Re: Town Centre Changes
 

Every major build anywhere in the country has also got to contribute money to the local council. It's called 106 money (presumably because that's the standard clause in the contract). This has to be (if memory serves me correctly which someone in the council could probably verify for me) 1% of the cost of the build. This money goes to the council and can be used for anything but is most commonly used to 'decorate' (for want of a better word) the area around the new build i.e. tree planting, grass verges, artwork, fixing up nearby buildings, road alterations etc.

It's not just Tesco that has to pay it, it's a condition of any big build up and down the country.

Re: Town Centre Changes
 

Well we'll just get rid of the apostrophe, change a word to plural, and then it's still true.

'Seems our councils are whores.'

:D

Attaching promises of gifts to planning applications, doesn't mean that they'll necessarily benefit any area in the long-term.

It is akin to dropping your drawers, if the price is right.

Re: Town Centre Changes
 

That was my suggestion too.

Re: Town Centre Changes
 

By the way, no one's questioning the legality of this practice.

Morally it stinks, and is one of the main reasons why this country will soon be carved up, and shared out by a very small number of supermarket chains.

Offers of money, if a planning application is passed, is a bribe. No matter how it's dressed up.

The money's soon frittered away.

The consequences of passing applications, that wouldn't have been looked on as favourably without a promise of cash, we'll live with for generations.

Re: Town Centre Changes
 

think it was justifying the unjustifiable.:D

Re: Town Centre Changes
 

Also Dorothy Perkins & Burtons are shutting down in Blackburn;
Blackburn's Burton and Dorothy Perkins stores set to close (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Re: Town Centre Changes
 

which is what to do wi accy town centre changes?:rolleyes:

Re: Town Centre Changes
 

Well Lindsay mentioned about Evans in Blackburn closing down 7 months ago :p :p. Check this Thread Cashy :tongueout:tongueout:tongueout. Sorry Lindsay if I mentioned about you.

Re: Town Centre Changes
 

We need a Model Zone in Accrington, also a Ikea.....Best Buy.....Currys Digital..Toys R Us......and many more!!.

NOT stupid shops like Poundworld!!!!!!!!.

Re: Town Centre Changes
 

I'm sure these shops would happily move into Accrington if they thought they would make a profit...the fact that they don't, clearly indicates that they see no good business in the town.
How many town centres do you know that have an Ikea. I bet you can count them on the fingers of one hand(with a lot of fingers left over).
One of the main causes of the decline of town centres is the growth of out of town shopping complexes.

Re: Town Centre Changes
 

Isn't IKEA cheap n cheerful too?
Bring back Wardleworths I say - perhaps I could start a campaign...

Re: Town Centre Changes
 

I suppose you could say Ikea is cheap and cheerful(it wouldn't necessarily be my description) but my point was, this kind of outlet is not found in main high streets around the country.

I think it highly unlikely that your campaign to bring back Wardleworths would have much success..........people these days buy their books from Amazon....or the charity shops. They went out of business because they could not compete in the market of the time...so there would not be much hope for them in today's economic climate.
I have to say I do miss them though.... Seed and Gabbutts(Blackburn) was another of my book buying haunts too.

Re: Town Centre Changes
 

well i for one am happy that there are shops like Poundworld , its a handy shop if i need headache tablets and bits and bobs i forget to take with me on a day out...so BEE, stop chatting bubbles and get your head out of the clouds

Re: Town Centre Changes
 

Whoever, whether they were Tesco or an engineering company or a manufacturer would have had to pay 106 money regardless of who they were.

It's not a gift, it's a payment that is expected by law for any major build. They don't pay any more, in fact, I'm pretty sure that Tesco are very astute and would pay the bare minimum.

So, it doesn't make much difference - Tesco would have had to pay it whether they were trying to get a site in Hyndburn or London and any other company would have to pay it if they wanted to build on that site in Hyndburn.

It is supposed to benefit the area around the build i.e. repair anything that has been made ugly by the build - replacing trees etc - or benefitting local businesses in the area.

It's also a standard thing in a lot of countries - I know they do it in Holland and USA, so I'm pretty sure it's standard in Europe. So, I'm fully in support of 106 money, I think every business should support the community and businesses in its wake. Of course, how the Council spends it once it's got it is the important thing.

However, I take your point that Council's should only give planning permission if the building is strategic and I agree with you there. Plans had been drawn up to extend the Arndale and they were in talks with Sainsbury's (I think) to go into the extension. Then Tesco came along and didn't want to go into the Arndale so looked at other sites. Of course, the minute Tesco started getting serious Sainsbury dropped out because it wouldn't have been worth their while and at that point the rest of the plans got shelved because the bigger units wouldn't have got filled.

Re: Town Centre Changes
 

Let's just hope a company doesn't come along to H.B.C., with an application to build a nuclear waste plant here in Hyndburn.

I bet they'd be prepared to pay a hefty bung, towards a few paving slabs, and some blooms for the flower towers.

As stated, and I don't care where else it's practised, as a system, it stinks.

It interferes with a procedure which should be judged impartially.

The council have publicly admitted to 'a million pound' payement from Tesco, because their application was approved.

Anyone from the council brave enough to post on here, what the actual figure they received was?

:rolleyes: