"They say 'Money Talks' but within Tameside Council, it just waves goodbye!
It was reported and trumpeted recently that plans to revive Hyde town centre have been given a huge boost as Tameside Council have received £100,000 in funding.
Apparently, the council is to receive the financial boost through the British Property Federation's Futures Challenge, whose stated aim is to put real estate’s future leaders and the Public Sector’s next generation of professionals at the heart of the challenges facing our towns. The council claims that these ‘young’ people will suggest new ‘innovative’ ideas on how to breathe new life into urban centres. The idea being to kick-start Tameside Council’s ‘vision’ in creating a thriving town centre in Hyde.
Tempted to ask why the council’s ‘vision’ to create a thriving town centre in Hyde was not kick started many years ago, unfortunately they do not explain.
Need it really be said; the council, who have been suffering from what is called ‘analysis -paralysis’ for years, will control the monies granted for the express purpose of breathing ‘new life’ into this dire urban centre. However, to accomplish this ambitious task the authority is now looking for bright and forward-thinking ‘young people’ to come up with new and innovative ideas to revitalise the town.
Yet, the council do not explain on what, exactly, the £100,000 will actually be spent on, and how and to whom this £100,000 will be allocated!
If it is purely to fund a full colour glossy brochure and a hastily shot video, and no doubt generous ‘allowances’ for the 9 members of the still to be chosen ‘think-tank’ - who will collectively help to guide Tameside council’s totally talentless members of the cabinet, to develop a policy of urban regeneration and guide them on a sane and beneficent course, to return Hyde centre – from its current moribund state to a newly restored popularity destination, seems totally surreal and promises to produce yet another flagrantly outrageous waste of money!
Tameside Council’s executive leader in announcing, that she was delighted that they had been successful in the council’s bid for £100,000 as part of the British Property Federations Future Challenge, said, “The fund - which is in partnership with the Office of Government Property and the Local Government Association’s One Public Estate Programme - will certainly kick-start our ‘vision’ in creating a thriving town centre in Hyde.
“We want our residents to be at the heart of our plans, making better use of the existing public assets while capitalising on new developments being built around the centre.
“We’re excited to develop fresh and innovative proposals that will be a solid foundation towards a sustainable, accessible and community service-rich centre that will really take Hyde forward into the 21st century.”
She went on to say, “The money will go towards a ‘masterplan’ for a thriving, sustainable, successful town centre. There will also be chance for residents to have their say, so it's great news!"
So, to be clear, the £100,000 will be used to fund a ‘master plan’ for Hyde; developed with new ideas and ‘young professional thinking’ which will be the base from which to move forward in securing further investment.
Six to nine people who are seen as Tameside Council future leaders, have knowledge of housing and regeneration, and within 10 years of graduation, will be chosen by to formulate proposals for Hyde, and will be judged by a panel including Tameside Council’s chief executive, Steven Pleasant and a winning proposal will be announced in October at the MIPIM UK Summit in London.
Throughout the council’s press announcement, there seems be a great emphasis being placed on the fact that only ‘young people’ will be the ones who will be the leading group who will be engaged in this ‘blue sky’ thinking, with scant mention of the older residents and the town centre’s long suffering retailers, and loyal, yet dwindling shoppers who may have a far closer reason to voice their suggestions to add to the plan.
However, given the timeline, I would not be at all surprised if the ‘young panel’ not only had been chosen, but the formulation of the ‘masterplan’ had already been completed. So, much for listening to the opinions of the residents and traders of Hyde.
Don’t misunderstand me; I’m great believer in encouraging innovation by young thinkers but, it must also be managed, tracked, and measured as a core element in delivering the final object of regenerating the town centre. Having worked closely with young creatives, I have found that often their emphasis is almost always on the thoughts themselves. Moreover, the ideas are often judged more by their novelty value than by their potential usefulness, either to retailers, consumers or indeed to the residents and shoppers.
Only with oversight of an experienced organizational insider - in other words an established conformist, who has the practical intelligence to overcome bureaucratic impediments within set timescales and on a pre-determined budget, can bring a good idea to a fruitful conclusion.
Let’s face it, without economic boundaries, anyone can table a masterplan. So, one must ask whether a total budget has been established to carry out these proposals?
As the council has announced that their plans for Hyde will be presented in October; which is precious little time to produce a comprehensive workable plan, one might ask whether a timescale has been established to prepare a fully detailed plan and its eventual regeneration completion costs, because without this guidance, whatever the chosen plan – to be forwarded to the panel at the MIPIM UK summit, it is bound to fail.
Be honest, the systematic erasure of Hyde’s attractiveness, especially its town centre as a commercial, retail and attractive place to live and visit has been presided over by a predominately Labour council, influenced by a cabal of local councillors over many years; and just throwing a mere £100,000 to publish a master plan, will not even scratch the surface. The successful regeneration of Hyde will cost £millions!
For the council to now try to prevent, halt and rectify Hyde’s problems after the damage has already been done, by spending £100,000 on a masterplan, is a perfect example of shutting the stable door after the horse has not only bolted, but has dropped dead of old age and neglect, been dragged to the knackers yard and been rendered into glue!
Submitted to the CURMUDGEON Blog by a Hyde resident
Regarding "We want our residents to be at the heart of our plans", when does the council listen to anyone outside its inner circle? Were the cleverest person in Britain to put the best idea they'd ever had before Tameside council, it would go straight in the bin.
ReplyDeleteDoes it need 'high flyers', and I notice the word 'graduates', to do what could well be obvious to Mr and Mrs Tameside? A short-sighted individual with a bag over his or her head could walk round Ashton centre and see what needs doing to make the place more attractive and to bring in people from outside the area to use local businesses.
Sadly, there's an axis of thought and deed across Tameside with no organisation prepared to step out of line and hold the council to account. That's the key issue.