We always welcome a Letter to the Editor to share with our readers – unsurprisingly they don’t always reflect the views of this publication. If you have something you’d like to share, get in touch and of course, your considered comments are welcome below. This in from Steve Goodman on the East Cowes Regeneration project. Ed
The letter was written prior to Red Funnel CEO, Kevin George’s open letter published yesterday.
We are being told that RF wants to increase the parking area at its East Cowes terminal, that the area and the community would benefit from improvement, and that money is available for a ‘once in a generation regeneration opportunity’.
Aggravating the decline of thriving local businesses
We are also told that ‘the Solent area has an exciting, innovative business base with huge growth potential , and that business leaders and national and local politicians want to work together to ensure a bright future for both people and the economy’ (most recently at the Solent Skills Summit).
What we are not being told is why this opportunity is being used not constructively at the existing site, but instead to aggressively aggravate the decline of thriving local businesses and community by seizing and destroying sound homes, business premises, and deep waterfront access.
Stacked car parking with vertical garden
A preferred investment might be to create new car parking space above the existing area – like the upper decks of the ferries those cars are waiting to board.
It should also be possible to invest in creating a roof and or vertical garden(s) using the new structure. A possible ‘win-win’ eyesore to iconic enhancement, as some might say.
Additionally, those wanting new homes and businesses as part of the Red Funnel expansion would of course have the opportunity to pay for them to be included.
Friends not foes?
Are our business leaders and politicians actually capable of taking the sort of exciting and innovative steps towards a brighter future which would make them friends not foes?
Image: © Google Streetview
