There was a bit of controversy during the meeting about lack the publicity for the Charrette but Sandy, Jim McKinnon the Scottish Government's chief planner and Tim Stott of Highland Council all said they wanted as many people to attend as possible and asked folk to put the word out:
"You're all invited to become an urban planner for a week," said Mr Stott.
"Climb aboard my old charrette" says the Nairnshire editorial tonight with a critical analysis of the charrette process. A must read editorial for anyone with 45p spare in their pocket this week. Well the participants at the top table tonight professed the view that it is all down to us the punters. Why not pop down to the Courthouse and see for yourselves over the next few days. Is the charrette process of any use? This observer came away impressed by Jim McKinnon he certainly felt like a breath of fresh air after all the years of disappointment and heartache that the Sandown planning process has brought to the community.
Why not decide for yourself as the process builds up to the concluding meeting on Thursday evening. See the schedule here. Every wanted to be an urban planner? See previous article for pictures of the opening meeting of the charrette.
I shudder as I step through the doors of the new community centre. It deserves an archway above which is the inscription "You will paid for this dearly"
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, it's a lovely new building, but had Nairnites known the true cost would we have been so gleeful when it's planning was announced
And now we have the charade of a charrette to appease us, allegedly to involve us in the selling off of our common good land to pay for the shiny new debt that we've inherited. No doubt the cost of the charrette itself is being rolled into our very expensive IOU
Do I want to be an urban planner, no I don't. I would however like responsible councillors, or someone to be in charge of our common good land. Probably too late now as the selling of Sandown is seen as a done deal. Just a matter of time before we see it developed and the town enveloped by a few thousand new inhabitants
I'm elderly and grew up in a time when you did all you could not to get yourself into debt. No credit agreements, credit cards, or loans. You were in such awe of the bank manager you would never consider asking him for an overdraft, if you wanted something you did something called save, terribly old fashioned I know
But it seems debt is now fashionable. It demands nothing more than the shrug of the shoulders or a 'so what' attitude. Most of the countries of the world are in huge debt with some about to go bust, so should it be of any surprise that Nairn shouldn't also be in debt? My answer is that I feel ashamed that we are in that position
The charrette for all that it's worth is nothing more than letting us have some say in arranging the tables at a grand car boot sale, the item on display is our common good land, about to be gone forever.
I appreciate that I'm probably alone in my feelings. I doubt that anyone involved in the charrette has any shame or regret, happy, smiley faces seems to be the order of the day
Just remember as you walk through the scuffed doors of the community centre in a few years time 'You paid for this dearly'