Tuesday, January 15, 2008

TAKING OFFENCE












I am moved to continue these ramblings by receipt of a comment (albeit mistakenly from a Jehovah's Witness creditor) and a rare sense of outrage at the spoiling of one of our town's pleasant pathway walks. I do not normally comment on the inadequacies of our local municipal bodies. Having been on the bridge of the SS Great Britain for many years and watched our "national interests" being ground upon the rocks of expediency and sheer bloodymindedness, the shortcomings of the deck chair attendants seem only to be expected. (Though I do read with interest those fighting the good fight).


But strewth! Who dreamed up the need for Category C prison style fencing "to stop vandalism" along the footpath which runs roughly parallel to Broadstairs High Street linking Alexandra Road and Vere Road via the Coach Park. This used to provide a very agreeable means by which I could reach my choice of harbour side alehouses with some charming views over the adjacent allotments and the north of town. Of a summer's evening, with the air full of birdsong and the smell of smoke drifting over from allotment bonfires one's heart was lifted a little as the donated memorial benches along the route bear testimony to.



Now, if you walk by or wish to sit and enjoy the views you are confronted by 200 yards of razor tipped slate grey fencing (at what cost?). If vandalism, presumably directed at the allotment sheds and small holdings, is a problem could not a more sympathetic/environmentally friendly solution have been found? There appears to have been no consultation and nothing was ever posted along the route advising of the work. Now it is there I suppose it is literally set in concrete. Of course it would be cynical of me to think there is any read across to the oft touted plan to put in a road linking Albion Street and Carlton Avenue.....

2 comments:

Richard Eastcliff said...

Our beloved council seem to specialise in hideous fencing, don't they?

But I think you may be on to something, BM. First the narrowing of the already-ever-so-narrow Albion Street, now the hideous fence of doom. It all adds up to a new bypass if you ask me.

Then they'll pedestrianise the place. Because that's been such a success in Margate and Ramsgate, hasn't it!

Anonymous said...

I have to ad it that that is not a very attractive fence but I also have to say that I once "owned" an allotment. There was nothing but a hedgrow to protect the place and as fast as we worked and as fast as we built things up some ****s would be in to smash it all up again. I gave up in the end.