Are you a 'good citizen' ?

[Alan Stubbs]

Ahh yes, take rochester as an example. To visit, beware, ok if you manage to find a place to park somewhere after the local authority have made most of the roads car user unfriendly, they own them along with every other lampost fitted with a driver lookout sign for something or other, The best that the authority offer in particular for the dickens tourist are highly experienced parking attendants, they are not helpful, just want to write you out a ticket, so don't turn your back on them. Mostly they skulk around in two's or three's in the back streets, not to help the traffic moving, no, it's to issue money tickets. Now the camera cars patrol the main roads, nothing to report on that at the mo, as the adudicator is hearing my case this week sometime, as soon as i will write to the local paper, watch this space on that one. Rochester, it's no longer a city, why would anyone want to come. It even stars on some reality police programmes. Sgt Swann and his merry men. At night, the high street resembles war torn afghanistan with the drunken louts making it a no go zone. The shopkeeprs charge more than a quid for a can of coke. Bottle of water, don't ask. Then there are the citizens, as dickens week appears to last all year around, all we want to do is get out to get a bit of peace and quiet. As during the normal working week the traffic ques up and down the road during the rush hour that can last upto seven at night. Again all the local authority can offer is to grant planning to cram a few more in. So no disrespects mr visitor, we are full, bu@@er off is now the advice given, no disrespects, hopeing you understand.

 

 

Barry, you misunderstand me ..... not. I'd like to have shown Rochester in a positive light, but the only way of doing so is to make the comparison with Chatham and Gillingham. What do you expect from an area which didn't understand what was being intended when someone asked them 'Who the dickens wrote Oliver Twist?'

 

The biggest laugh of all was the introduction of a 24 hour / 7 days a week Bus Lane on Chatham Hill....... why? The only buses I ever see when I'm down home say 'Sorry not in service'. That destination doesn't appear in any index of either the Geographia or A - Z maps. I'm not sure, but I don't think they run a Sunday bus service in Medway, do they?

 

The traffic police seem to have been given ascendancy over any concept of an integrated public transport policy, but when you see the local councillors and the MP's in the area, you can't express surprise in any convincing manner, can you? I suppose that's the price paid for a general public apathy - you get what you deserve, but it's a pity that those who do care seem to have the ear of a deaf person when they raise an issue.

[chesters1]

buses ,blimey i remember them and post offices as well ,bloody middle class kent wiv their london ways and all.

thinking about my earlier post edinburgh is england according to highlanders

Edited August 25, 2009 by chesters1

[barry luxton]

Barry, you misunderstand me ..... not. I'd like to have shown Rochester in a positive light, but the only way of doing so is to make the comparison with Chatham and Gillingham. What do you expect from an area which didn't understand what was being intended when someone asked them 'Who the dickens wrote Oliver Twist?'

 

The biggest laugh of all was the introduction of a 24 hour / 7 days a week Bus Lane on Chatham Hill....... why? The only buses I ever see when I'm down home say 'Sorry not in service'. That destination doesn't appear in any index of either the Geographia or A - Z maps. I'm not sure, but I don't think they run a Sunday bus service in Medway, do they?

 

The traffic police seem to have been given ascendancy over any concept of an integrated public transport policy, but when you see the local councillors and the MP's in the area, you can't express surprise in any convincing manner, can you? I suppose that's the price paid for a general public apathy - you get what you deserve, but it's a pity that those who do care seem to have the ear of a deaf person when they raise an issue.

 

Ahh, yes, chatham, i was born where the dhss office stands today, moved over to posh rochester. Go to the far end of chatham high street now and you would think that you are in turkey or the likes, it's very forboading. My misses works there a couple of times a week, not good.

The famous bus lane, that must be on par with the one prescott had fitted on the outside lane of the m4. Latest thing is that they have now knocked down the two way ring road flyover, wern't too bad to get from rochester to gillingham. The latest on that is the proposed bus station is now on hold, so all the traffic needs to continue to go right around the 'relief' road and it's fifty odd traffic signals. Don't forget they will also be closing the road where the tax office in rochester is. All in the name of regeneration. That is why smiths in rochester high street has closed after a mere 110 years. Rochester, lived there for more than thirty years, who the dickens is dickens, is that a publicity stunt?

 

Public apathy? been trying to get the authority to prevent them from building a total of seven hundred dwellings around the city way, maidstone road area. Not due to apathy that they arn't listening, money talks i'm afraid, specially when they are going to collect all the extra rate payments to fund thier jobs and pensions.

[Alan Stubbs]

Ahh, yes, chatham, i was born where the dhss office stands today, moved over to posh rochester. Go to the far end of chatham high street now and you would think that you are in turkey or the likes, it's very forboading. My misses works there a couple of times a week, not good.

The famous bus lane, that must be on par with the one prescott had fitted on the outside lane of the m4. Latest thing is that they have now knocked down the two way ring road flyover, wern't too bad to get from rochester to gillingham. The latest on that is the proposed bus station is now on hold, so all the traffic needs to continue to go right around the 'relief' road and it's fifty odd traffic signals. Don't forget they will also be closing the road where the tax office in rochester is. All in the name of regeneration. That is why smiths in rochester high street has closed after a mere 110 years. Rochester, lived there for more than thirty years, who the dickens is dickens, is that a publicity stunt?

 

Public apathy? been trying to get the authority to prevent them from building a total of seven hundred dwellings around the city way, maidstone road area. Not due to apathy that they arn't listening, money talks i'm afraid, specially when they are going to collect all the extra rate payments to fund thier jobs and pensions.

 

Just had the daily coversation with the Head of the House and we spoke about the traffic situation around Medway. We concluded that the town planner presents his ideas to the council in Crayola and uses a white stick with a red stripe on it as his only tool to do the job. Being deaf and blind is the only way the planner could construe the idea as a good thing.

 

As for 700 dwellings in the City Way / Maidstone Road area, where? Jackson's Fields? That's about the only other green space in the area apart from Snodhurst and Luton Rec. An appalling idea.

[barry luxton]

Just had the daily coversation with the Head of the House and we spoke about the traffic situation around Medway. We concluded that the town planner presents his ideas to the council in Crayola and uses a white stick with a red stripe on it as his only tool to do the job. Being deaf and blind is the only way the planner could construe the idea as a good thing.

 

As for 700 dwellings in the City Way / Maidstone Road area, where? Jackson's Fields? That's about the only other green space in the area apart from Snodhurst and Luton Rec. An appalling idea.

 

Your are spot on regarding the traffic planning, Very many businesses have been criticising the planners, falling on deaf ears.

 

The two existing colleges bottom of city way, top of city way, maidstone road junction are closed, closing, that is where they will develop. The local residents (me included) have been trying to lesson the damage that it will cause. At present the developers have suspended the planning application following our objections. They are trying for over capacity dwellings, three story, trying to set a precedent in the area, i.e. cram more in, without no other infrastructure, roads included. The council are still receiving objections for the next couple of months or so. Jacksons fields were left to the kids of the medway towns by the jackson family, no connection to the usa ones, btw, and there is a strict covenent on it. That's why it is still a green field at the mo.

 

Rochester airport site, last bit of green field. Folowing construction on the local school's playing fields. Last year the council knocked down two perfectly useable buildings, constructed the new inovative center, to date it remains virtually empty, all lights blazing, when questioned, all the council guys can come up with is a smile.

 

What about the pentagon center, over the years, that dump has had facelifts etc. To date, there has never been total occupancy of the offices or the building, how long has that been up. Dunno about apathetic citizens, your are correct about apathetic planners, councillors, thats for sure. Still as long as they get their wages

[Alan Stubbs]

Your are spot on regarding the traffic planning, Very many businesses have been criticising the planners, falling on deaf ears.

 

The two existing colleges bottom of city way, top of city way, maidstone road junction are closed, closing, that is where they will develop. The local residents (me included) have been trying to lesson the damage that it will cause. At present the developers have suspended the planning application following our objections. They are trying for over capacity dwellings, three story, trying to set a precedent in the area, i.e. cram more in, without no other infrastructure, roads included. The council are still receiving objections for the next couple of months or so. Jacksons fields were left to the kids of the medway towns by the jackson family, no connection to the usa ones, btw, and there is a strict covenent on it. That's why it is still a green field at the mo.

 

Rochester airport site, last bit of green field. Folowing construction on the local school's playing fields. Last year the council knocked down two perfectly useable buildings, constructed the new inovative center, to date it remains virtually empty, all lights blazing, when questioned, all the council guys can come up with is a smile.

 

What about the pentagon center, over the years, that dump has had facelifts etc. To date, there has never been total occupancy of the offices or the building, how long has that been up. Dunno about apathetic citizens, your are correct about apathetic planners, councillors, thats for sure. Still as long as they get their wages

 

 

I always felt that the Pentagon was a white elephant and it has never had even 90% occupancy, and Mountbatten House seems

pretty much derelict since AN's own superhero decided that work was a curse without which he could do very well, thank you.

 

Gillingham was never a jewel, but as a council they were quite a together outfit until subsumed into a unitary authority. Nowadays, Gillingham is the bit between Rainham and Chatham. John Selwyn Gummer, a one-time candidate for MP in Medway has a lot to answer for.

[barry luxton]

I always felt that the Pentagon was a white elephant and it has never had even 90% occupancy, and Mountbatten House seems

pretty much derelict since AN's own superhero decided that work was a curse without which he could do very well, thank you.

 

Gillingham was never a jewel, but as a council they were quite a together outfit until subsumed into a unitary authority. Nowadays, Gillingham is the bit between Rainham and Chatham. John Selwyn Gummer, a one-time candidate for MP in Medway has a lot to answer for.

 

The one i cant stand is bob-marshall andrews, retiring shortly. He opposed the new airport on hoo marshes although he don't live in the area. Now that would have created a few thousand jobs, travel on the doorstep, with a direct road link upto london without going through the towns. All for the sake of a few birds.

 

i like all planes.

[Alan Stubbs]

The one i cant stand is bob-marshall andrews, retiring shortly. He opposed the new airport on hoo marshes although he don't live in the area. Now that would have created a few thousand jobs, travel on the doorstep, with a direct road link upto london without going through the towns. All for the sake of a few birds.

 

i like all planes.

 

 

The only good thing about Bob marshall Andrews was that he argued with the new labour hierarchy rather than play the traditional lobby fodder role. As for a constituency MP...as useful as mudflaps to a tortiose.