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A Run-down Market Town?


Lonan3

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That's how Treasury Minister Allan Bell describes Douglas (God only knows how he'd describe his own constituency!!)., and I have to say that it's difficult to argue against. Any suggestions as to how it ought to be improved (other than nuclear explosives, that is)?

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That's how Treasury Minister Allan Bell describes Douglas (God only knows how he'd describe his own constituency!!)., and I have to say that it's difficult to argue against. Any suggestions as to how it ought to be improved (other than nuclear explosives, that is)?

 

Allow improvement grants for flats. These buildings make up much of the town centre, yet aren't permitted to apply for grants. Daft.

 

More compulsary purchase type stuff like what happened up around tynwald street. That scheme was supposed to cover the whole area, but they apparently ran out of dosh after doing the first time buyers and old folks place. I can't see how such a scheme would't make money rather than cost money in the current market.

 

Oh and less dickhead planners. Fuck knows what the corpy are thinking about with the quay. Bung a pedestrian area next to the biggest supermarket on the island. Then do some sort of half arsed pedestrian area half way along, raising the road to the same level as the pavement so that all the cars drive on your posh expensive paving and make it look shite, and ensuring that nobody walks on your new pedestrian area ever again!

 

The quay should have had it's buildings refreshed, not the pavement.

 

Christ knows why you'd want to create a posh pedestrain area overlooking an industrial estate either..

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That's how Treasury Minister Allan Bell describes Douglas (God only knows how he'd describe his own constituency!!)., and I have to say that it's difficult to argue against. Any suggestions as to how it ought to be improved (other than nuclear explosives, that is)?

 

 

I agree with him and I'm glad he had the nerve to say it rather than implying everything is lovely and we have "Freedom to Flourish' here.The weeds certainly do.

 

 

I would like to see an alternative photography competition where people show the island as it really is. Then maybe the politicians and planners would make some effort to improve things.

 

But isn't there a local plan for each area?

I seem to remember seeing a Douglas Plan where areas were designated for different activities.

retail-housing-industrial etc

Douglas Corporation should have a plan of what they want to achieve in the next 10 years, 5 years, 1 year and stop all this Twinning with Ballamonney stuff.

 

Have they ever had regular meetings with their rate payers to get ideas about Douglas?

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I would like to see an alternative photography competition where people show the island as it really is. Then maybe the politicians and planners would make some effort to improve things.

 

I smell a new thread with prizes.....

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I would like to see an alternative photography competition where people show the island as it really is. Then maybe the politicians and planners would make some effort to improve things.

 

I smell a new thread with prizes.....

 

I thought of starting a thread with - the good the bad - in its title.

Pictures taken in a spot on the island, one showing the great bits, and another from the same spot, maybe just looking in another dircetion, showing the bad bits.

 

For example - The Head Road - a picture over looking the bay .. then turn round and take a picture of that pile of stinking old beds and cupboards that been on the grass for years, then, the mountain course at the tram crossing, then the old TT museum.

 

Im sure you get my drift,

So come on - lets get some pictures on 'ere.

 

Im not stumping up for some prizes thou' - I will leave that to the DTL.

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That's how Treasury Minister Allan Bell describes Douglas (God only knows how he'd describe his own constituency!!)., and I have to say that it's difficult to argue against. Any suggestions as to how it ought to be improved (other than nuclear explosives, that is)?

 

 

 

Douglas Corporation should have a plan of what they want to achieve in the next 10 years, 5 years, 1 year and stop all this Twinning with Ballamonney stuff.

 

 

 

I can't recall if it was the corpy or not, but remember Douglas 2000. All glossy brochures and plans of the new developments they had planned. Isn't there still an office on Victoria Street with all the same photos in the window? No idea what goes on in there, I think I remember them painting all the bins and lampposts blue.

 

The place is a tip and it's a real embarrassment when you bring people over who are used to traveling round towns and cities. The roads are a state, the pavements are a state, the buildings are scruffy. What would general feedback be if rates went up to cover the cost of decorating each property every few years, ad the corpy/jobseekers/prisoners made sure everywhere was painted regularly. Those who keep their property presentable should have nothing to complain about as it's just another way of paying for what you do already. I know it would never work for a million reasons, but the town really needs to do something radical.

 

Have a look around anywhere you go regularly as if you were there for the first time and there will be things you see that need improvement that you just walk past every day and don't notice. Try doing the same on any trip through Douglas and see it from a newcomers point f view. It's a hovel!!

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I would like to see an alternative photography competition where people show the island as it really is. Then maybe the politicians and planners would make some effort to improve things.

 

I smell a new thread with prizes.....

 

 

Ooohhh make it so.

 

I have "a bit of spare time" at the moment so could do some travelling around to get some decent snaps.

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That's how Treasury Minister Allan Bell describes Douglas (God only knows how he'd describe his own constituency!!)., and I have to say that it's difficult to argue against. Any suggestions as to how it ought to be improved (other than nuclear explosives, that is)?

 

I agree with him. Douglas ratepayers pay some of the highest rates on the Island and f**k knows where the money goes. Douglas Town Council should be ashamed about how badly the money is spent, with all the new apartments on the prom their rates take must have gone up significantly in the last 5 years so where is the money being spent?

 

Probably shite ideas like Douglas 2000 - initiatives that make the town look 7 years past its sell by date.

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