Another Letter to the Editor to share with readers, this one from Louis Lawrence in Newport. In his own words. Ed
I note that the Town Council in Ventnor is inviting interested parties to meet and discuss ways and means of improving the town amenities. Unfortunately, until the County Council makes changes to its planning and traffic management policies they will be wasting their time.
Among many potential solutions, the County Council must stop using parking as a milk cow. County planning policies which have allowed out of town store development have caused in-town shopping environments to deteriorate.
Parking charges have exacerbated the problem forcing people out to use the free parking facilities at out of town stores.
Who does the Council serve?
It is Council policies of past decades which have compounded the problems in a society where car travel has become essential through their location policy.
The potential addition of an ASDA store on the outskirts of Newport will only add further to the down grading of the town centre.
After Tesco, can anyone claim that Ryde is a wonderful shopping experience with seven charity shops, worthy as they are, on its High Street?
All town centres on the Island have deteriorated as a result of central policies which have forced the present situation where travel becomes essential when they do not provide the shopping resources they did in years past.
A conglomeration of antique and collectable shops
In Ventnor at least they have acquired a conglomeration of antique and collectable shops (twenty four at the last count) so there is still hope for the future even if, ironically, it relies on the past!
The County Council must now review all its policies re-town centres, including Ventnor, to ensure that each of these has a potential to regenerate and develop which will also help to achieve the Green Island objective of reducing car travel and pollution.
This may force a revision of conservation policies that could free up space for commercial use in towns. We need thriving centres, not architectural museums!
Louis Lawrence
