Do it Yourself

Posted on 29-11-2010 09:23 | By The author of this comment has been removed.

This is a good idea, but unfortunately it's just another "Whats the council going to do about it" demand! If the local retaillers were interested in attracting more people to town, they would form a group and initiate good ideas like this. The reality of the situation is that they are probably sitting back waiting for the COUNCIL to do it for them (which is because COUNCIL took it upon themselves to do things like this in the past), and now that they have retracted their participation, the retaillers are no longer TOGETHER ENOUGH to do things for themselves. Here is the Cycle of events: The city centre gets popular because people go there to sell stuff, and people go there to buy stuff. Council get involved (bollards, cobblestone areas, lighting, parking wardens, christmas lights, consultants, surveys on the CBD etc etc) because they see an opportunity to benefit lots of local people who gather at the same place. Shoppers AND retaillers demand the council do more and more (to which they oblige) Council put up rates to pay for all these things they are now EXPECTED to do. The strength and solidarity of the retaillers who used to have to do everything themselves, deminishes, so that they are no longer able to do stuff themselves. Council now take over full responsibility for the CBD, but because their livelihoods are not at stake, can continue to increase costs and implementation of negative processes (ie parking wardens) The CDB fails, so council employ consultants and delve into serious navel gazing exercises to decipher WHY SOLUTION Remove council from interfering how private businesses do their business. Hand over control of the CBD to the retaillers who do business there - let THEM be responsible for the upkeep of the place they chose to do business STOP demanding council do things for you - organise yourselves into a strong and cohesive unit and DO IT YOURSELVES.