BenjaminM
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Goodness me, this thread started off at the sublime but has degenerated to the ridiculous.
Dylan, we are talking ( in your words) of about 6 people using Shopmobility – hardly a number that is likely to have a staggering affect on the profitability of town centre businesses. And which car park(s) would you suggest? One, two or all of them? From my experience and observations, many blue badge holders park where they damn well like anyway.
Rondetto, so the butchers are closing the pie and sandwich bar – your conclusion ‘to economise’. I could think of a number of reasons (but then I would be guessing too) why they have decided to shut up shop. Pure conjecture it seems, without substance or foundation.The arguments that have been put forward for the reason for shop closures and businesses failing is now wearing pretty thin. First it was car parking charges that caused a reduction in footfall (although no mention has been made of the high cost of public transport), then the Council, excessive business rates and rents.
We read repeatedly of the need for ‘entrepreneurship’ from certain contributors, a definition of which is ‘ a person who organises, operates and assumes the risk for a business venture’. That being the case, one would quite rightly assume that that person entering into the venture has done so, fully aware of the extent of the risk involved, ie all the outgoings that the business has to service before a profit can be made. It seems to me therefore, that the constant bleating is a sordid attempt to divert responsibility for the demise, to anyone other than themselves. As in the natural world, through a process of evolution, only the fittest and strongest survive.
As Adam Smith once said (and I know that some contributors are fans of his), and I paraphrase,
“Our merchants and masters complain much about the cost of high wages (and costs*) in raising the price and lessening the sale of goods. They say nothing concerning the bad effects of high profits. They are silent with regard to the pernicious effects of their own gain. They complain only of those of other people.”It may be worth remembering by many, that the general public do not owe any trader or business person a living and that they sink or swim by their own endeavours. It little short of iniquitous to even consider that subsidies should be forthcoming to support their private venture.
I think the term “Physician heal thyself” is more than appropriate in the context of the topic under debate.*my addition.
Come on Steveg, out with it. Isn’t the real reason for your gripe the fact that you lost out on your negotiations with the bus companies and for your own personal interests?
May be that a little poetic licence has been used(and I say maybe), but hardly a credible reason for the application to be re-examined.I assume that you are referring to the Wrexham result Dylan but the dubious figure you state is entirely meaningless and pointless and does not give an accurate representation of the facts.
FACT: of the number of the electorate that cast their vote in Wrexham, the majority were in favour of UKIP. Quite rightly therefore, they topped the poll. The proportion of votes cast nationwide mimics that position.
FACT: if you want to go into the realms of ‘no mandate’ just remember that we are governed by the Tories at present who, at the last general election received just 36.1% of the vote yet still were able to form a government. Using your perverse logic, this means that two thirds of the the Country did not give them a mandate either!
It is not difficult to work out where your political affiliations lie, but that is between you, your conscience and the ballot box, but certainly do not decry anyone who chooses to exercise their democratic right also, simply because the result has not gone the way you would have wished.
The UKIP leader possesses what none of the other main party leaders have – charisma and the ability to speak out and say what many people think.
You mention in a previous post on this thread that fringe parties are taking votes from mainstream parties. Obviously, your stance is from a parochial viewpoint, so let us talk parochially. There are approximately 25 “Independent’s” on Wrexham Council who, by definition, do not have any particular political affiliation.
Question: how is it possible then that 2 ‘independent’ Councillors are self declared members of Plaid Cymru? Could it possibly be that they are scared of showing their true colours on the ballot paper for fear of rejection the same as the two Plaid Councillors ousted at the last local election? Both of whom (if Party literature is to be believed) have, or intend to, seek election to higher office.Adam, you are Wrexham’s equivalent to Nigel Farage – you put into words what normal everyday folk are thinking.
Anyone who thinks that having a dedicated coach stop is going to be the panacea to all the ills that have befallen Wrexham town centre, think again.
The ‘attractions’ that are listed on the promo flyer are unlikely, in my opinion, to attract few, if any, coach tours to a run down, empty shopped, shopping experience.
The only one worthy of note is its’ proximity to Chester, but even allowing for a degree of poetic licence, I think that the 15 minute travel time stated is grossly underestimated.
And yes, you are probably correct in stating that another performance indicator has had a great big tick at the Guildhall but they should not receive all the flak as the economic situation is affecting towns and cities nationwide. Wrexham is not unique!An interesting proposal Alun, but frankly, unworkable unless several other factors were brought into play.
Firstly, it would necessitate King St becoming a two-way street to take into account buses entering from the museum end of King St which at present access Trinity St from the Co-op end. This would further isolate the shops on King St, (a situation that you take great pains to defend) and undoubtedly increase congestion at the Rhosddu end with buses and private vehicles having to jockey for position.
OR
Instead of the above, divert those buses down Grosvenor Rd (a main arterial route) to the roundabout giving access to Rhosddu Rd and then onto Trinity St in line with your proposal.
Earlier on in this thread we have read of the perceived problems already apparent at that roundabout, adopting this, would increase the problem exponentially.
Sorry jok, but it looks like you will have to grin and bear it for the time being or at least until a practical and workable solution is forthcoming.Sorry that you are viewing this through rose tinted glasses Jok, but the fact of the matter is that Private Hire vehicle drivers rarely, if ever, alight from their vehicle when collecting a client. It has not been suggested that their customers ‘stand in the middle of the road’ but rather that the drivers stop in the middle of the road and sound their horn repeatedly until their fare comes out to join them. This can be witnessed any time of any day with frequent regularity.
Nowhere have I said that you are personally guilty of creating a noise nuisance or blocking the highway, but what I am saying is that it is a generic observation that holds true for the vast majority of occasions.
There is of course an easy way around the problem, use Duke St. to egress King St., because as you have reminded me in the past, it is available for use at all times to persons of your calling.I am not sure where you get the figure of £4 million from Dylan or how you are able to extrapolate that figure to cover a 5 year period. The reporting by Wrexham.com and the figures presented to the Exec Board are at variance with each other, ie Wrexham.com states £8.2 million saving over a 2 year period whereas the report presented indicates a necessary saving of £8.2 million for 2015/16, (para 2.1). Extrapolate that figure and you reach a figure of £41 million over a 5 year period, if we use your simplistic mathematical
calculation method. I tend to favour the official documentation for accuracy.
Also, the proposed savings indicated in the appendix to the report are are presented previously (with minor additions) and form the basis for early and ongoing consultation and amendment as necessary throughout this financial year, prior to budget setting in early 2015.
As for wxm’s comments regarding a ‘new and fresh approach’ and ‘doing things differently and with less money’, isn’t that what is being done by considering the budget early and allowing longer for consultation to take place?
As an aside, would you please try to discontinue the use of inappropriate question marks in your posts? It makes your normally difficult to read posts even more so.I think that MP1953 gives an accurate summation of the situation regarding Grosvenor Rd roundabout when he states that car drivers are the worst offenders in blocking off access and egress to the roundabout, just so that they can move forward an extra couple of metres, totally ignorant to the needs of other road users.
With regard to the original post, I find it somewhat rich that the writer criticises bus drivers when members of his own profession habitually stop in the middle of the road when picking up a fare, sounding the vehicle horn (an illegal act for a stationary vehicle) at all hours of the day or night, rather than pulling in to the kerb to allow free passage for traffic flow. Or doesn’t that count?
A case of don’t do as I do, but do as I say?
