Mathew Newton wrote:
On May 15, 12:40 pm, Tony Bryer wrote:

As in many planning stories, "the view of the community" is usually the view
of a vociferous subset. When our local Great Mills, now Wickes was up for PP
the campaign against it was on two fronts: "No one wants it" and "When it
opens it will bring traffic chaos to the area". The evident contradiction
between these two was lost on most people.

There's not necessarilly any contradiction in those fronts at all -
perhaps no one in the *local area* wants it but many others, from
*outside the area*, may travel to it if such outlets are thin on the
ground in that part of the country? They sound like fair enough
concerns to me... (perhaps I'm one of those 'most people'!)


Mm. Cambridge is a complete example of the above. Once a thriving market
town attracting shoppers from a 30 mile radius catchment area, its now a
place to avoid completely, since it has been made virtually unusable by
cars, in order that tourists and residents can cycle all over it and
play football in its streets.

Shoppers now travel further, to less car unfriendly places, or to out of
town supermarkets, or shop online. Residents who have to get to the
business parks by car, move out to the surrounding villages, creating
traffic issues there.

But the council firmly believes this is good for the town.


Mathew