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Posted by beachdrifter to swanage view
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Improve Swanage
I have been visiting my father in Swanage for over 25 years and been lucky enough to move here just over a year ago.It's truly a great place, excellent beaches, purbeck hills, corfe all on our doorstep. The town is a typical seaside down unspoilt..... but, here is where I may upset some people, I feel there needs to be some changes.Make the town from the station onwards pedestrianised, with flower beds, lighting, try to make it a more of a street cafe culture. Down by the pier area, and I know this has already been mentioned in the press, but lets have some restaurants, bistros, a gallery for local artists.What I'm trying to say is update the town. I personally think that unless some things are put into action now Swanage may lose it's appeal. The important thing is to keep the locals in mind when all this is done. Being a seaside town the revenue created is during the summer months, but culture is changing the way people want to spend their time. We do not want to become another Bournemouth or Poole but in fear of repeating myself I can imagine Swanage becoming even more picturesque and attracting even more tourists, all it needs is a planner with vision.
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Posted by beachdrifter to swanage view at 7/15/2005 09:47:28
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Posted by beachdrifter to swanage view
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14 comments:
Much of this was the subject of the Swanage Community Plan exercise. Draft report was published here (see Archives) and on
http://www.swanagecommunityplan.blogspot.com
I don't know whathas happened since. Has a final report been prepared and conclusions reached, and actions determined? Though it seems one of the ideas has been latched on to, and had money (£40,000) thrown at it - the multi-funcional centre. But what about all of the other ideas - some of which involved little or no cost, just a will to make some changes.
Its the "planner with vision" bit I think is lacking
That plan is to say the least admirable..Only trouble being, it would bar disabled peole from the area. You would also have to make Swanage easier to get to,our roads at present cannot cope.
Dancing Ledge
I read this sitting at my desk in Quarr Gallery. This is a gallery which sells work by local artists. Its in the lower High Street, about 100 yards from the pier. The stretch from the square to the bottom of the raod is predominantly eateries of various kinds. I dont know how Beachdrifter missed these. It would be wonderful to have more galleries. People would come to Swanage for them if there were 6 or 10, however, this may demand a public which is imcompatible with the burger and chip eating, amusement arcade visiting variety we suceed in attracting at present.
However much vision the planners may have unless it can be coupled to investment in the right things there is not going to be any great change
Its fine having a town that generates its wealth from tourism, but by trying to do that, the town has continued to decline since its victorian hayday.
It needs a vibrant economy all year round and, as in victorian times, export goods and services to the larger conerbations. But we have had this discussion before and still no action.
Until we have a council who can work with the business comunity in the town, any vision will be blinded by a myopic few.
I am not at all sure Swanage's heyday was in the reign of Queen Victoria. Most of it was built after her death. The real glory days were from the 1930s to when cheap package holidays abroad became available and car ownership became near universal. All gone now for a variety of reasons.
The long chase downmarket from hotels to camp sites cant go much further as there are scarcely any hotels and even fewer families who can afford a fortnight at English hotel prices.
The community plan is still undergoing gestation. I believe it takes the largest size of whale a similar period to breed. Lets hope it does not turn out to be a sprat though!
I totally agree with Beachdrifters vision. Pedestrianising the whole of Shore Road, Station Road, Institute Road and the lower High Street as far as the Pier would send out the message we want up market tourists. The rest would follow Keith. Or in reality do Swanage folk not really want tourists all? Is there the will to put in a new road to give people access via Durlston? We could go the whole hog and close the car parks, beef up the park and ride, and make Swanage access only. What a fantastic place that would be to live in or visit!
Pedestrianising the centre has been discussed for years and dismissed as impracticable. There is no doubt it would be a wonderful thing. A relief road to Durslton would, I understand, have to cross a nature reserve so it would be a case of destroying one asset to improve car access to another.
It's not possible to isolate consiering traffic in Swanage from the wider context. A high proportion of our visitors come from the Poole/Bournemouth conurbation. If the Dorset Area Rapid Transit system, proposed several years ago were put into effect the Swanage Railway would become part of a light railway network connecting the population centres from here to New Milton. With the various feeder lines proposed this would offer hundreds of thousands of people the ability to get to the beach in Swanage without driving here. This would reduce the number of cars by a noticeable amount. It would also bring trade to the pubs and restaurants in the evenings. A meal and a glass of wine by the sea and a ride home without the risk of being breathylised would be an attractive proposition. Details are at
http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/ltpweb/rail.htm
That idea would in effect close off much of Swanage to a great many people, It would certainly drive out the elderly, now unable to drive into the town for shopping.
Why the constant cry to improve Swanage for visiters? What it seems to me, would be a better idea...Improve Swanage for its residents! We cannot afford to do so much for those that come here fleetingly.
Let us local folk enjoy our home town. Indeed. I still subscribe to the Grockle hunting day...anyone want to join in? membership of the "Swanage Association of Grockle Hunters" is free to those dedicated in the art!
A honoured and ancient association that has been around for hundreds of years.
Dancing Ledge.
The old folk could park at the station as usual, perhaps using a residents' sticker. The disabled would get around much better, and could have more spaces. Electric chariots would get easy access. Children and old people would not need suprvision to cross the roads. We can only kick out the tourists and think of residents if oil is discovered in the Bay!
I'm sure there could be ways of making it availble to the disabled, although I admit I hadn't really though of it. And I apologise if I have brought up old subjects, but as I come into Swanage and look at the view from Ballard Down to Pevrill Point I can just imagine it with, as I said, restaurants cafe/bars and galleries, I have looked in the gallereis in town, and love some of the work that is there, I wish I could afford to buy some. I just think some are missing my point,there are really nice restaurants, and bars, but there is more that could be done and if we could get more galleries etc then Swanage could get all year round trade. Come the middle of October a lot of shops etc close, it's still a beautiful town but it loses it's appeal for families but mostly couples. There really could be a market there.And this will shock some but I am not a snob or well off person, I actually live in social housing, (please don't tar us all with the same brush), but some times when I walk into certain shopes or galleries I am not made to feel comfortable, NOT ALL but some. I may have gone of the point there but basically i feel there are enough people who feel the same but we need to be more active.
Sorry to hear Beachdrifter does not feel welcome in some shops and galleries and that the art is too expensive.
More galleries is a good idea but there is a chicken and egg element in this. My own view is that we need a large public gallery/art museum to attract visitors and this will provide the leverage needed to get private investment in galleries and restaurants.
Swanage shops run by people who are unpleasant to their customers is a long tradition unfortunately. I can think of a good many examples ranging from the offhand to the downright rude over the years. If Beachdrifter comes and introduces themselves in Quarr gallery I will do my best not to fall into this category.
Thanks Keith, please don't thinh I am saying everyone is the same because they are not just one or two but your comments as appreciated
Planner with vision....and £20m in a back pocket. Maybe we should sell Swanage to Roman Abramovitch.
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