The wonderfully prescient, and perceptive, column by Neil Tucker, (23 July) was matched by an equally intuitive, and insightful column by Horace Camp (25 July).
Just when we thought we had rid ourselves of previous P&R autocratic diktats, issued without due diligence, i.e. without consultations, we get the same-old-same-old, and they haven’t even had a full public meeting yet. Why indeed has P&R dumped the poison chalice of Leale’s Yard on the new Housing Committee? It’s as though they’re being set up to fail.
Leale’s Yard has been a bugbear and white elephant for decades, needing ‘horrendous’ amounts of work and stupendous amounts of (our) cash. Why now? When the States has bought acres and acres of building land, where foundations could be laid tout de suite.
I know the chief minister, and others, were diametrically opposed to a new committee, nevertheless it was ratified and surely the ‘newbies’ should be helped and not hindered to honour their laudable pledge of housing local youngsters, at an affordable price, ASAP?
Should £5m. have been spent in such a blase and unilateral fashion? Not according to Horace Camp in his excellent evaluation. Some deputies seem to want to spend money willy-nilly, but our money man has been consistent with his recurrent mantra, ‘We have no money’. No meeting of minds there then.
The powers that be, in St Sampson’s and the Vale, seem to have capitulated and say they are ‘on side’ with Leale’s Yard/Bridge plans, but judging from the high attendance at the public meeting and the negative comments, the parishioners are definitely not. Don’t islanders (not well-paid politicians) have enough on their plates? Some doing two jobs, some not able to retire, iniquitous standing charges, (thanks for trying, Myles) they can’t keep up with the cost of living now, and still have the ‘spectre’ of extra taxes looming.
To have to contemplate the horrific cash cost and the invidious blight on their daily lives may be utter chaos for years (when there are other options) is abysmal and uncaring. Give your fellow islanders a break.
Jill Martel
St Martin’s
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