See It. Snap It. Send It
Text your news to 80360, start your message with KENEWS Click here for more... »
Stand up or stand still
6:15am Thursday 15th May 2008
THE people of Lancaster need to embrace change for the good of the city or else it will get left behind.
That's the view of local Labour Party chairman Gareth Webb - and he is urging locals to get right behind development plans for the city. If they do not, Lancaster will become stagnant'.
Says Mr Webb (pictured): "It's important that the people in Lancaster support the plans put forward by Centros Miller otherwise we are going to become a city stuck in the 19th Century. We have to be realistic - we need this for future economic prosperity.
"An extension to the shopping area will be great for Lancaster because locals will not have to get in their cars and leave, they can shop on their own doorstep."
Mr Webb's comments come only two weeks after city councillor Jim Blakely called on locals to stop criticising plans to redevelop the Canal Corridor North site following the unveiling of a new blueprint.
It aims to bring independent shops, arts and housing to the area - but the plan has far from impressed the It's Our City' lobby group.
Your Say YourCitizen
Lancman, Lancaster says...
1:29pm Thu 15 May 08
JCN, Torrisholme says...
9:47am Sat 17 May 08
Julian, Morecambe says...
3:07pm Sun 18 May 08
Anyway back to the point, one of carnival of culture's main points is how the music Co-op will be affected by the development. Well I know for a fact that they have not approached the co-op to talk about this at any point at all.
The truth is, if they had done, they would find out that this development will only be a great thing for the Music Co-op, due to the fact Centros will be providing a brand new building for the co-op, (something badly needed as the current building is severely dilapidated and beyond affordable repair) with an entrance onto St Leonard's Gate next to the Grand Theatre which would make things much easier for access and greatly improve business. As well as this, Centros would be charging the Co-op a considerably lower rental fee than the council currently are.
Overall, this is perfect for the Music Co-op and Centros are doing the same thing for other local businesses by relocating them so no-one loses out here.
on top of this, the area that they are developing is practically a waste ground! it is mostly covered by empty warehouses and an overly large car park. The expansion of the city centre to this area will also improve business for the smaller shops and amenities in the surrounding area.
Your sayYourCitizen
Add your comment
Register for a FREE The Westmorland Gazette account and you can have your say on today's news and sport by adding comments on articles we publish. The best comments may even get published in the paper.
Please register now or sign in below to continue.
In this section
- Coast-to-cost charity cycle
- Green with charity
- Night roadworks begin on A590
- Quick-thinking staff spot counterfeit gang
- Iron-Mad man remembered
- Grayrigg goes Green
- Helvellyn features in record-breaking charity event
- Indoor charity bike ride rewarded
- Get That Weekend Feeling
- Van fails to stop after collision near Ambleside
Essential Links
Sponsored Links
Editor's Choice
Racing project gets national motorsport attention
A CUMBRIAN quest to find future Lewis Hamiltons has been adopted nationally.
Bay walks guide condemns route change idea
A REPORT looking into the possibility of changing the finish point of the ever-popular Morecambe Bay walks has been condemned by the Queen’s Official Guide to the Sands.
Prehistoric walk
The interesting brochure you can obtain from the car park at Foulshaw Moss says that more than several thousand years ago the Witherslack Mosses were part of an extensive wetland in what is now the Lyth Valley and on the flat ground west of the Kent Estuary. The Mosses - Meathop, Foulshaw and Nicols - are raised peat bogs brought about by sphagnum moss that draws up, acidifies, and holds water like a giant sponge, creating waterlogged conditions as it grows. Sphagnum grows from the tip, leaving the lower part to die. Waterlogging halts decay of these dead bits that build up and up over thousands of years, to form deep domed mounds of peat that are raised many feet above the surrounding ground. The Witherslack Mosses have dried out partly as a result of forestry and the invasion of scrub. Over time, drainage and peat cutting led to the loss of more wetland and now only significant fragments remain. Specialised peatbog flora and fauna have been unable to thrive because of the area being too shaded and too dry. Recently conifers have been removed and also masses of rhododendrons have been cleared. Hundreds of peat and plastic dams have been installed to bring about the ‘sponge’ effect of the peat. At Foulshaw, the remains of a 15ft to 16ft wide prehistoric trackway has been uncovered. This is believed to have been constructed in the mid-Bronze Age to allow people to cross the once huge wetland. Trunks of ash and birch were laid side by side and supported on logs. Foulshaw Moss is open to the public. Nichols Moss, a really squelchy one, is only suitable for a hundred yards or so before you encounter pathless very wet moss. It is a delight to stand and look ahead but as there is no walkway do not continue. Pause just on its edge from where you might spot red deer. Meathop is a lovely walk but only for those with a permit from Cumbria Wildlife Trust or if you are a member. The parking is difficult. After the first short grassy track, follow a wider track, left, that winds round right by a pasture and into fine conifer woodland. Beyond this a wide walkway takes you out some distance into the moss, from where you will spot all sorts of interesting lowly plants. To visit Foulshaw Moss, on the A590, it is best to approach the entrance from the direction of Kendal. If coming from the opposite direction continue on past the entrance and make use of the Levens underpass to make a U-turn and approach from the north. This avoids trying to make a right turn across a narrow section of the busy A-road. The entrance is not signposted until you have turned off the road. The entrance turn, a cart track, lies just before a large layby on a narrow section of the A-road. Just beyond the turn, stands a huge sign saying ‘Dual carriageway a mile ahead’. To approach the entrance, drive the dual carriageway at Levens until it ends. Continue a short distance along the two-way road and begin to signal your left turn. Watch out for the large sign ahead. If you reach the layby you have gone too far.
What's On Live Travel YourCumbria
Last updated 17.04 with 4 incidents
- Virgin Trains Virgin Trains » Delays of up to 50 minutes due to over running engineering works
- Transpennine Express Transpennine Express » Delays of up to 50 minutes due to over running engineering works
- Isle of Man Steam Packet Isle Of Mann » No problems to report
- Northern Rail North Yorkshire » Replacement bus service running due to engineering works
Hot Jobs
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
jrc, lancaster says...
1:22pm Thu 15 May 08
If the development goes ahead although I do think ultimately good for Lancaster, our long established business will be detrimentally affected through the loss of our shop, which is the mainstay of our business in probably the most prominent part of Lancaster.
Times for small businesses are hard enough as it is without having to worry about losing it's main business getter.