CANDIDATES ARE HANDED THE PARK CHALLENGE
Candidates for the council elections are being challenged to give their view of controversial plans to build a new community centre in Broadstairs’ Pierremont Park
The meeting has been called by people opposed to the new development, including local residents organisation, the Thanet Action Group.
Norman Thomas, a member of TAG, said: “Anger is increasing over this new development –
particularly the large debt which Broadstairs town council will incur if it goes through with the new centre.”
And it’s not just people who are standing for Broadstairs town council who protestors wants to come to the meeting – they want to hear from people standing for Thanet District Council, too.
“This isn’t just an issue for Broadstairs,” said Mr Thomas. “This is an issue for the whole of Thanet. Many people believe that the decision to build the new centre in our park is one with implications across the isle.”
Mr Thomas added: “Spending £1.4 million plus interest payments on this building represents a colossal commitment in local spending – and all for a project which most people utterly disagree with.”
As well as worries over the amount of money to be spent, many protestors are worried about the environmental damage the building of the new centre will cause.
“The council has admitted that 19 trees will be cut down and there is no landscaping plan to show how the park will look after the building has gone up,” Mr Thomas said. “The basic point is: we don’t want it here and we don’t need it here.
“It’s important that people hoping to become our elected representatives on May 5th come to us and say how they feel about this issue, and defend their position. It’s a question of democracy. This is what elections are about.”
The meeting will be held at 12 noon on Sunday April 17th in the Park Hut, Pierremont Park
One very obvious question arises. Have the Thanet Action Group actually sent an invite to all the candidates, whose names are now a matter of public record, or are they supposed to find out about this meeting by hearsay.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that the press will be invited and, when most candidates, apart from the selected sympathetic few, fail to appear this will be heralded as their unwillingness to face their critics. All smacks of electioneering against the encumbent TDC members.
Before someone comes rushing back with a assurance that letters of invite are to be sent out, I would say it is a bit late now. It is Wednesday, add postal time and, how many candidates, already busy with electioneering, would be able to make the meeting at such short notice.
It also surprises me that this overwhelming majority can actually fit into the Park Hut.
Well as this meeting seems to have got almost as much publicity as the opening of the TC it's doubtful that they don't know about it, but perhaps you can invite them all yourself Bluenote? After all it's a public meeting & everyone is welcome. : )
ReplyDeletePeter, all very smart as usual, but it is Thanet Action Group that is calling this meeting not me. As to your rididculous statement about publicity, the Turner opening has even made national TV news whereas the notice of this has appeared just today on a blogspot. Whereas you and I may browse around such sites it is unlikely that too many candidates engaged in electioneering would have the time. Us bloggers are still but few.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, just a couple of weeks back there was a public meeting in the Pavilion, Broadstairs where the public, and I was one, were able to ask the councillors question on this and other issues. What can this further meeting add to that, especially as most candidates will know nothing about it.
No, I am quite sure, the short notice and lack of personal invites is deliberate so this group can further criticise the existing councillors, who are standing for re-election, for their non-attendance. For such purpose I am sure the press will be there.
Read this post and the comments with interest but also my usual confusion. How can you issue people a challenge without telling them about it? Am I missing something here or what?
ReplyDeleteOK, I'll try to avoid "rididculous" statements from now on.
ReplyDeleteOr what?
ReplyDeleteFunny statistic here averagely about 100 different people a day read this front page of this blog, all in all it gets about 250 page views a day.
ReplyDeleteThe main video that the turner has embedded for about a week as the header for their media channel webpage has a counter on it, here is what it reads.
Date Plays Likes Comments
Apr 13th 20 0 0
Apr 12th 21 0 0
Apr 11th 8 0 0
Apr 10th 4 0 0
Apr 9th 0 0 0
Apr 8th 5 0 0
Apr 7th 4 0 0
It may have nothing to do with the viewing statistics that I embedded it into my blog on the 12th
Michael, all very interesting, but what has that got to do with inviting the candidates to attend the subject meeting. I know far more people who never look at blogs than the few I know that do.
ReplyDeleteI still mantain that if TAG really wanted the candidates to attend they should have sent them personal invites some time ago. This, as always with that organisation, is just a publicity stunt.
The candidates weren't finalised until April 4th. Invites gone out now via the parties.
ReplyDeleteAll welcome.
Christine
Bluenote I was only pointing out that the Turners website and their latest video which is a work of art that they appear to have funded doesn’t seem to be getting the amount of interest that one would hope for.
ReplyDeleteAs there is no counter or web statistics available on the Turners website this is the only way I could find to gauge the interest.
For example when I put up a new video on the internet it usually gets a few hundred viewings in the first week.
I was wondering if the publicity for the Turner opening is as effective as we all hope it is.
Christine, I think you will find that the 4th April was 9 days ago so no excuse really for only sending out the invites now. As I said earlier even if, as you claim, they have now gone to the parties, it is a bit short notice for busy people. It may also have escaped your notice that it is the school holidays and many folk will, I am sure, have other things to do on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteThere are also this time about ten independent candidates standing. Have they been included in the invites to the parties or is it really only one party you seek to discredit.
You really must think we are all a few flowers short of a bunch to not be able to see through this little scheme.
Michael, this thread is not about the Turner or its publicity but, as it is your site, I guess you can introduce what you like. Will you be there on Sunday?
Bluenote I last attended a public meeting of a political nature in 1972 I didn’t like it very much and haven’t been to one since.
ReplyDeleteSorry about going off thread like that, I only really have half my mind on what I am doing as we are entertaining at the moment and there seem to be quite a few children here.
Well you have a great time, Michael, and enjoy the children. Sadly they don't stay little long these days.
ReplyDelete