Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Trowbridge Shopping Centre
A source of much frustration and anger amongst
residents of the Trowbridge Estate, the continued
delay to the redevelopment of the shops and
Community Centre seems set to finally end. But not
without yet more compromises.
After years of being told the project was more or less
affordable, in mid-January, a fairly junior Council
officer informed us that there was a funding shortfall
of over half a million pounds. The solution we were
told was to reduce the size of the new Community
Centre! Instead of two floors, Trowbridge will get a
single storey centre about the same size as the
previous building.
This is a blow. Given the financial chaos the Liberal
Democrats have created in the Council there will be no
assistance with costs so we have to accept it or risk
delaying the project further.
Examining the figures I noticed the cost of traffic
calming on the roads around the site (which I had been
led to believe would be funded by the Council) will be
met by the redevelopment. My request for an
explanation received a technical, written reply,
concluding “I hope this clarifies the position and that
you no longer feel that you have been mislead” - well,
I still do!
The enabling works (moving sewers etc.), are complete
and building would begin on the 5th February we
have been told - from the photograph below, taken on
the 6th, we are unsure whether it has. Under Labour
the project was due to be completed by the end of this
year!
Councillor Ralph Cook
residents of the Trowbridge Estate, the continued
delay to the redevelopment of the shops and
Community Centre seems set to finally end. But not
without yet more compromises.
After years of being told the project was more or less
affordable, in mid-January, a fairly junior Council
officer informed us that there was a funding shortfall
of over half a million pounds. The solution we were
told was to reduce the size of the new Community
Centre! Instead of two floors, Trowbridge will get a
single storey centre about the same size as the
previous building.
This is a blow. Given the financial chaos the Liberal
Democrats have created in the Council there will be no
assistance with costs so we have to accept it or risk
delaying the project further.
Examining the figures I noticed the cost of traffic
calming on the roads around the site (which I had been
led to believe would be funded by the Council) will be
met by the redevelopment. My request for an
explanation received a technical, written reply,
concluding “I hope this clarifies the position and that
you no longer feel that you have been mislead” - well,
I still do!
The enabling works (moving sewers etc.), are complete
and building would begin on the 5th February we
have been told - from the photograph below, taken on
the 6th, we are unsure whether it has. Under Labour
the project was due to be completed by the end of this
year!
Councillor Ralph Cook
