What can the GDA do for us?
CALLS from cash-strapped States committees to find someone else to take on responsibilities that they no longer intend to honour due to financial constraints are not hugely surprising. How effective they will prove to be remains to be seen, but the prospects would appear slim.
However, the idea raised by Education, Sport & Culture to throw in the revamp of the Maritime Museum at Castle Cornet as part of the wider development of the east coast, being led by the Guernsey Development Agency, may have some merit, rather than simply being an opportunity to let the committee off the hook.
As ESC said, the GDA wasn’t conceived when the revamp of the Maritime Museum was first agreed.
However, experience has taught us to be careful about the expectations of what the Development Agency might be able to deliver.
Towards the end of last year it concluded its information-gathering by giving a wide cross-section of the community a guide to some of its ideas.
Much of this was met by scepticism, if not derision, given someone has to pay for all of these projects which could be brought into play.
If we want to be able to lean on the GDA to drive change and much-desired development on the east coast, maybe the time is right to talk openly about practicalities and how any of this might be achieved.