Totally Disillusioned with Democracy in SOA

[Dexter]

Well after living here some 15 years and watching the place gradually get trashed I've come to the conclusion that the the major reason for the demise of this place is down to the way the ridiculous local party political system works around here..

Basically what happens in a vote is that it ends up with decisions being made down the party lines..Thus we will end up with 800 houses being built in Shottery in the not to distant future because the "Consevatives" thought it was a good idea and the "Liberals" thought it was a bad idea (The latter lost the vote)

CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THE HELL BUILDING A HOUSING ESTATE IS A PARTY POLITICAL ISSUE?

I was wondering if there was any enthusiasm for throwing out of the lot of them and starting a "Residents Association" party to field candidates in the local election?..Basically the brief would be to represent the local people and to DO WHAT THEY WANTED FOR THE TOWN as opposed to simply ignoring their views which is clearly what is happening around here...

I'm sure i'm not the only one around here that is sick to death of getting leaflets put through my door from the Conservatives and the Liberals basically slagging each other off and telling us how wonderful they are!

What do people think is it worth trying to change the local political landscape or is the local populus too apathetic to bother to support such a thing?

[Will]

It's my belief that the town council or the district council (not sure who's most responsible), is only interested in turning Stratford into a milking machine. All we ever hear about is how the council wants a 'World Class Stratford' for visitors, while locals are extorted with parking meters under the guise of 'traffic calming measures'. Independent shops rarely last longer than a year in Stratford, unable to afford Stratford's rental prices, or just not able to get the customers (many claim a slump since the meters were put in). So we have almost nothing but chain stores and tourist gift shops in Stratford, making for a completely uninspiring shopping experience in Stratford.

It's night life is unexciting, moving from 'one 'trying to be trendy' bar to several exact clones, late night life is a joke. I often compare Stratford to Leamington Spa, which in regards to shopping and night life seems to be a hundred times richer. There also seems to be a far richer culture in Leamington, if Stratford didn't have Shakespeare, I believe it would be almost completely culturally inert.

Isn't it about time the council did something for the locals? Instead of trying to find more ways to attract tourists, how about getting behind local businesses, non-Shakespearian culture, and making it a happening place to be. Look at the way Birmingham has turned itself around, can't we do the same?

I do think Stratford might be heading down the independent candidate line, trouble is I can see some real fuddy-duddy getting in who will only hold STratford back even more.

Stratford Upon Avon desperately needs change, but at the moment, all the wrong changes are being made.

[ronlyre]

If I had a pound etc etc...

Short of armed revolution nothing will ever happen. This is Stratford upon Avon land of the dinosaurs. Dexter's complaint could have been written 30 years ago. I give up because I have no idea what the answer is and I'm fed up with banging my head against a brick wall. The grey men and women have won.

[Leofric]

Of course, if anyone ever manages to prove that Shakespeare didn't write any of those plays, then Stratford can slip back into being a nice, unassuming market town - and all the Japanese tourists, Costa Coffees, Starbucks, etc, will all close down...

I do agree. Stratford 10-15 years ago had some character - all those little cut throughs filled with 2nd hand book stores. Last time I went was the last - overrun by tourists & chains & hordes of tourists buying Oxford University T-Shirts. Horrible.

Places like Stratford baffle me - yes, it's a nice little town that's been ruined by planners in some places, with a river and a nice theatre, but historically, it's of no importance whatsoever and is famous primarily due to the being the place where Shakespeare's Mum's egg was fertilized by his Dad's sperm. There's nothing of great interest or importance in the town, apart from some nice old timber buildings and a medieval streetplan, and nothing really ever happened there. And I wonder just how many of the tourists who go there have read Shakepeare (Not many, I bet is the answer.)

Even more baffling are places like "Bourton on the water", which not only stinks of chip fat, is one of the most dull villages I've ever visited - yet it was swarming with coachloads of tourists.