is being delayed whilst new long term funding arrangements are put in place.
Despite the national financial situation, Lowther Manelli and Sainsbury’s do remain committed to delivering Penrith New Squares. The aim is to re-start the project in the New Year when alternative funding sources are in place.
This is an important project for Penrith, which has housing shortages in the starter-home and affordable homes markets, and shoppers are leaving Penrith for neighbouring centres such as Kendal and Carlisle. Lowther Manelli and Sainsbury’s will be working with Eden District Council to mitigate the circumstances that have caused the delay.
The main site at Southend Road, where Thomas Armstrong and Bowmer & Kirkland commenced construction at the beginning of the summer, is in the process of being closed, as is Frenchfield, where Atkinson’s Builders have been building the new football club for PAFC. Car parking for the town in the locations currently provided will continue.

Here's what was planned (amongst other stuff):

more

 

[Nemesis]

I know - but they say it will go ahead once things have improved.

Let's hope they don't....

Sadly, shoppers will leave the nice shops in Penrith to go to this development I fear, thus ensuring a fairly thriving little town becomes a ghost town.

 

[Nemesis]

The same old story though:

Centros Masterplan Documents 2008
This page lists the updated masterplan documents for the complete development. It is apparent that objections from the public have been ignored and most of the individual planning applications are unchanged. Skyline views of the proposed development show that in some cases the proposed building heights are greater than they were in the original plans.

For the revised and new planning applications as well as the other applications which are still in effect, click on the planning applications link to the right.

Centros have produced a nine minute fly-through simulation with artists impressions and suitably mollifying musak of the proposed development which is a masterful work of fiction. The building heights in this piece of 3D propaganda bear little relation to the maximum heights detailed in the parameter plans which form part of the planning application documents and of course the flythrough is not part of the proposal but simply a propaganda tool to persuade Lancaster Council of the elegance of their plans. This sales technique corresponds to that used when Centros displayed a model of the proposed development during their Market Square offensive in the summer of 2007. We have not included the flythrough here since it is nearly 300 Megabytes in size and would take too much of our website space.

Statement of Community Involvement
Statement of Community Involvement - 198 pages - 12 MB - Warning - This is profoundly dishonest document which should be taken with a bucket of salt !

http://www.itsourcity.org.uk/planning/masterplan.html

 

[biffvernon]

We're actually involved in our own little stop Tesco campaign in Louth where our daughter has recently opened a shop.

 

[Nemesis]

And you a card carrying member?

Nemesis is not daft and in this instance precisely right. I am, of course, a Tesco shareholder and carry the Clubcard about my person at all times. I am planning a move to the Cayman Islands from where to pursue my joinery business unhindered by the petty inconvenience of having to pay taxes.

May 3rd 2008...


Last December:

Biff:

...we get our bulk groceries from Suma. Happen we had a delivery just yesterday. You have to buy quite a lot at a time (I think it's £250 worth) but we do an order share with some friends and neighbours which is all very sociable. And the lorry driver is not just a lorry driver but someone who is committed to the business of organic/fairtrade/wholefood ethics. When we've finished helping him unload he has time to stop for a cuppa and discuss the politics and economics of the global food situation. You just don't get that sort of intellectual spinoff at Tesco.

My local market town, Louth, does not have a Tesco or Asda or Morrison or Sainsbury but it does have several butchers, bakers, greengrocers, delicatessens, a street market on three days a week and a farmers market twice a month. It is a vibrant prosperous place where shopping inevitably involves stopping to chat with folk one knows.
It's the difference between mdf and the real wood.

Me:

Tesco - world domination (apart from Louth - thankfully - but it will happen...)

 

[borischarlton]

"I know - but they say it will go ahead once things have improved.

Let's hope they don't....

Sadly, shoppers will leave the nice shops in Penrith to go to this development I fear, thus ensuring a fairly thriving little town becomes a ghost town.Nemesis"

One would presume then that you do not run a business, employ anyone or need to draw on a personal pension in the near future. Such a nice thing to say about a situation that may not effect you but will undoubtably effect your friends or family.

Rob

 

[Nemesis]

Well yes it has affected me personally - but I also hope in the wider sense in which I wrote that that developers of the Penrith shopping centre don't get the cash, although of course they will in the long term, as I think it will mean the closure of existing businesses in the town centre (wth loss of jobs) and what is currently a pleasant little town, which I know well, will decline into another clone town. I'm not convinced by that the claim that the development will mean more shoppers pulled into Penrith - never seems empty when I visit. There's already a Co-op and a Morrisons, not sure it needs a Sansbury's.

There is also some demolition of historic buildings to be carried out.

If you think that's all fine - well, that's your opinion but it isn't mine.

 

[shelli]

This is a very disturbing bit of planning application report thingy


Conservation Area consent is being sought for the demolition of a number of unlisted
buildings recognised by the Council as being ‘key townscape features’ or buildings that make
a positive contribution to the character or appearance of the Conservation Area. These
demolitions are required to realise the development proposals. The criteria contained within
PPG 15 in respect of the proposed demolition of unlisted buildings that make a positive
contribution are addressed within this report. The proposals also entail the demolition of
unlisted structures outside the Conservation Area, buildings which the Environmental
Statement (ES) identifies as being of local cultural significance.

- How can they think that this is okay?

And Penrith - the Morrisons and Aldi took a lot of independant retailers out of the town - Somerfield (I Think - not Co-op) is within the town centre and fairly small -I dont think it does very well - people just race up Castlegate to get to Morrisons - to the detriment of Castlegate which had various retailers, including a newsagent and I think (memory going ) a greengrocers (which is now a cafe/bistro place)

 

[Nemesis]

There is a Co-op too. It's off the main drag though. And John and Joseph James is in the square.


Don't worry - SAVE is on the case re Lancaster. It's going to be a big fight. Sign up for the newsletter from the It's Our City site... write and ask for a call-in...


All hands on deck this morning, letters, e-mails etc flying... Centros won't know what's hit them.

Dear Sir/ Madam,

Lancaster Canal Corridor Development, Lancaster, Lancashire. Application 07/00672/OUT & various associated applications.

I am writing to request a that this application be called in.

SAVE has strongly opposed this application together with other national bodies including English Heritage, the Victorian Society, the Georgian Group and the CPRE. At local level, a strong campaign against the plans has been run by the group IT'S OUR CITY.

This application affects a substantial site, adjacent to Lancaster city centre. The area covered in the application spreads across two Conservation Areas. The proposals involve the demolition of over 20 existing buildings on the site together with significant alterations to existing listed buildings as well as the loss of much of the existing historic street pattern. The plans also involve the introduction of a pedestrian bridge at the ‘gateway’ to the site, disrupting views and further degrading the Conservation Area.

The proposed development is a large retail complex comprised of 12 blocks. SAVE shares the view held by other heritage bodies that the proposed blocks are bulky and impermeable, are over scaled, and bear little or no relation to existing street pattern. The development will have a dramatic and detrimental effect on existing views across the area and the city in general. It is SAVE’s view that the development can in no way be said to preserve or enhance the character of the two Conservation Areas.

Judged on its impact on two Conservation Areas, historic buildings and streetscape. SAVE believes this to be one of the most destructive applications it has received in recent years. The application has already provoked a good deal of regional controversy and there is now much national interest in the story. It will be the lead story in Building Design magazine this week.

We urge your office to call in this application.

Yours sincerely,

William Palin
--
William Palin
Secretary
SAVE Britain’s Heritage
70 Cowcross Street
London EC1M 6EJ
Tel: 020 7253 3500
Fax: 020 7253 3400

http://www.savebritainsheritage.org

Registered Charity 269129

 

[Nemesis]

Details of the Vernon Sprog Shop required also (presume it's food connected and in a period building?)

 

[Nemesis]

Hot off the virtual press:

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=426&storycode=3125200&c=1&encCode=000000000184cdde

(Ptolo looks like he's had a hard night on the booze, in that pic.)

 

[shelli]

Steve Green 16 October, 2008
Conservation areas are overrated. ! People deserve to live and work in buildings that are built to modern standards. We should be encouraging new developments all around this nation

:x - Well it's a viewpoint i suppose !!

doesn't he know that you can redevelop an old building to modern building standards without demolishing it? - and you thereby create a unique and beautiful space for people to live and work in - where would you prefer to go to work - faceless modern office block - or renovated mill?

I had the misfortune to have to go to Billingham in Cleveland last week - the "town Centre" is hideous concrete jungle. It feels dead, oppressive and depressingly bleak - even though there is a really lively arts scene in the town you get no feeling of energy from the place.

They do not have my permission to do this to LANCASTER - no way jose - stick em in Lancaster Moor the lot of 'em (mental hospital)

 

[Nemesis]

Steve Green is an idiot who posts similar stock responses to any conservation story.

However, don't let's use the 'renovation' word, sensitive repair and re-use is what is needed, alongside high quality new build, respecting the historic sense of place.

 

[shelli]

- you know what i meant