Plans to build a new play area in Castle Park, Colchester, may still go ahead, even if the Government pulls the plug on funding.Oh, really? And what plans are those, then?
Bob Penny, Colchester Council’s parks and recreation manager, said the council was trying to clarify the effect of the announcement on plans for two local playgrounds.Hmmm, and yet, despite the fact it may now burrow into your cash reserves, you still want to go ahead?
He said: “The park at Castle Park is in the design stage and we are seeking proposals from six different companies for designs for the play area.
“The other one, at High Woods Country Park, could involve a series of play features scattered around the park.
“We went out to consultation with schools on that and are expecting to place orders in October.”
The Castle Park scheme will cost £200,000 and was set to be partly funded by the Playbuilder scheme.So that’s a big chunk o’ change for the council to find. How does it plan to do this?
The £45,000 playground at High Woods County Park was to have been paid for entirely by the Playbuilder scheme.
The council is waiting to hear if Playbuilder cash will still be available, but Mr Penny said alternatives might be sought, possibly as part of deals with developers looking to get planning permission for commercial schemes.Ah. There you go, people of Colchester. Your betters have decreed that you shall have two playgrounds after all.
All it will cost you is a dirty great housing development somewhere you hadn’t expected and possibly didn’t want. Just as you may not have wanted these two playgrounds in the first place….
He added: “If the schemes are ones we want to deliver, we can go further into funds from agreements with developers.”When normal people experience a sudden loss of income, they tighten their belts and decide to do without luxuries.
In town halls around the country, the response is quite, quite different…
Well its not a housing scheme they dont want its a housing scheme they will get anyway but they will just blackmail the builder by saying 'If you fund this it will make us view your proposals much more favourably' They do it all the time. You want Planning permission for that? Mmmmmm. Well there are concerns that we have. Oh! You will fund a play park. Well, I'm sure we can sort out the concerns in some way. Kerching. ££££. Builders factor this into their building costs and ww pay in the long run.
ReplyDeleteIt is like the brown paper bag bribes which are illegal unless you are a governmental body and it has been going on for decades.
The council may be prostituting itself but, hey, it's for the children!
ReplyDeleteLord T is correct. Building schemes that would have been given the go ahead will now have to fork out for play areas before they get planning permission.
ReplyDeleteMr Penny said alternatives might be sought, possibly as part of deals with developers looking to get planning permission for commercial schemes.
ReplyDeleteThis may just be me, but is that not an open admission of corruption?
"...deals with developers looking to get planning permission..."
ReplyDeleteCan someone explain to me in what way this differs from bribery?
I only ask because I want to know.
Bloody looks like it to me, see the definition here; http://www.bis.gov.uk/files/file46888.pdf
ReplyDeleteVery first thing you see on opening the file.
"It is like the brown paper bag bribes which are illegal unless you are a governmental body and it has been going on for decades."
ReplyDeleteIt is indedd...
"The council may be prostituting itself but, hey, it's for the children!"
The prism through which so much policy has passed these last few years...
"This may just be me, but is that not an open admission of corruption?"
Oh, it's not just you! It is indeed indistinguishable from bribery.
Which, when done by aerospace companies, at least, I thought we were supoposed to abhor?
Or the alternative;
ReplyDelete"We will buy six hundred Euro fighters, ONLY if you allow a massiove mosque to be built in your capital city, and bring in sharia law."