[Acrylic-bob]

I have had a look at this stunningly repetetive document and note that Aspen Colliery Coke Ovens is a project selected for inclusion in Year 1. How odd that we are almost at the end of Year 1 and no improvement work has been done. I also note that the plan states that the Within Grove project might be considered a waste of time, effort and money.

It is all very well Councillor Jones suggesting that we might be turning down shedloads of improvement investment. But on the evidence he presents I see nothing more than a lot of well meaning suggestions which may be very glossy and "worthy" but actually do nothing to improve the lot of people living in the borough. In fact, as I see it, it is only beurocrats who will benefit in any way from this plan.

There is no getting away from the facts that the majority of people in the borough want the Coppice to stay as it is, and the Panopticon project selected for the Coppice is ill thought out, says nothing about the area it will occupy, says nothing about the aspirations and history of the area, defeats the point of having a landmark and is about as meaningless as the councillor's description of Conservative Councillors as "Burghers". Which, according to the OED, describes a citizen of a German Town. (Unless he knows something we do not!)

One is led to wonder why Councillor Jones, alone of his collegues, has chosen to wait until now to make his opinions known to the members of this board. After all, it is not as though the debate has not been raging here for some time. One also wonders whether, now that he is a member, he will be joining any of the other debates concerning HBC and it's percieved failings. I do hope so.