Roof Tax----what Next@

[cathidaw]

I see in Telegraph that the Coventry Council Jokers are considering a 'roof' tax on all new Buildings----copying an experiment in Milton Keynes.
Contractors will have to pay £18,000 for each new building with a roof.
All this money will pay for the infrastructure , roads , etc. Ha!-very Ha!
More money for more silly schemes.
Whatever next?
An air tax, based on our lung capacity?
Our problem is- these jokers are not funny!

[Shizara]

An air tax, based on our lung capacity?

Then the tax contribution for the CCJs themselves would be great indeed with all the deep breaths they would be taking to spout such nonsense.

[Madhatter]

There's a reason in the madness of the sceme. At the moment it's cheaper to demolish old buildings instead of renovating. A perfectly good terrace of old city council housing would be demolished, destroying some unique architecture to replace it with red brick tat with no features.

[cathidaw]

Last week Iwent to Atherstone . I havent been for many years whilst the shops were open, usually Iam passing through on a bank holiday or something . Iwas pleasantly surprised how the facades of the assorted old shops and buildings have been preserved. Such a variety which is rarely seen in North Warwickshire today. Such a pretty place -reminding me of Hay-On-Wye.
I stood with my sister trying to work out who owned some of the shops when we lived there as small children during the war, when a man joined us in our discussion, and pointed out things which we had forgotten.That was good . Then we went to see what they had done about being a book town-our main reason for going. One has closed and Ithink the others are stuggling, due -I was told- to the attitude of the indiginous people who don't like change, except more cheap shops. They still plan to carry on with the idea,which is admirable, and hope they get supported.
. North Warwickshire needs uplifting out of the 19th century where it was a considered the pits of society. One day Iaim write a book about the life there-the drudgery and hopelessness, and conditions of work in the factories . It was still there in the war years.
The attitude of Warwick Count Council reflects this.
A few weeks ago- someone from the council there - I will not name-but hopefully will shame and should have known better, (and knows who Imean,)--asked, "Romans-what have they got to do with the Mancetter area."- or something to that effect, when asked why a significant site of great national importance was absolutely trashed only a few weeks ago without any archaeology done there.
The site in question is namely the 2or 3 hectare field next to De Mulders in Leathermill lane. (and quite near the Roman Fort at Mancetter, and also Bodicea's famous battleground) Part of the original Hartshill estate -and almost undisturbed for 700 years.
My source of information-a completely reliable professional archeologist was told some years ago by the then County Archaeology Planning officer that "there is nothing of great value in North Warwickshire"
He -the prof. arch. was blacklisted from working in the area at the time because he
took them to task about blunders in the area.
That's one wayto do it isn't-get rid of the opposition-sound government policies there I say.
But--he hasn't gone!!:clapping: :105:

[Madhatter]

The ONLY reason the book town didn't survive is because North Warwickshire Borough Council and Warwickshire County Council are incompetent and didn't advertise it and don't advertise any of the other local attractions on the roads around it.
Not one road sign says that Atherstone has anything to offer.

What signs the town council did put up were took down again off the A5 by the highways authority. They gave permission then said they can't stay.

They block Dobbies Garden World from advertising on the A5 roundabout.
They don't maintain the town centre gardens, wool pack way car park is a digrace, remnants of broken sign brackets on the wall, weeds growing, unkept beds.
The Christmas lights last year were a disgrace too, anyone coming here to buy books for Christmas presents would have thought so.

I've tried to get interest in an Atherstone in Bloom Competition and the only interest I've had was North Warwickshire Borough Council deciding that I can no longer put flowers on the communal porch roofs after I've done so for ten years.
Now they're trying to come up with health and safety to stop me putting the Christmas lights up the south end of the town centre. Anything that is reported to NWBC that is a health and safety issue isn't repaired though. I pointed out a live light fitting with a broken cover last Wednesday, it took until Monday to bodge it, it wasn't repaired or replaced, it was bodged , a second hand lid has been cable tied on to it. If a kid had squirted it with a water gun he'd be dead now. But thats ok it's NWBC . Another example, # story block of flats, 6 landings, no lights on past second landing at all and hasn't been for months. It's ok though cos I didn't turn them out, if I'd done it they'd be straight round.

Not only that they're they make 'strange' decisions. I objected to flats right outside my window, my grounds of objection were loss of privacy, and that it's a town centre plot. I know that others also objected, yet they granted planning permission for HOUSES. WHY?. there's a block of flats opposite on long street, that means bothe sides of the the town centre will have residential developments opposite each other, cutting off what is already a dying end of the town that has no money spent on it, no flowers, no Christmas Lights, no CCTV.
Just last night my neighbour had his van broken into, it was parked in what would be full view of the CCTV camera if we'd had one and was one of many crimes it would have overlooked, including 6 vehicles being scratched on all four sides one night. The Town Council instead chose to put the Camera overlooking their North Street Offices and the Town Council/Borough Council car park.
Aldi was another, when the co-op was built next to the listed station, (which is also in a poor state now, holes in the roof) they insisted in a design that blended in. The design they got won awards for it's architecture. Then opposite and next to a warehouse with quite nice architecture they allow a bog standard Aldi to be built with a dangerous alley access to long street.

They are mental, deranged, jobs worths who harass decent community minded people and they are the reason the town doesn't do well, they are the reason for the lack of community spirit. When we do try , they either block us or let yobs destroy it.

[Madhatter]

Traffic and car parking in long street is another bone of contention. The Councils and Police do absolutely nothing to control it.
Pedestrianisation is another issue, I feel it would be of great value and would make the town a safe and pleasurable place to be. The town is split, I can't remember how much, but the results are in the town parish plan on the atherstoneforum I think it was about 50/50. All the lazy gits that use the town centre as a car park or live there and don't want to walk to their cars, plus the shops that think they'll lose trade no doubt object.
Most of those could be pleased by a 10 till 4 car ban and access only after that so we could get rid of the road and have nicer areas of street furniture.

The market... Was killed by NWBC, they leased it out to hughmark to save money, gave the stalls away to funday and dickens, because hughmark wanted their own, hughmark built it up a bit, then lost interest and walked away taking the stalls with them. Now NWBC has given up on it, the town council wants to take it over with it's limited funds and in the meantime what tiny bit of market that does come has to use its own stalls. Result, aa shanty town on the our beautiful market square where a decent market once stood.

[cathidaw]

Madhatter , you are so right and so am I. They do not care about this end of Warwickshire. Idid not know about the market.
Iremember the Tuesday one with great affection. My foster mother allowed me to stay off school sometimes, because in the afternoons -Ibelieve it was every other Tuesday- there was an auction in the cattle market and she always went. She lived in one of the -then- new council houses and it was furnished with stuff she had bought for next to nothing. What things she had! In her front living room there were 2 Victorian chiffoniers, numerous very dark oil paintings. a glass thing with glass hanging baskets-not the sort of thing to have with a small boisterous child -I knocked them off and she turned it around to hide the broken bits -- A large overmantle, mirrored with coat of arms and a stuffed fox in glass dome. Also a shiny sofa no-one was allowed to sit on.
In the tiny bedrooms there were more stuffed birds , ornaments, large religious pictures including a floor to ceiling one of Queen Victoria. A huge Edwardian chest of drawers where she stored apples- hardly room for a bed.
She was a simple, hard slogging , miner's wife and this was her only enjoyment in life. I suppose it was her hobby.

I ramble on yet again . must go !.