Looking back on 2016

I have tried to keep the bloig active despite something of a sea change in the fortunes of the open space I call 'Battlefield'.

So it was at the turn of the last century. A space to be fought for and against appalling plans. These began (as far as I was concerned; there may have been others before my time ...) with plans to build a huge car park over the running track and 'stadium', a car park to service blocks of offices to be built on the old paint factory site adjacent. When I pointed out to the city planners that there were numerous empty office blocks across the city a Council spokesperson told me these were "... the wrong sort of offices."

Nothing came of that gimcrack scheme. Next on offer were 350 assorted apartments. A housing crash put an end to those, though widespread soil contamination by heavy metal deposits were also a factor apparently ... Not that that little nugget of information presented an obstacle to the next iteration of 'What to do with the old paint factory site?' saga. Student housing, now called 'Student Village', ... city ... ghetto ... whatever.

And that's what we got. What we didn't get thankfully were the proposed playing fields (doubtless private) and embrace of one or other of the corporate education providers (formerly Universities) and their goon squad employees policing the whole area. Well, not yet.

What we did get instead though was a cycle track. I was initially appalled by this, particularly by the tree felling and prospect of dicing with death cyclists, belting along, heads down, 'Wiggins is God' types. This has not happened! A by product (just maybe) has been the recognition of the purpose of the green space as both a safe route and a, well, green space. That tree felling might be a good quid pro quo in the long run if it means no one will try to build a car park over Battlefield.

My work might be said to be done. I don't think so. Not until I see a sign like this displayed:

LOWER OUSEBURN PARK

Meanwhile, a glance back (off site link below) to one of last autumn's 'Indian Summer' days and a stroll through another once severely blighted space, Summerhill Square, now one of this city's gems thanks to dedicated local activists.

http://dunlin.jalbum.net/Summerhill Square/

Best wishes for 2017.

Needle Point

I like much modern architecture; not all, just some. The news that a proposal to build an extremely tall tower in Carliol Square (sic) should not produce automatic cries of wonderment or outrage but dry eyed dispassionate conversation.

 

Carliol Tower (Chronicle Live)

I doubt it will receive any.

My own short reflection is that dramatic new buildings have a way of making one look at the rest. Since about 1900 Newcastle (as opposed to Gateshead) has not been well served architecturally. Added to which the Council down the decades has seen fit to allow the demolition of better and the building of worse. Carliol Tower, if it is ever built, would simply point up this unfortunate truth.

Brave or Short Sighted?

 When planners were king and the people ... well, they were just people.

 It could be anywhere, England Scotland or Wales, north or south. But this is Stevenage.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-37826783

Note to planners. Communities are not drawn up but evolve. What looks logical is so often tyranny. I could go on but the article says much. What it leaves out is the point.

Slow day

The weather this past month has been some of the sunniest of the year as I recall. It has had the effect of delaying autumn body clocks – mine anyway. I look at the calendar and blink. It is really November? Will it soon be Christmas? Yes to both.

Meanwhile a walk to the shops last week produced these efforts.

The Way of the World

Newcastle City Council planning committee have approved the application of Cameron Hall to destroy more of the Green Belt. The Grade II Woolsington Hall was put out of play by the simple action of burning it down. Job done.

Saving Newcastle Wildlife has not quite conceded defeat. It might be better if they did. That way a channel for protest and outcry would be opened.

Saving Newcastle Wildlife writes:

"Sadly, but not unexpectedly, Newcastle City Council voted 8-5 in favour of the applications, which will see the destruction of over 1,500 trees, many of them hundreds of years old, to make way for unnecessary millionaire houses in the green belt.

Although some members of the committee queried whether the financial information relating to the controversial enabling development could be made publicly available, we were asked to leave the room – for less than half an hour – while the committee considered the complex financial information on which the enabling argument hinged.

According to one committee member who had sight of the financial documents the appraisal was ‘all over the place’.

The only hope we have now is that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid, will call in the applications."

Private Eye has commented in its Nooks and Corners column on this scandal. The North East is as far as scandals go, Teflon® coated. Has been for decades.

Save Newcastle Wildlife are honourable and dedicated people who believe in the framework of law and legislation. I never felt in the few contacts I had with them that they really understood the forces they were up against.