Spectator's Notes
| NORTH YORKSHIRE |  | | | CLEVELAND | | | | COUNTY DURHAM | |
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Not greenfield, not brownfield, so where?
NOBODY wants new housing
estates built near
them, a fact neatly illustrated
by opposition to
housing proposals in Northallerton.
The campaign group fighting an
idea to build on previously-undeveloped
land just north of the
town near Brompton, have as one
string to their bow the argument
that brownfield sites - previously
developed land - should be built
on in preference to green fields.
We can all sign up to the general
principle espoused here, but the
one major remaining brownfield
site left in Northallerton - the York
Trailers land off Yafforth Road - is
also opposed on the grounds that
it should remain a site used for industry,
despite the lack of any obvious
interest in the site over many
years.
The problem is a major site for
new housing has to be found in
Northallerton - the Government
through its agents says so - so
somewhere will be sacrificed.
Splendidly ironic?
DARLINGTON'S white elephant of
a big, black, electronic sign in Tubwell
Row - which has not worked
since it was installed, blocking a
pavement, in January 2007 - never
ceases to amuse Spectator.
The £10,000 monstrosity was
meant to give car parking details
but normally just reads "Welcome
to Darlington Town Centre" with
only the occasional festive message
to relieve the monotony.
The other day, Spectator noticed it
read "Local Motion - Keep Your
Town on the Move". As the sign is
within sight of the ring road,
where traffic regularly grinds to a
halt, Spectator assumes the borough
council is being splendidly
ironic.
Closing, for good
Readers may recall a note last December
about a Darlington sports
shop's endless closing down sale.
McGurk Sports had been "closing
down" for at least a year we reckoned.
Not long afterwards the closing
down sale notices were replaced
with plain sale notices. Whether
that was anything to do with our
note we know not, but this week
the closing down sale notices were
back. This time, however, it may
actually be closing down. Spectator's
source on High Row tells me
it is to become a coffee shop. Well,
what else could it be?
Out of court
The rather messy business at Richmond
Town Council, which has
led to the departure of a deputy
town clerk and the resignation of
two former mayors, is heading for
an employment tribunal.
But Spectator understands that all
parties are hopeful it doesn't come
to that as there could be some extraordinarily
dirty linen washed in
the process. The smart money is
on an pre-hearing settlement.
12:59pm Friday 25th April 2008
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