What to do about a problem like Wolverhampton...

[Mighty Thor]

Nothing people from these areas dont already know but what can genuinely be done? If the current rate of decline over the last 10 years continues for the next 10 years then i really fear for the place.

http://www.economist.com/news/brita...-found-not-big-cities-small-ones-urban-ghosts

http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21587790-city-sicker

 

[bod101]

remove the cretins in charge of anything to do with the economy, regeneration or infrastructure in wolverhampton would be a good start they are serial failures.

i would love to go into to it more but i havent time.

but some of the decisions and ideas they have are baffling to the extreme.

a couple regarding the town centre, allowing so many £1 shops to exist, charging 50p per 20minutes parking, suggesting closing one of the only night time car parks, charging a fee on a previously well used night time car park and not allow parking in other places at night at bizarre times, only ever focusing on one area at a time for regenration starving others areas thus just moving the problem around and never actually fixing it. i could go on. basically they are clueless and regards the night time economy when i met with representatives they didnt even know what was going on didnt live in the area and hadnt ever been out in the town at night.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

To quote from the same source, but a different article...

http://www.economist.com/blogs/blighty/2013/09/manchester


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[derbyrameater]

remove the cretins in charge of anything to do with the economy, regeneration or infrastructure in wolverhampton would be a good start they are serial failures.

i would love to go into to it more but i havent time.

but some of the decisions and ideas they have are baffling to the extreme.

a couple regarding the town centre, allowing so many £1 shops to exist, charging 50p per 20minutes parking, suggesting closing one of the only night time car parks, charging a fee on a previously well used night time car park and not allow parking in other places at night at bizarre times, only ever focusing on one area at a time for regenration starving others areas thus just moving the problem around and never actually fixing it. i could go on. basically they are clueless and regards the night time economy when i met with representatives they didnt even know what was going on didnt live in the area and hadnt ever been out in the town at night.

Derby is very similar but it is also done with the help of the Gov't, by giving planning permission to big business, we have a conflict over a .."the plant would heat-treat rubbish to create gas which would then be burned to create electricity."..

Allegedly it has never put a watt into the national grid, the people don't want it because of access and possible health problems (the area is already suffers terrible air pollution), a missive estate growing larger by the month with just two roads gong into single lane traffic at points

Read more: http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/C...tory-19901675-detail/story.html#ixzz2hhoJ95eW

 

[Sedgley Gold N Black]

Waste less of the money on vanity projects would be start.

Someone needs to create a long term vision, too many quick fixes and scrapped plans that just add up to wasted money.

Short term, invest in infrastructure and in improving local and important services to kick start employment which will lead to some growth.

Then start to work on the long term plan what do we want wolverhampton to be known for? Make it the pinnacle in the country of x.

 

[WasStefan]

Train station needs knocking down and rebuilding for a start. Embarrassing

 

[JOSWolf]

The city centre has become a right $$$$ hole. Even ten - fifteen years ago it was far better. Now it is a dump.

 

[andy-in-seat-190]

Go and spend some time talking to the town planners from Sunderland - 10 years ago it was was real $$$$ hole - they invested heavily in the stations (bus and rail), completely rebuilt their version of the Mander Centre, woo'd large retail companies (Debenhams being one) and generally created a feel good factor around the city. It all started with the building and development of Nissan some years before - Jaguar Landrover could be the catalyst if its all handled correctly.

 

[bod101]

i dont know if still the case but business rates were stupidly high in the town centre too even with rows of empty shops and offices.

 

[Battleship]

Historically, we were probably over-reliant on engineering and metal bashing. These sectors cannot keep on declining forever: at some point, they must either start to grow again (companies still need safes) or reach zero. I think that the rest of the local economy is reasonably diversified, and hopefully, some of these other sectors will provide some growth. In the long term, becoming more diversified will be good for us.

 

[Deak77]

The collapse of the Summer Row project was a massive kick in the nuts for Wolverhampton, it would have breathed new life into that whole dump of an area along Cleveland Street and all around the Market